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Crime Stories with Nancy Grace
Step-Brother Charged in Anna Kepner Murder|Crime Alert Recap Saturday 02.28.2026
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CRIME Alert Hourly update Breaking crime news now. I'm Jennifer Gould. A Florida cheerleader's lifeless body lay stuffed under a cruise ship bed while her younger brother slept just feet away, unaware that his own 16 year old stepbrother had allegedly strangled her in a bar hold and hidden her under a pile of life vests. The high seas whore the reached a fever pitch Tuesday as homicide charges were finally confirmed against the minor for the brutal November 7, 2025 slaying of 18 year old Anna Kepner aboard the Carnival Horizon. In a development that has triggered a wave of grief and outrage, the teen suspect walked out of a Miami federal court on pretrial release even as autopsy results reveal a killing so savage the victim was left with deep visible bruising on her neck. Here's reporters confronting the teen and his attorney outside the courthouse.
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Can you tell us the status of his release terms? Is he being remanded anywhere? Can federal prosecutors detain a juvenile?
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The details of Anna's final moments in international waters are nothing short of a nightmare. The Titusville High School senior who was set to join the Navy after graduation was found wrapped in a blanket by a housekeeper after missing a family breakfast. A medical examiner confirmed she was murdered via mechanical asphyxia, fighting for her life as she was silenced in the stateroom she shared with her accused killer. Chillingly, the younger brother in the adjacent room reported hearing the sounds of a struggle, yelling and chairs being thrown. Grieving parents Chris and Chantel Kepner blasted the court's quote unquote disturbing decision to let the suspect walk free until a public trial is set. The family remains in agony, stating it is quote unquote devastating that the individual responsible has not yet been held by fully accountable. The FBI and U.S. attorney's office seized exclusive jurisdiction over the high seas horror because it occurred in international waters. Yet the case remains strictly under seal to protect juvenile Privacy because the 16 year old is being charged as a minor, the federal indictment and specific evidence remains shielded from public view, leaving the community in the dark while the family awaits the next closed door hearing in the quest for justice. More crime and justice news after this.
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trial of Corey Richards took a dramatic turn when the housekeeper, Carmen Lober, took the witness stand and revealed shocking details about Corey's alleged request request for drugs prior to her husband Eric's death. Following the lunch break, La Bar admitted to having spoken with investigators about the case without any form of immunity, driven by a sense of guilt regarding her potential involvement in Eric's death. When I learned that Erica died from an overdose, it struck me hard. If that's indeed what happened, I felt compelled to own up to my part of that, she said during her testimony. Under questioning from the prosecution, the woman recounted that, quote, Corey had solicited her for drugs on four different occasions, even giving her money to buy fentanyl. She mentioned that Corey later came back seeking something, quote, even stronger, specifically requesting the Michael Jackson stuff. Referring to a potent form of drugs, the housekeeper detailed how she procured those stronger substances from her regular dealer. After Eric's death, she confronted Corey, asking her directly if the pills were intended for Eric. Corey reassured her, no, they were not for him. He passed away from a brain aneurysm. The fourth day of the trial began with the defense's final cross examination of lead crime scene investigator Chelsea Gibson. Gibson disclosed that her team returned to the Richins residence on November 7th under a search warrant to retrieve a letter found at the foot of Eric's side of the bed. She confirmed that the letter was not present during the initial crime scene investigation and in previous searches. Next to Testify was toxicology Dr. Brianna Peterson, who confirmed that a lethal dose of fentanyl is around 3 nanograms per milliliter, and Eric's toxicology report showed he had 15 nanograms in his system. Additionally, she indicated that fentanyl, the illicit drug, was also detected in Eric's gastric sample. Dr. Peterson testified that Eric's body contained 1900 milligrams of alcohol and noting that while 14,000 milligrams typically equates to the alcohol in a standard drink, it was uncertain if the alcohol found was from consumption or the result of decomposition. Detective Frank Root later testified about retrieving two phones from Robert Grossman, Corey Richards boyfriend, which were both inoperative at the time. Grossman claimed he had accidentally broken them. However, Root later managed to get the phone's functioning. Brian Holden of the Utah State Crime Lab testified regarding the testing of numerous items for fentanyl, stating that he did not find any traces of fentanyl in the submitted evidence from the home. When the defense inquired about an empty hydrocodone pill bottle, Holden replied that no such bottle had been submitted for his examination. The housekeeper's testimony was powerful when she talked about Corey asking for those drugs.
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When they had first told me that when they first mentioned that Eric I already knew Eric had passed away. But when they told when they had mentioned that it was from an overdose, that hit hard only for the fact that if that's what happened, I needed to step up and take accountability of my part in this that happened and what I was asked for.
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I'm Drew Nelson. A child rapist in California walks out of prison on the state's elderly parole program and walks right into another set of handcuffs. 64 year old David Allen Funston was scheduled for release after decades behind bars. But Placer county investigators were waiting with a no bail warrant tied to a separate child sex assault case from 1996. Authorities immediately transferred him from state custody to the county jail. The elderly parole law requires the convict to be over 50 after serving at least 20 years. The parole decision sparked outrage across the Sacramento region. Sheriff Jim Cooper publicly blasted the release.
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What the hell is going on in California? In California it's battle after battle when
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it comes to our children.
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Funston had been sentenced in 1999 to three life terms, plus additional time for kidnapping and sexually assaulting multiple children, all under the age of seven. He became eligible for release under California's elderly parole program after serving more than 20 years. Placer County District Attorney Morgan Guyer shared his incredulity that Funston could walk free. Speaking to KTXL.
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No one ever would imagine that at 64 years old he would be released after being granted parole for the crimes he committed.
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That earlier case involved an alleged lewd act against a child under the age of 14. At the time, prosecutors dropped it because the life Sentences were expected to keep him locked away permanently, but once parole became a reality, they moved quickly.
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We felt obligated to look into our case. When we realized that we were within the statute of limitations and could still potentially file. We did what we needed to do in the background to make sure legally we were sufficient.
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Victims also speaking out, including one survivor, Amelia, who tells the TV station she was a young child at the time of the crimes he committed against her.
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I don't think that he should be out free because he's a pedophile for
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one, and that's a dangerous man.
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Investigators say the original crime stretched across several Sacramento area communities, including North Highlands, Foothill Farms and Roseville. Authorities say the victims were extremely young, seven girls and one boy, and were approached in neighborhoods and residential areas. Detectives say Funston used familiar tactics to gain trust, offering children toys and candy before abducting them. In one case, a child was taken far from home and later left about 50 miles away in a rural area. Funston now remains behind bars awaiting arraignment on the newly filed charge. He is now expected to appear early next week in Placer County Superior Court where a judge will formally read the new charge.
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I'm Jennifer Gould. A devoted 57 year old father who spent decades serving his community as a temple cook was hunted down and butchered in a heart stopping case of mistaken identity, leaving behind six month old triplets. This fellow church member and friend Roseline Kaur spoke to ABC10.
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His family is in shock.
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Everyone is concerned. They are looking for justice.
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Avtar Singh, a beloved fixture at the Gurdwara Gur Nanak Parkash temple in Tracy, California, was ambushed in broad daylight by three masked predators. Chilling surveillance footage captured the moment the trio pounced on Singh at 2.30pm overpowering the resisting father before bundling him into a white SUV and just vanishing. The horror of the abduction was compounded by a gut wrenching scene at the family's home on the temple grounds. Singh's wife returned from work at 9pm to a haunting silence, discovering her premature triplets who had only recently returned home from a grueling hospital stay. They were left completely alone. The discovery triggered a frantic search that ended in tragedy. Nearly 100 miles away on February 20, Napa county deputies stumbled upon Singh's body dumped in a rugged ravine near Highway 128 and Lake Berrissa. San Joaquin County Sheriff Patrick Withrow confirmed at the news conference that this was not a random act and that Singh was an entirely innocent victim.
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From our investigation so far, it appears that the person that was taken is unrelated to the person that they were actually trying to find there and take.
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Investigators believe the killers were actually hunting someone else and fumbled the hit, snatching and slaying the wrong man. Singh had served as the temple's head cook and handyman for 23 years, known for his humility and quiet dedication. As of now, all three killers remain on the run and unidentified. Authorities have not released the cause of death, but the ME has completed an autopsy as part of the ongoing homicide investigation. A GoFundMe has been launched to support the widowed mom and the triplets who who will now grow up without the father who celebrated their miracle birth just months ago. Anyone with information is urged to please contact the San Joaquin County Sheriff's office at 209-468-4400. For the latest crime and justice news, follow the Crime Alert hourly update on your favorite podcast app with this Crime Alert, I'm Jennifer Gould.
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