NEW: Probe Into Cruise Ship Death Of Florida Teen Takes Chilling Turn After Bombshell Report thumbnail

NEW: Probe Into Cruise Ship Death Of Florida Teen Takes Chilling Turn After Bombshell Report

The New Atlantis

Federal agents are zeroing in on a possible suspect in the death of 18-year-old Anna Kepner, the Florida teen found dead on a Carnival cruise ship earlier this month. A law enforcement source and another person familiar with the case told CBS News the focus is on one of her stepsiblings.

Court filings obtained by CBS News show Kepner’s family believes her 16-year-old stepbrother is under FBI scrutiny. The bureau declined to discuss the investigation, saying it does not provide operational updates except in rare instances.

One law enforcement source said the two may have had an altercation.

Kepner was on a Caribbean vacation with her father, stepmother and three stepsiblings when she was discovered under the bed in her stateroom on the Carnival Horizon. The ship was returning to Miami, where it docked Nov. 8. Her body was found by a housekeeper, according to law enforcement sources.

She had been sharing the room with her stepbrother and another stepsibling.

The New Atlantis

CBS News confirmed the medical examiner listed her time of death as 11:17 a.m. on Nov. 7. A source familiar with the probe said that was roughly when her body was discovered. Family members said Kepner told them the night before she felt sick and returned to the room. When she did not show up for breakfast the next morning, the family began searching.

On Tuesday, CBS News reported a separate court filing suggested charges may be coming against one of the stepsiblings. The detail appeared in a motion from Kepner’s stepmother, Shauntel Hudston, who asked to delay a divorce hearing due to the situation. The filing said, “An extremely sensitive and severe circumstance has arisen wherein the Respondent/Mother will not be able to testify at the hearing at this time.”

Investigators are now reviewing surveillance footage from the ship and checking electronic swipe card data that could show who entered the cabin. They are also examining Kepner’s cellphone records. The FBI and ship security are interviewing passengers, crew, and members of Kepner’s family.

Carnival Cruise Line said it is cooperating with federal investigators. The FBI has jurisdiction because Kepner was a U.S. citizen and the death occurred in international waters. The Miami FBI office is working alongside Carnival security.

Carnival said the bureau has told the company there is no threat to passengers on the ship’s current voyage.

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