Florida Teen Says He Has No Memory of Stepsister’s Death Aboard Carnival Cruise

A 16-year-old Florida boy under investigation in the death of his stepsister aboard a Carnival cruise ship has repeatedly said he does not remember what happened, according to court documents.

Text message exchanges between the boy’s divorced parents, filed in a Florida custody case, reveal that the teen told both parents he had no recollection of the events surrounding the death of 18-year-old Anna Kepner. Kepner was found dead last month aboard the Carnival Horizon during a cruise that departed from Miami.

Authorities have ruled Kepner’s death a homicide. Her death certificate lists the cause as mechanical asphyxia, meaning her breathing was obstructed by physical force. Federal investigators have identified the teen — Kepner’s stepbrother — as a suspect, though no charges have been announced.

The case has drawn widespread attention, with the FBI and South Florida medical examiner’s office declining to release detailed information as the investigation continues. Court filings tied to the custody dispute offer the clearest public indication so far that investigators are scrutinizing a member of the victim’s blended family.

Kepner, a high school cheerleader from Florida’s Space Coast, was traveling with her father, grandparents, stepmother, and stepmother’s children. Following the cruise, the 16-year-old boy was sent to live with a relative.

In the messages included in court records, the boy’s father expressed concern about the intense public scrutiny and emphasized that his son should know he is loved despite the circumstances.

Attorneys for both parents declined to comment.