The mother of 18-year-old cheerleader Anna Kepner, who tragically died aboard the Carnival Horizon last November, has confessed to mistakenly claiming that her daughter’s stepbrother was charged with murder.
Heather Wright, Anna’s biological mother, shared a video over the weekend providing an update on the case, which has remained unsolved for more than three months, and reigniting hope for justice.
In the video, Wright mentioned that Anna’s stepbrother had been charged with murder. However, it turns out this information was incorrect.
“Well apparently I was misinformed,” she clarified in a new video. “They didn’t charge… with F—king anything when he went to federal court so I’m not sure what that’s all about.”
Wright further expressed her frustration, saying, “I also heard he’s being tried as a juvenile and not an adult, which is f—ked up. That boy knew what he was doing when he did it. No if, ands, buts about it. Everybody pray for me. Pray for justice for my daughter. Thank you for all the love and support.”
She also lamented the lack of communication, adding, “nobody is really keeping me in the loop,” and continued, “I’m still all in the dark out here in Oklahoma.”
Kepner, known as a popular cheerleader from Titusville, was discovered deceased under a bed on November 7 by someone cleaning the cabin she shared with her stepbrother and another sibling.
Following her death, the medical examiner determined it to be a murder, and the case was taken over by the FBI and federal authorities since it occurred in international waters.
Throughout the investigation, no information about any potential suspects has been publicly disclosed. However, it is known that Kepner’s stepbrother, a 16-year-old juvenile, appeared at the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida on February 6, where he and his public defender attended a closed-door hearing before a magistrate.
No details of any charges have been made public, and all hearings will remain behind closed doors in case prosecutors choose to try the boy as a juvenile.
The boy’s mother, Shauntel, and her husband, Christopher—who is Anna’s father—issued a statement after the court proceedings, expressing their disappointment that he had been released on probation as part of a pretrial release.
“At this time, it is deeply painful and disturbing to our family that the person responsible is able to walk freely. This reality adds to our grief and outrage,” the statement read in part. “It is devastating to know that while we live every day with the loss of our child, the individual responsible has not yet been fully held accountable.”