Anna Kepner’s heartbroken father wants his stepson punished if federal agents find he killed the 18-year-old Florida cheerleader on a Carnival cruise ship — but refused to say whether he believes the boy had any role in his daughter’s mysterious death.
“I do not stand behind what my stepson has done,” Christopher Kepner, 41, told People.
“I want him to face the consequences … I will be fighting to make sure that does happen.”
Anna Kepner, 18, pictured with her father Christopher Kepner and her younger siblings. Facebook/Chris Kepner
The high school senior had been traveling on the Carnival Horizon ship with her blended family — including her father, stepmother, siblings, stepsiblings and grandparents — when she was found dead on Nov. 7.
Her lifeless body was stashed under her cabin bed and wrapped in a blanket covered by life vests.
The FBI has offered no updates on its investigation, but court filings from an unrelated case suggest that Anna’s 16-year-old stepbrother, who was sharing a cabin with her, is being eyed as a potential “suspect.”
“He was a normal kid,” Kepner said of his stepson, adding “I would’ve never thought that any of this would’ve happened.”
Anna Kepner was found dead aboard the Carnival Horizon on Nov. 7. Instagram/@anna.kepner16
The grieving father said he last saw his daughter alive on Nov. 6 during a family dinner aboard the Carnival ship, and that her corpse was found the following day by a housekeeper, the outlet reported.
But when asked by the publication whether his stepson was involved in Anna’s grisly death, he replied, “I cannot say that he is responsible, but I can’t decline.”
Christopher, her father, wants his 16-year-old stepson punished if feds find he killed the 18-year-old girl. Facebook/Shauntel Kepner
“He was the only one that was in the room and the FBI has an ongoing investigation in which they will have to provide the evidence to say that he did do it or did not do this,” the devastated dad said.
Anna’s death was ruled a homicide, with her death certificate revealing she was “mechanically asphyxiated by other person(s)” on Nov. 6, ABC News reported.
Her 14-year-old younger brother reported overhearing “yelling” and “chairs being thrown” while Anna and her stepbrother were alone in their stateroom, which the three siblings shared during the cruise.
Anna’s death was ruled a homicide. Facebook/Chris Kepner
He unknowingly slept feet away from his sister’s concealed corpse the same night she was killed.
Joshua Westin, Anna’s ex-boyfriend, claimed she confessed she “didn’t feel safe around” her stepbrother months before her death, according to his father.
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Westin also accused the stepbrother of sexually harassing and having a twisted obsession with Anna, but said she stayed quiet “because she was scared that he would do something to her,” Westin’s dad said.
Christopher Kepner said he wants his stepson — suspected in her killing — to “face the consequences.” Christopher Oquendo
Westin’s father also alleged that the stepbrother “always carried around a big knife.”
“He’s like infatuated, attracted to her like crazy. He always wanted to date her,” he said.
Anna, a devout Christian who was just baptized in May, was set to graduate from the Temple Christian School in Titusville, Florida this school year.
She aspired to join the US Navy and eventually become a K9 police officer.
