"He was an emotional mess": Anna Kepner's grandparents address the teen's stepbrother being suspected of her murder on Carnival cruise

Anna Kepner's grandparents have opened up about her death. For the unversed, the 18-year-old was on a Carnival Horizon cruise ship with her father, stepmother, step-siblings, and grandparents.

Her dead body was found on November 8 by a housekeeper. Anna was covered with a life vest, wrapped up in a blanket, and placed under the bed. She shared the room with her two stepsiblings. The FBI shared that Anna Kepner's official cause of death is asphyxiation, caused by a bar hold, a maneuver in which someone puts their elbow across a person's neck.

Her 16-year-old stepbrother is currently the suspect, as authorities informed that he was the only one getting in and out of that room. Anna's grandparents, Barbara and Jefferey, told ABC News that their grandson stated that he "does not remember what happened" in the room, as he was an "emotional mess" when he found out about Anna's death.

Barbara said that she saw her granddaughter the night before at dinner. Anna left after saying she "didn’t feel well." However, she came back after changing her clothes, "popped in and out to check in," and told her grandparents she loved them.

The next morning, the cruise ship's medical alert informed the family that Anna Kepner was dead. Barbara also mentioned the closeness her two grandkids shared, saying Anna and her step-brother were like real siblings. She noted that she could not accuse the underage boy, since she did not know what had happened inside the room.

"In his own words, he says he does not remember what happened. I believe, to him, that is his truth. He was an emotional mess. He couldn't even speak. He couldn't believe what had happened. They were just like brother and sister," Barbara said.

NEW: The grandmother of Anna Kepner, the 18-year-old who was found stuffed under a bed on a Carnival cruise, speaks out, describes the last time she saw Anna on the ship.

Anna's stepbrother is being considered as a suspect.

Barbara and Jeffrey Kepner are speaking out about the… pic.twitter.com/8WApTXwZCh

— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) November 24, 2025

The couple shared that their grandson was a "quiet young man," who "had demons in his past" and was trying to "deal" with those. They also said that he is a good student and plays soccer.

She told the news outlet that after the family returned to Miami, Anna's stepbrother was hospitalized for a psychiatric observation. The 16-year-old was released and is currently living with a family member. Anna Kepner's death has been ruled a homicide, and an investigation is ongoing.

Anna Kepner's biological mother said she found out about her daughter's death through the internet

Heather Wright, Anna Kepner's biological mother, told News Nation on November 22 that her ex-husband did not inform her about her daughter's passing.

She claimed that, due to the strained relationship she had with Anna's father, she could not stay in touch with Kepner and called only for birthdays and holidays.

Wright said that a third party informed her about Anna's death, and she then started calling and even reached out to Kepner on TikTok. Heather did not get any response and started searching on Google. She came across her daughter's death reports.

She told the news outlet that neither the FBI nor her husband shared the news with her. Later, Heather was allegedly told by her ex-husband not to attend Anna Kepner's funeral.

He reportedly told her that their daughter supposedly would not want her present there. However, Heather Wright attended the service in a disguise.

According to ABC News's report on November 24, the FBI and the medical examiner refused to comment on the case on Monday. So far, autopsy and toxicology reports have not been released. Stay tuned for more updates on the murder of Anna Kepner.