Federal authorities are looking into Anna Kepner’s minor stepbrother following the 18-year-old Florida cheerleader’s recent death aboard a Carnival cruise heading for the Caribbean.
A security source informed of the investigation told ABC News that authorities are trying to determine whether she died following a medical emergency, an overdose or an altercation with her younger step-sibling.
The high school senior’s cause and manner of death on Nov. 8 remain unclear, though her body was reportedly found wrapped in a blanket and covered with life vests under a bed on the Carnival Horizon vessel.
Specifics about Kepner’s stepbrother are murky. However, Kepner’s stepmother, Shauntel Hudson, was aboard the ship along with Kepner’s father, and has reportedly requested a delay in a custody hearing after the FBI informed her “a criminal case may be initiated against one of the minor children of this instant action,” reads a court filing obtained by WFTV Channel 9.
The motion also stated that, “Any testimony the Respondent may give, either written or oral, could be prejudicial to her or her adolescent child in this pending criminal investigation, therefore the Respondent cannot be compelled to testify.”
Kepner’s family previously told ABC News that she died shortly after “taking the test to join the military” and “wanted to do something that would help her community.”
At the time, Carnival Cruise Line stated to the outlet that its “focus is on supporting the family of our guest and cooperating with the FBI.”
