CRUISE SHIP GIRL, ANNA KEPNER, DAD: I FOUND HER COLD, NAKED BODY

Summary

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Crime Stories with Nancy Grace

Episode: CRUISE SHIP GIRL, ANNA KEPNER, DAD: I FOUND HER COLD, NAKED BODY

Release Date: May 22, 2026

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Episode Overview

This intense episode centers on the shocking case of Anna Kepner, a teenage girl found murdered and sexually assaulted aboard a cruise ship. Her own father discovered her body concealed under a bunk. Nancy Grace, joined by investigative reporters, legal analysts, and forensic experts, dissects the disturbing details, focusing on alleged prior warnings, family dynamics, legal prospects, and failures of protection. The episode is driven by heart-wrenching first-person accounts, broader legal questions, and the haunting reality of missed red flags.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Discovery of Anna Kepner

• Nancy Grace introduces the case: Anna Kepner, a teen, was found dead, naked, and hidden under a bunk on a cruise ship by her own father.
  • "Her own dad pulls his daughter's dead body from under a bunk on the cruise line. Now he vows he will not sit through testimony. His mind, his heart and his soul cannot go back to that room where his daughter was murdered." (02:01)
• Emphasis on the trauma: The podcast repeatedly acknowledges the lifelong impact on Anna's father and family.

2. Events Leading Up to the Murder

• Pattern of Abuse and Warning Signs: Multiple warnings existed about Anna’s fear of her stepbrother (the alleged killer), including reports to both her parents and authorities.
  • Anna’s boyfriend tried to alert her parents about the stepbrother’s advances. The younger brother also reportedly told the adults something was wrong multiple times.
    • "This little girl, Anna Kepner, had been afraid of him for a really long time... the boyfriend and his dad told the parents." (05:29)
    • "There were multiple indicators that we've learned through this story, Nancy, that this perpetrator, the killer, had a problem. And a lot of people knew that." (Robert Crispin, 07:17)
• Parental Inaction: Discussions repeatedly highlight the family's alleged failure to act on these warnings, suggesting possible culpability or negligence.

3. Night of the Crime: Evidence and Eyewitness Accounts

• Sounds of Violence: Anna’s brother recalled hearing fighting and screaming.
  • "Heard the stepbrother yelling at Anna, the sounds of furniture overturning and screams from inside their room." (Dave Mack/Anna's boyfriend, 07:45–08:08)
• Morning After: Anna was missing at breakfast; her body was discovered shortly thereafter (03:09).

4. Outrage Over Suspect’s Release

• Suspect is Not in Jail: The accused is living with an uncle under surveillance; this provokes outrage from Nancy and guests.
  • "He’s not in jail. He’s walking free... If he has a history, why is he free in a neighborhood where there are young girls living around him?" (Nancy Grace, 26:47)
• Legal Explanation: Greg Morse (defense attorney) explains that under the Juvenile Detention Act and Bail Reform Act, the court is required to use the least restrictive means; since Anna was 18, child neglect charges are less applicable.
  • "You can't just work backwards from a horrible crime and say he has to be locked up. This was a horrible thing. Every single person is presumed innocent..." (Greg Morse, 23:12)

5. Forensic and Psychological Analysis

• Forensic Evidence: Dr. Priya Banerjee explains how sexual assault is determined during autopsy.
  • “We collect, we examine the pubic area, the genital area, look for any injuries, and take lots of swabs for DNA testing... looking under the microscope, so if this is a forcible rape, oftentimes we see bruising and tearing.” (Dr. Priya Banerjee, 28:26)
• Psychoanalytic Commentary: Dr. Bethany Marshall draws parallels to other child sexual abuse cases, asserts Anna’s father may be avoiding court not due to trauma but to avoid facing his own neglect.
  • “I do not believe for one second that bio dad is avoiding the court case because he's afraid of being re traumatized... in all the cases we've covered, the mother and the father always want to go to court. Always because they want to vindicate the slain child. So in this case, I think the father, it's one, one last act of lack of protection towards his daughter that he's not going to court.” (13:55)

6. Critique of Family and Legal System

• Repeated Failure to Protect Anna:
  • “Nobody was protecting Anna.” (Nancy Grace/Dr. Bethany Marshall, 38:34–38:42)
• Importance of Accountability: Robert Crispin stresses the need for accountability for all parties who failed to act.
  • “Accountability starts for everybody involved when the first arrest was made. And the United States government is going to take this all the way to the end.” (Robert Crispin, 33:29)
• Possible Cover-Up: Nancy and guests debate whether family members may have coordinated their stories before the ship returned to port.
  • “They had a lot of time to get together and talk. And family protects family regardless.” (Robert Crispin, 38:09)

7. Legal Proceedings and Upcoming Court Dates

• Bond Hearing: Next court date is a bond hearing at the end of May; trial delayed to September.
  • “The upcoming court date regarding bond is at the end of the month, end of May. The trial was delayed. It was originally scheduled for June and it has been delayed until September.” (Michelle Spitzer, 40:56)
• Superseding Indictment: New charges, including sexual assault, have been added, thus justifying the trial delay. (29:17, 42:41)

8. Impact on the Family and Community

• High School Graduation: Anna's father accepted her diploma posthumously, family set up a senior memory table in her honor.
  • “Her high school graduation was just held this past weekend and her dad did go up and accept her diploma on her behalf. It was a very emotional moment.” (Michelle Spitzer, 31:30)
  • “Her family has said they want her to be remembered by the way she lived, not the way she died.” (Michelle Spitzer, 32:22)

9. Evidence and Official Statements

• Physical and Digital Evidence: Written statements from the defendant, DNA evidence, and forensic downloads from cellphones are key components of the case.
  • “A written statement by the defendant... DNA found at the crime scene... reports from both federal and local law enforcement agencies included in all of this.” (Dave Mack, 43:54)
• Grand Jury’s Determination: Pre-meditation and felony murder are features under consideration.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Nancy Grace: "How many warnings did it take for the parents to finally hear or did they ever hear what was happening to Anna Kettner? Now this little girl has been sex assaulted and murdered. Her cold, naked body stuffed under a bed on a cruise ship and her dad, her bio dad, having to pull the body out." (10:45)
• Anna's Boyfriend: "She just didn't feel safe around him. She’s scared to tell anybody because she was scared that he would do something to her." (11:31)
• Dr. Bethany Marshall: “This is the classic pattern of sexual abuse of a child... Let's be clear, th is not her brother. The parents had not been married that long. He's some add on and intrusion into her life that she did not want.” (13:55)
• Robert Crispin: "I don't even know how to put words to it. I don't even know what I would do." (33:29)
• Michelle Spitzer: “Her family has said they want her to be remembered by the way she lived, not the way she died.” (32:22)

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Important Timestamps

• [02:01] Introduction of the case: Anna found murdered, details of how her body was found
• [03:40-05:29] Private investigator and news update on the case, the father's refusal to testify, the suspect’s freedom
• [07:17] Early warnings, possible missed opportunities to save Anna
• [07:45-08:08] Eyewitness accounts of the night of Anna’s murder
• [10:45-12:36] Compilation of warnings to parents, reactions, and first-person narratives
• [13:55] Psychoanalytic commentary on family roles and failures
• [19:37] Legal discussion on potential parent culpability
• [23:12] Explanation of bail and the legal reasoning for the suspect’s release
• [28:26] Forensic explanation of how sexual assault was confirmed
• [31:30-32:22] Emotional segment on Anna’s posthumous graduation and memorial
• [38:09-38:42] Allegations of family cover-up, lack of protection for Anna
• [40:56] Update on court proceedings and delays
• [43:54] Evidence gathered by the prosecution, including written statements and DNA

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Conclusion

This episode is a harrowing dissection of systemic failures, family dysfunction, and the staggering aftermath of a preventable tragedy. Nancy Grace and her guests spotlight the enduring trauma for Anna Kepner’s loved ones, the persistent outrage over the accused’s pretrial release, and a legal system grappling with culpability in the face of explicit warnings. The episode is marked by deep empathy for the victim, sharp legal analysis, and a relentless pursuit of accountability.

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Transcript

[Nancy Grace]

This is an iHeart podcast.

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[Nancy Grace]

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[Nancy Grace]

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[Nancy Grace]

Crime Stories with Nancy Grace the so called cruise ship girl. Teen Anna Ketner's dad says, I found her cold naked body stuffed under a bunk. Her own dad pulls his daughter's dead body from under a bunk on the cruise line. Now he vows he will not sit through testimony. His mind, his heart and his soul cannot go back to that room where his daughter was murdered. I'm Nancy Grace, this is Crime Stories. I want to thank you for being with us. The last thing she saw about that far away from her face is her own stepbrother. As he strangled her dead, the little brother heard fighting, heard screaming. Whatever happened, it was very violent.

[Robert Crispin]

And then the next morning, it's 9 o'.

[Dave Mack]

Clock.

[Robert Crispin]

Everyone's eating buffet and all of a sudden, where's Anna? Seriously?

[Nancy Grace]

And yet the alleged killer is still walking free. Straight out to Michelle Spitzer joining us out of Melbourne, Florida, Florida news investigative reporter for USA Today. Michelle, thank you for being with us. Michelle, where is the alleged killer? This after her father says, I can't possibly take my mind back to that room again.

[Michelle Spitzer]

Right now he is with a relative, an uncle, in another part of Florida, another county. And there are attempts being made to get him in custody until the trial.

[Nancy Grace]

Robert Crispin joining us now, private investigator at Crispin Special Investigations, former federal Task Force Officer, U.S. department, Justice DEA, Miami Field Office. It goes on and on and on@crispin's investigations.com. but this is Florida, his jurisdiction, and he is joining us right there where that cruise ship took off but came back with Anna Kempner dead. Robert Crispin, you hear what the dad is saying? He refuses to go back into that courtroom, to go into the courtroom and revisit that room again in his mind, his heart, his soul, where he found his daughter stuffed under a bed, cold to the touch and naked. Do you blame him?

[Robert Crispin]

Listen, I being a father, I don't want to ever have to deal with something like that. I don't blame him. But unfortunately, this is the federal government, and this is a homicide investigation. And by hook or crooked, he's going to have to testify and the government's going to have to put him on the stand. He's the one who found Anna dead. He's the first person back to her body to find her naked, wrapped in the blanket and covered in life jackets and finding her lifeless, cold, no pulse body. You don't get to not testify. I completely understand and I'm compassionate with him, but he is a major indicator of moving this case forward.

[Nancy Grace]

Hey, Crispin. I believe that first a maid went in and saw her and then, I'm sure, screamed her head off. And then the dad went in and pulled her out. He touched the body. And that's kind of thing you never get over ever for the rest of your life. And we just heard, Michelle Spitzer, state from USA Today, Robert, that the alleged perp is walking free even now. Now, Robert, you've been there on location over and over and over, but this is what's happening right now. And I'm going to get Michelle Spitzer to back me up on this. The perp is living in a residential home. Can I see Crispin? I want to get his reaction to this. He's not in jail. He's walking free. Now, this little girl, Anna Kepner, had been afraid of him for a really long time. And I'm going to play back to you what her then boyfriend said about how this perp had crawled on top of her before, and she was afraid and she voiced that concern. And the boyfriend and his dad told the parents. But there's more. This is a pattern because tonight, Crispin, we are learning the the little brother, the one that was banned from the room so Anna could be raped and killed, that little brother. We are now learning, Crispin, that there are reports the little brother went to the mom, the stepmom and the dad and told them something's happening, something's wrong. And nobody did anything. CRISPIN Nothing. They could have saved her life. If this account is true.

[Robert Crispin]

CRISPIN so if it's true, NANCY and there is some banter that that happened and there is a superseding indictment that is potentially coming down the road. There were multiple indicators that we've learned through this story, Nancy, that this perpetrator, the killer, had a problem. And a lot of people knew that. You ever hear the term see something, say something? That goes right down the line of what happened here.

[Nancy Grace]

Anna's brother heard a heated argument between

[Dave Mack]

them in their cabin the night before

[Nancy Grace]

Anna was found dead.

[Dave Mack]

He heard the stepbrother yelling at Anna,

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the sounds of furniture overturning and screams

[Nancy Grace]

from inside their room.

[Anna's Boyfriend]

He heard him yelling at her, like in a harmful way of like, shut the hell up and stuff like that. Like something was like banging around and stuff and like the chairs were getting thrown around in the room.

[Nancy Grace]

From our friends at Inside Edition, straight back out to Michelle Spitzer, joining us, Florida Investigative Review reporter with USA Today. Michelle, I find it very difficult to believe that the little boy, age 13 or 14, did not go tell the mom or dad something's going on in there.

[Michelle Spitzer]

Yeah, There has been nothing in court documents regarding the other sibling that was in the room and what he may have seen, what he may have heard. We do know he was not in the room when the alleged incident took place, but we don't know where he was. Again, what he heard or saw.

[Nancy Grace]

We also are learning from the uncle who went online to Dave Mack, crime Stories investigative reporter. And I want to read it correctly, this is from Martin Donahue. He states that the little brother told his stepmom when no one could find Anna on the ship. So, yes, they knew who did this. It sickens me. The father, Chris, remains silent. So I guess this means I'm extrapolating from these words that it was the little brother again that raised the alarm. Dave Mac the following morning that nobody could find Anna. So you have the boyfriend and his father telling the family the perp keeps trying to attack Anna. She's afraid nothing was done. Then you have the little boy reportedly reportedly telling the mom and the dad, they're on the cruise. Something's going on in there. Nothing was done. You have the little brother again the next morning saying, I can't find Anna, but no one did anything. Dave Mac, do I have that correct?

[Dave Mack]

Nancy, that is what Martin Donahue wrote for all the world to see. You're dead on accurate. What he is saying is that Anna Kepner, that this younger brother, this 14 year old, was locked out of the room and that he told the parents, something's going on. I hear an argument, I hear stuff being thrown around. Nothing was done about it. And that's a shocking thing if true. It's beyond what most of us can imagine. But getting right to the heart of this, Martin Donahue posted this early on, Nancy, and he's asking people to please follow along and be involved in this case.

[Nancy Grace]

How many warnings did it take for the parents to finally hear or did they ever hear what was happening to Anna Kettner? Now this little girl has been sex assaulted and murdered. Her cold, naked body stuffed under a bed on a cruise ship and her dad, her bio dad, having to pull the body out. The nightmare sticks with him. Every day, every night, he vows he will not go back in the courtroom and relive what happened. He says, I don't want to return to that room. Even in his mind. Here's one of the warnings this family had.

[Anna's Boyfriend]

She just didn't feel safe around him. She's scared to tell anybody because she was scared that he would do something to her.

[Dr. Bethany Marshall]

Joshua too, says Anna's close relationship with her stepbrother was one sided. The 16 year old is obsessed with Anna and made her uncomfortable with romantic advances. He once even caught him trying to climb into Anna's bed while the two were on FaceTime. Anna already asleep.

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He said that I tried to tell the parents that this was happening and

[Nancy Grace]

they didn't want to believe me.

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He's like infatuated, attracted to her like crazy.

[Nancy Grace]

He's always wanted to date. Chris doesn't realize it's his fault.

[Dave Mack]

This whole thing is his fault.

[Nancy Grace]

If he would have taken the warnings that Anna's ex boyfriend gave him, then she would still be here. So keep that in mind. Christopher, I blame you. That from our friends at Inside Edition and just mom 1984 on TikTok. Let's hear what the boyfriend has to say in full.

[Anna's Boyfriend]

I was on FaceTime with her and she was laying down and the brother tried to go on top of her. And you saw that? Yeah. And then how did she react to that? I was like, what the hell are you doing in the room? You know. Then he got scared and like ran away. And I heard his footsteps like running through the house, you know, because he got caught. That was my first love. She was the best that ever happened to me. And I'd even walked her to work to see her, you know, for like five, ten minutes. She complained about him being uncomfortable or her being uncomfortable around him because of the fact that he tried to go on top of her in the bed. And because of that she tried to go and stay the night at her friend's house and to dodge the staying night at her house.

[Nancy Grace]

So upset she would try to go and stay at a friend's house overnight to get away from the stepbrother that ultimately according to federal prosecutors, killed her. That is from the Space coast rocket Instagram to Dr. Bethany Marshall joining us, renowned psychoanalyst out of the LA jurisdiction. You can see her now starring on Bravo and Peacock. She's the author of Deal breakers and you can find her at Dr.bethany marshall.com. did you hear that?

[Dr. Bethany Marshall]

And Nancy, this is so disgusting. This is the classic pattern of sexual abuse of a child. If the boyfriend was on facetime and th climbed on top of Anna while she was asleep, how many times had this happened in the past? And her dad refused to believe her. Let's be clear, th is not her brother. The parents had not been married that long. He's some add on and intrusion into her life that she did not want. And Nancy, I do not believe for one second that bio dad is avoiding the court case because he's afraid of being re traumatized. If he goes to court, he's going to have to hear all the details of the case and he's going to have information presented to him that he was not listening to her pleas and he does not want to hear that. Nancy, in all the cases we've covered, the mother and the father always want to go to court. Always because they want to vindicate the slain child. So in this case, I think the father, it's one, one last act of lack of protection towards his daughter that he's not going to court.

[Nancy Grace]

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[Amazon Health AI Advertiser]

Sequences shortened and simulated Amazon Health AI presents painful thoughts why did I search

[Dr. Bethany Marshall]

the Internet for answers to my cold sore problem?

[Nancy Grace]

Now I'm stuck down a rabbit hole

[Dr. Bethany Marshall]

filled with images of alarmingly graphic sores in various stages of ooze.

[Nancy Grace]

I can clear my search history, but I can never unsee that.

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[Nancy Grace]

Crime Stories with Nancy Grace. So now there are claims of a quote cover up. A cover up. You know, Robert Crispin, you were saying earlier that while the dad doesn't want to testify, doesn't want to relive what happened, he's going to have to. And you're right, he will be called as a witness and he will have to get up there and testify and he will be cross examined. But think about the strategy here Crispin I don't believe the defense is is going to cross examine him on why nothing was ever done to Anna because their client was the danger. How can they ask that question, hey, how come you never protected your daughter from my client sitting over there? I don't think they'd touch that with a ten foot pole.

[Robert Crispin]

No, but the government will. And him testifying I feel if he doesn't want to testify and how many times have we seen this Nancy, in homicide cases we've worked he doesn't want to testify because if he is culpable of any part of this where he should have intervened at any part of when it's all started from the time he jumped in on top of her when they are on FaceTime to the cruise to the to the information that they knew he might walk himself right into an indictment.

[Nancy Grace]

Dr. Bethany it breaks my heart to think that this little girl, a teen girl just scrubbed in sunshine, never did anything wrong in her whole life, would try to go spend the night at other people's her friends houses to get away from the stepbrother.

[Dr. Bethany Marshall]

Reminds me of another abuse case of mine, Nancy. A 12 year old comes to treatment and her older brother is stalking her. It's a biological older brother and because of that this little girl's falling into a depression. She has to lock the bathroom door because he will break into the bathroom when she's trying to toilet or take a shower. He peers into her room at he has flashlights. He siblings can stalk another sibling. It is not that uncommon if we think of the psychodynamics of this family. But the fact is you never ever put a teenage boy in a room with a teenage girl. You just don't. Even if they are biological siblings, which they are not. So what I think the thing about Anna we have to keep in mind she was this is just what we see in this case. But there was most likely a history of him stalking her within that home and climbing on top of her while she's sleeping. You can't tell me that she was safe in that bedroom or that this was the first time she had been violated by him.

[Nancy Grace]

Joining us now out of this jurisdiction, veteran trial lawyer Greg Morse. He is a renowned criminal defense attorney, he founded Morse Legal and he is the author of Untested on Amazon. Greg Morse, I know you've got plenty to say but here are just a few of the Legal issues. And Michelle Spitzer joining us, USA Today. Jump in. If I get any of this wrong or if you want to add in, don't wait for me to call on you like a school teacher. Please. Michelle. I need help with Greg Morse because there's no telling what defense he's going to throw out. Spin it out, Greg. Number one, why is this defendant walking free? Because if anything we've said tonight, if anything we have learned is correct and let me remind everybody, the parents have not been charged with anything. Not neglect, not child abuse, nothing. This is based on statements made by others. Okay. They haven't been charged with anything. If these statements are true, that means there was a pattern. Greg Morse, A pattern of the stepbrother attacking Anna and nobody doing anything about it. So as Robert Crispin just told us, you see a pattern emerging. If it's true, can the parents be charged? What would the charges be? And if this pattern is true, why is he out free if he has a history of sex attacks and stalking young girls? You don't think they're young girls in his neighborhood? There has to be right now.

[Amazon Health AI Advertiser]

Well, well, first of all, why he's out is because the under the Juvenile Detention act, it's to offer the least restrictive means. The government sought only dangerousness, not risk of flight. Those are the two reasons that, that the court considers. So you know, he's on the monitor, he's uncle. So that's restrictive enough. He can be monitored if he leaves the house. So that's enough switching it over because he's charged as an adult and now having this pre trial release decided under the Bail Reform act because he's charged as an adult really is. It's more procedural than substantive. There's no reason to revisit this other than the procedure changed. He should stay in the same position that he's at. The court's not going to learn anything new. Probably at the new bond hearing that I believe Eve is coming up on the end of May, May 27. So as far as the release, you can't just work backwards from a horrible crime and say he's has to be locked up. This was a horrible thing. Every single person is presumed innocent until the state proves every single element beyond. Until the exclusion of all reasonable doubt or the person, please. So that's why he was released. These are restrictive means. He's monitored 24 7. If he goes outside that house, that monitor goes off. Do you GPS signal. Police are notified right away. So with regard to that, and the court should probably keep them in the same situation now, because nothing's changed. As far as the family, you're right. I mean, you know, you hear. Maybe they were arguing or there were problems, and maybe the family wanted, hey, make this work. This new blended family. Work it out, guys. You know, that type of stuff. It's a long way to impute knowledge of a murder and rape to a family. And Anna was 18 years old, so she was an adult. So you don't have some type of child neglect or something to that effect here because she's an adult when this happened. You know, the only thing. Maybe they could go with some type

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of

[Amazon Health AI Advertiser]

obstruction if they said something to law enforcement and made statements. But you could say. But it's the reality of it, Nancy. You want to convict everybody because they're arrested.

[Nancy Grace]

I kind of zoned out when you said she's an adult. Show Anna Kepner again, please. She's wearing braces. She's still in high school.

[Amazon Health AI Advertiser]

Sure, sure. Okay. But she's 18.

[Nancy Grace]

18 is not an adult. Crispin, can you drink at 18 in Florida?

[Robert Crispin]

Florida's 21 years old.

[Nancy Grace]

Oh, okay. So she's not even able to have. What do they have now? The White Claw. Kind of a. Kind of alcohol, but not really. She can't even have hard cider. And Greg Morse is telling me that she is an adult. Hold on. Keep it on. Crispin. Crispin, number one. I got Morse on tape because he says the same thing every time. And when he runs out of defenses, he says presumed innocent. He always throws that in at the end, in case we forgot. But everything that he said is not answering the question. The question is, if what we're being told is true, there is a pattern of stalking and sex attack attempts. If that's true, he has a history. Why is he free in a neighborhood where there are young girls living around him?

[Robert Crispin]

Well, I have a huge problem with him being out on bond, even with his GPS monitor. Because, Nancy, as you get closer to trial and you meet with your defense team, you start to realize that your demise is very, very close and how strong the evidence is against you. And you start to become a caged animal. And you realize, I'm out. I only have a short amount of time to either kill myself. That won't break our heart, however. Or kill someone else and escape. I have a huge problem with him being out. I get that. He's a youthful offender. I get it. But there are a lot of violent youthful offenders, which is why he's being charged as an adult. If he. Trust me, the government knows about all this past with him. And you're gonna see that that's gonna come up at this next hearing. I'm gonna be shocked if this judge doesn't pull that GPS and put him into custody.

[Nancy Grace]

I mean, for Pete's sake, Crispin, it's a murder. This is not some little girl down at Walgreens stealing some eye makeup. This is a murder, and according to a superseding indictment, a rape. According to the state, he raped her and murdered her. Hold on. Dr. Priya Banerjee joining me.

[Michelle Spitzer]

You know her?

[Nancy Grace]

Well, she's a board certified forensic pathologist. She's an anatomic pathologist. She's with anchor, forensic pathology consulting. Dr. Priya, how does the state know this girl, this teen girl, was sex assaulted? How do we know that and describe the injuries to Anna Kepner for both

[Dr. Bethany Marshall]

girl moms, this is hard. But autopsy, we do sexual assault kits just like analogous to if the if she was living. We collect, we examine the pubic area, the genital area, look for any injuries, and take lots of swabs for DNA testing and microscopic exam. So looking under the microscope, so if this is a forcible rape, oftentimes we see bruising and tearing in that, in the genital area. And that's really what is. It's awful to see. There can be a lot of damage outside and inside. And there are special autopsy techniques that are very invasive, but allow us to really get a look at what the damage is. So it's a very complicated exam.

[Nancy Grace]

Greg Morse, very quickly explain what is a superseding indictment.

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So a superseding indictment is a another indictment after the initial or preceding ones that simply sometimes adds charges, adds elements to it. But it's to add information to the preceding indictments that have already been issued. So it doesn't really, unless it's something incredibly significant. It doesn't change the timeline very much, depending on what it is. But it's a new indictment in the same case with new information.

[Nancy Grace]

You know, we saw that over and over in the Sean Combs case. They just kept getting more and more victims and more and more evidence, and there'd be a superseding and a superseding to the superseding and so on and so on. That's an example. Oh, there he is. Did you have to show him to me again? I guess you did. Hey, Dave Mack joining us, Crime Stories investigative reporter. One thing of the many things that Morse said, and he's right, is this is a newly blended family. It's a Very newly blended family. In fact, this stepmom and the bio dad are basically still honeymooners.

[Dave Mack]

They were only married 11 months, Nancy, when this cruise took place. And during that time period of that 11 month marriage, there were all of these warning signs that you've been talking about between Anna Kempner and her stepbrother. So the shocking fact that they, knowing all of this, put them in the same room on a cruise and that the 14 year old was locked out of that room, it just goes to a total dread of what Anna Kempner was going through on a day by day basis with the stepmom's brother.

[Nancy Grace]

You know, it's amazing to me the way this is playing out. He is still out free. She's dead. Isn't it true, Michelle Spitzer, that her high school graduation, I hope you're listening, Greg Morse, claiming she's an adult. Her high school graduation just happened and the dad, the bio dad, had to accept her diploma. What happened?

[Michelle Spitzer]

That's right, Nancy. Her high school graduation was just held this past weekend and her dad did go up and accept her diploma on her behalf. It was a very emotional moment. He wore butterflies on a shirt in honor of his daughter. It's a very small private school. There's only about 20 kids in the graduating class. The valedictorian spoke about Anna, spoke about what she meant to the class, how much she has missed. There was no mention about the suspect there. It was all focused on Anna and how much she has missed.

[Nancy Grace]

Michelle Spitzer, isn't it true that the siblings. Oh, this is from our friends at Good Morning America. Isn't it true that these siblings set up her little senior table with all of her pictures and memorabilia?

[Michelle Spitzer]

That is what I was told, that family members did set up this table to reminisce about Anna and remember her in the good times. Her family has said they want her to be remembered by the way she lived, not the way she died. She was a cheerleader known for being very bubbly, very happy all the time. And so there were a lot of good memories and she was thought about a lot this weekend.

[Nancy Grace]

Back to you, Crispin. I know you can't see a monitor where you're joining us there on the scene, but we were just showing her senior table. My twins are about to graduate and I've been doing senior table after senior table. And after seeing your table, can you imagine putting together a senior table and your daughter has been sex assaulted and murdered and the dad has to pull her cold body out from unstuffed up under a bed and you're making a senior table. I mean, all you've got left of her is an urn. A senior table.

[Robert Crispin]

I mean, listen, I, I could see that in the Monitor. And that's heartbreaking. That is beyond heartbreaking. This entire situation is heartbreaking. But accountability starts for everybody involved when the first arrest was made. And the United States government is going to take this all the way to the end. If there's nobody else responsible and they deem nobody else is responsible, then it's over with the arrest of him. But yes, that table is heartbreaking. And it's just. I don't even know how to put words to it. I don't even know what I would do.

[Nancy Grace]

I don't either looking at that. And you know what? I gotta make another senior table tomorrow night. I mean, and when I'm making those pictures of my little girl to put up on that poster, I'm be thinking about Anna Kepner and her family making all those posters we just saw and how they must have just been sick doing it. Crime Stories is so proud to be supported by Grand Canyon University, an affordable, private, non profit Christian university based in beautiful Phoenix, Arizona. GCU doesn't settle for the status quo, they shatter it at gcu. Academically rigorous, industry driven programs are built to move at the speed of relevance with practical skills, career readiness and opportunity for every learner. And GCU believes education should not be a privilege, but an affordable path forward for all. In fact, they've kept tuition at the same rate on their traditional campus for the past 17 years and they're continuing that into the 2026-2027 academic year. Grounded in Christian faith, GCU works to empower the next generation to lead with integrity, serve with purpose and help transform their communities, building a future that matters. GCU is purpose driven education. Take action. Find your purpose at gcu. Private Christian affordable non profit. Visit gcu Edu to learn more.

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[Nancy Grace]

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[Nancy Grace]

Stories brought to you by Penn Foster Sometimes things don't go as planned with school. Whether you're looking to go back and finish what you started or you're the parent of a teen who's falling behind in traditional school, having an alternative can make all the difference. Penn Foster High School is an accredited online diploma program built to be flexible with self paced courses so students can work at their own pace and move forward. Visit Penn Foster. Edu Nancy that's P E N N Foster. Edu Nancy and learn more. There is an answer Crime Stories with Nancy Grace Think about it. Looking at that poster board and that senior table and the dad getting a standing ovation when he goes to accept her diploma. Crispin remember when her body was found? They came back to port and suddenly the stepson was too upset to speak anymore once the law enforcement got a hold of him. But guess who else didn't speak? The bio dad and the stepmom. And according to these posts, the little brother had told them what had happened and they said nothing.

[Robert Crispin]

Listen Nancy, that is not a coincidence. You as a prosecutor or me as a former homicide detective, that is not a coincidence. This time frame, from the time that they found the body until that ship got back to port here behind me and the feds were able to get on there and start their investigation. They had a lot of time to get together and talk. And family protects family regardless.

[Nancy Grace]

Well, when you say family protects family to Dr. Bethany Marshall, nobody was protecting Anna. Nobody was protecting Anna.

[Dr. Bethany Marshall]

Nobody was protecting Anna. And you and I have covered so many cases, Nancy, where a mother has a new boyfriend who comes into the household and molests her children. Do we ever give those mothers standing ovations? Never. I do hope bio dad does go to court. And in terms of this, you know, I forget what you call them. All the information being added on like we had with P. Diddy, a lot more is going to come out. She had girlfriends, Anna, who's whose houses she spent the night at so she would avoid th. Let's not call him her brother because he was not her brother. She hadn't known him that long. And all those girls are going to want to talk. They're going to talk to their mothers and fathers. The mothers and fathers are going to talk to police. There's a lot more information coming out, Nancy. It's going to get ugly, I'm really sorry to say, but that's what's going to happen.

[Nancy Grace]

And speaking of upcoming, back to Michelle Spitzer joining us, investigative reporter there in this jurisdiction of Florida for USA Today. Michelle, we've got upcoming court dates. The first thing I believe is going to be court date where they're going to talk about bond in case there's any threat that he might go into juvie jail. They want a bond. I think that's going to happen. The trial date has been moved. Tell me what's happening.

[Michelle Spitzer]

I do want to point out that a lot of the information that has come out, aside from hearsay from random people, is court documents related to a custody case involving Anna's stepmother and her former husband. They're still in a custody dispute, and that is where we are getting a lot of our information, including a text message exchange between Anna's stepmother and her former husband, the suspect's biological father, where they discussed very vaguely what was going on. They were careful not to say too much. And if it was not for this custody dispute going on in court, we would know even less.

[Nancy Grace]

So we've got the upcoming court date, Michelle Spitzer, and I think they're going to ask for bond there. When is that and when is the trial set?

[Michelle Spitzer]

The upcoming court date regarding bond is at the end of the month, end of May. The trial was delayed. It was originally scheduled for June and it has been delayed until September.

[Nancy Grace]

Dave Mack joining us, Crime Stories investigative reporter. Delay, delay, delay, defense attorney's best friend. Hold on, Dave. Greg Morse, we know that's true, but why is that true, that defense attorneys always want a delay?

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Well, well, for two reasons. One, it's not here. The Southern District of Florida, which I've practiced in for 26 years, is very fast. This case will not linger for years and years and years. Some of my homicide cases in the state system, they go on for three years, four years before they ever get to trial. That will not happen here in the Southern District of Florida. It is very fast. And also, you have to remember for the defense lawyer, we're reactionary. You know, the prosecution, especially at the federal level, they can try the case the day they bring the indictment. For the most part, they don't need to. We have to get information, test the evidence and do all those things in a reactionary sense. So that's the reason why. But you don't get a lot of delays in the Southern District of Florida, which is the federal district that Miami is in. So, so it's not going to last Long, but it's because we're reactionary with regard to the information and evidence. And that's, that's why a lot of delay happens. And the system has too many cases, so there's that aspect as well. But again, I'm in a very fast jurisdiction, and that's where this case is. So I'd be surprised if it went into next year. But barring something unusual, and I believe the delay happened because they filed a superseding indictment and added a significant charge, which was the sex assault charge, to

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this,

[Nancy Grace]

I think that that delay is legitimate. I think the request for a delay by the defense in this case is legitimate because when you have other felony charges at. I mean, they should have known it was coming. The client should have told them everything that happened. But that said, when a new charge is added, the defense has to get ready. You heard Morse say the defense is reactionary. They react to what the state's evidence is. Why? Because they can't just take the stand and tell the truth, because that could very well be a confession. Can't do that. So they have to react to what the state says. Here's our evidence. And the defense has to figure out how they're going to counter that evidence. We learned a lot, Dave Mack, in the state's filings about what the state says went down. Everyone in this case, including the defendant, including the parents, are innocent in the eyes of the law, unless and until the state pierces the presumption of innocence with facts and evidence to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. Dave Mack, what jumps out at you from the state's filings? I learned a lot.

[Dave Mack]

Well, the one thing that, that really comes to mind. Okay, Nancy, is that some of the evidence that's been collected in this case so far, a written statement by the defendant that the DNA found at the crime scene and data that was extracted from cellular telephone of a person identified sck. There's reports from both federal and local law enforcement agencies included in all of this. But I'm curious as to what that data is going to show. What is that? As well as the written statement by the defendant. We know what the indictment, you know, states that the murder occurred at the same time as sexual abuse occurred on November 6th. The timing has been placed of the. Of the sexual assault and murder has been placed between 7:30pm and 9:30am the following morning, which is an awfully long period of time. You know, 14 hours. I, I guess the biggest thing of all of this, Nancy, is that the grand jury said that th. Knowingly and unlawfully perpetrated the willful, deliberate, malicious and premeditated killing of Kevin. The pre meditated killing meaning did he plan this? Did he lure her in there specifically to kill her? That's what jumps at me.

[Nancy Grace]

Well again, you know Dave, premeditation under the law can be formed in an instant, the twinkling of a moment, the blink of an eye, the time it takes to raise a gun and pull the trigger. Under the the law is time to form premeditation. It's also felony murder if a felony occurred at the time of the death, which is a felony sex act. So with that you don't even have to prove intent. We wait as justice unfolds. But please know the state is building its case, as is the defense. If you know anything about this case, please dial 7547-0320-0075-4703-2000. We remember an American hero. Trooper Donald Brackett, Pennsylvania State Police passed away in the line of duty after 17 years on the force, leaving behind his wife, now widow Marta and daughters Gabriella and Brianna. American hero Trooper Donald Brackett, Nancy Grace signing off. Goodbye friend.

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[Nancy Grace]

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[Nancy Grace]

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[Nancy Grace]

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