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Texts sent by Anna Kepner’s distraught family after she used to be stumbled on pointless on a Carnival cruise closing month provide a uncommon insight into her stepmother’s initial desperation to protect her son — the principle FBI “suspect” in her death.

Anna, 18, used to be killed within the cruise ship cabin she shared along with her 16-year-aged stepbrother and 14-year-aged brother. Her stepbrother, an sick insomniac who no longer illustrious to know his medicines right through the cruise, has been eyed because the doable killer by feds and family alike.

But within the on the spot aftermath of the teen’s death, Anna’s stepmother, Shauntel Kepner, and her ex-husband swapped dubious texts about standing by their son.

On Nov. 8, Shauntel texted her ex and instructed him to name her to focus on about an “emergency,” per court docket paperwork purchased by FOX 35 Orlando.

Anna’s physique used to be stumbled on stuffed beneath her bed the day earlier than.

Then on Nov. 9, Shauntel sent every other textual relate material describing a short conversation she had with their son while he used to be being evaluated at a scientific facility. She explained that their son claimed he couldn’t remember anything else and used to be greatest granted a name by a nurse so his of us could well reaffirm their love for him, per the paperwork.

Other messages included repeated emphases on preserving the suspected teen out of the grander image surrounding Anna’s death, in fragment because he’s quiet a minor.

Anna died by “mechanical asphyxiation,” authorities acknowledged.

The night she used to be killed, her youngest brother overheard “yelling” coming from the cabin while she used to be locked in there with their erratic stepbrother.

Anna’s father, Christopher Kepner, acknowledged that he wants his stepson to “face the penalties” of his actions, nonetheless used to be wishy-washy when asked if he thinks the teen in actuality performed a characteristic within the tragic homicide.

“I will no longer speak that he’s responsible, nonetheless I will’t decline,” he acknowledged.

“He used to be the right one which used to be within the room and the FBI has an ongoing investigation in which they’d maybe want to originate the evidence to converse that he did assassinate it or did no longer assassinate this,” he added.

The stepbrother used to be sent to are residing with varied kinfolk after Anna’s death to mitigate “threat of any hazard” to varied young of us.

Anna’s ex-boyfriend claimed she confessed she “didn’t in actuality feel stable round” her stepbrother months earlier than her death, per his father. He furthermore alleged that the teen used to be “infatuated” with her.

Anna, a non secular Christian who used to be good baptized in Could well, used to be characteristic to graduate from the Temple Christian College in Titusville, Florida, this faculty year.

She aimed to stamp up for the US Navy and at closing become a K-9 police officer.