Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:02):
Folks, it is Wednesday, November nineteenth, and a story that
made national headlines. An eighteen year old Florida high school
senior found dead on a carnival cruise ship, a mysterious death,
and now we're getting worried that her sixteen year old
(00:23):
step brother is a suspect in her death. And with that,
welcome everybody to this episode of Amy and TJ.
Speaker 2 (00:30):
Robes.
Speaker 1 (00:30):
Do you remember this story was a big look. A
mysterious death aboard a cruise ship gets attention, and it
seems like we seem to have quite a number of those.
But when you were talking about an eighteen year old
high school senior from Florida, this one made headlines.
Speaker 3 (00:49):
Yes, Because normally when you hear about some sort of
mishap on a cruise ship, it is a body overboard,
someone who is missing, someone who they are searching for,
maybe even a body that has been found. This was
altogether different. This young lady, and again she was so young,
just eighteen years old, was found in her cabin under
(01:14):
her bed. Correct.
Speaker 1 (01:16):
Now we say mysterious circumstances, they don't get more mysterious
than this, And this isn't a case of overboard. This
isn't a case of, well, what might have happened because
we need to wait on a toxicology report. The mystery
here is why an eighteen year old, healthy, young lady
(01:38):
is dead. But to your point, their robes, this does
not suggest an accident. With the information that has come out,
which is suggesting that, yes, she was found covered in
was it blankets or jackets under the bed, that doesn't
suggest an accident. So those were the circumstances. But what
we're talking about here, folks, and again it made Nash headlines.
(02:00):
The young lady's name is Anna Kepner, eighteen years old
high school senior from Florida. She was on this cruise.
She was with her dad. She was their step mom
and two steps Remind me, what were the ages? I said,
the sixteen year old step brother, of course, but the
other one.
Speaker 3 (02:14):
Was nine years old.
Speaker 1 (02:15):
Okay, so yes, yes, family trip. So the cruise left
from Miami, it hit a couple of spots in the Caribbean,
and came back to Miami. That was the cruise. But
she was found November eighth when the cruise came back. Now,
the and this was another part of this robe that
I didn't exactly understand the medical examiner determined they did
(02:37):
not know. Oh they have not released at least robes
the cause of death, but they said.
Speaker 2 (02:43):
That they know that she died on November seventh, and.
Speaker 1 (02:48):
Not just that robe. They seemed to say they know
exactly when she died. At eleven seventeen a m. I'm
asking you, am I missing something? How would they be
able to know exactly when she died?
Speaker 3 (03:01):
You and I were just discussing this because that is
very rare. I have never seen, especially in a mysterious death,
one in which we don't know whether or not it's
a homicide or natural causes or whatever something in between.
For them to give the exact time of death is
very bizarre. My best guess was, what if she had
(03:24):
an or ring on it, okay, or what if she
had an Apple watch on and maybe they were actually
able to see when her heart stopped beating, when her
pulse that direct, and then they actually had an exact
time based on that technology. That was my best guests.
Speaker 1 (03:39):
That has to be it, right, I feel like we're
missing something that's right there in our faces, but that
has to be it. But yes, they have an exact
time of death. They say, but they have not released,
at least to us, and maybe they don't know yet,
but they have not told the public how this young
lady died. Again, it was a Carnival Horizon cruise. I
help me, hear, ropes. I can't remember how many can
get on this ship. It's three or four thousand.
Speaker 3 (04:01):
It's somewhere around there. Yes, and look, it seemed as
though when this was initially reported that this might have
just been some sort of tragic Yes, natural causes. You know,
her heart stopped beating, there was an aneurysm, there was
some undiagnosed condition. That was kind of the sentiment. It
didn't seem mysterious. We didn't on Morning Run and we
(04:23):
see certain headlines, we pick and choose what we're going
to actually put into the newscast for the morning. I
remember we didn't include this because it didn't seem suspicious.
It just seemed like something tragic, but something that maybe
was just a natural cause of death. This is a
huge departure from what it was initially regarded or considered.
Speaker 1 (04:45):
This has Yes, as you're saying, Ropes, this story has
now flipped a mysterious death, yes is one thing, But
now some details have come out that detail in particular
about her being found under the bed, multiple media outlets
reporting that particular fact, which would not robes suggest that
this was necessarily an accident. So why is this in
(05:07):
the headlines? Again, this is wild robes. We are finding
out this information now because of a completely separate has
nothing to do with this cruise. Legal case going on
with Anna Keepner's step mom that she was on this
cruise with. Her name is Chantelle Hudson. She is the
(05:30):
step mom of Anna Kaepner, the deceased teenager from Florida.
Chantelle Hudson is going through a custody a legal custody
fight with her ex husband, and so a couple of
filings this week she had to make robes in relation
to that custody dispute that suggest no, no, no, not not suggest,
(05:55):
didn't suggest. Okay, that's fair to say, right, Yes, they
flat out say that her son, the sixteen year old
son that was also on that cruise, is now a
suspect in this case.
Speaker 2 (06:07):
What in God's name?
Speaker 3 (06:11):
That is shocking? It is jaw dropping to hear that.
And yes, this was she had to give a reason
why she couldn't proceed with a hearing that was scheduled
because she said she had to be there for her son,
who is now potentially considered a suspect in this death
(06:31):
investigation of his stepsister. That is a complete out of
left field. Are you kidding me? Wait? What moment in
this investigation?
Speaker 1 (06:44):
You know, I didn't think about it to you said it?
You said, that's a what the hell moment? There was
no suggestion anywhere in any headline that there was anybody
in this family who was being looked at or talked
about as potentially a suspect in the death of this
young lady. And all of a sudden, in these court filings,
we see now, So let us explain, and let's tell
(07:06):
you what happened. So, in this back and forth with
this separate custody hearing, the step mom of Anna Keepner
fouled emotion, telling the court that, you know what, we
need to put a pause on my custody hearing, and
robes she gives a very clear reason as to why
she should not be now compelled to testify in this
(07:29):
other custody hearing.
Speaker 3 (07:31):
All right, she writes, an extremely sensitive and severe circumstance
has arisen wherein the respondent slash mother will not be
able to testify at the hearing at this time. Currently,
there is an investigation being conducted by the Federal Bureau
of Investigation arising out of the sudden death of eighteen
(07:51):
year old Anna Kaepner, who has found deceased on November ninth,
twenty twenty five, on a carnival cruise. Miss Anna Kaepner,
the deceased is the daughter of the respondent's paramore, and
the respondent and the minor children of this instant action
were all on the cruise ship together. The respondent has
been advised through discussions with FBI investigators and her attorneys
(08:15):
that a criminal case may be initiated against one of
the minor children of this instant action.
Speaker 1 (08:22):
Can't be any more clear than that. Whoa can't be
any more clear than that. And a second filing in
this same case identified and said the teenagers identified this
teenager at least with initials, said the sixteen year old
quote is a suspect in this case.
Speaker 2 (08:41):
Robes.
Speaker 1 (08:42):
Wow, this is again this eighteen year old young lady
Anna Keepner. Look the pictures of her are everywhere. She
is what you expect of an eighteen year old high
school senior from Florida, bubbly, adorable, just looked like the
whole just the pictures and all of them are active
on some social media and whatnot these days. She is
your typical eighteen year old kid who's got the whole
(09:06):
life ahead of her. So you see this picture, the
story made headlines. Of course, mysterious death. You want to,
oh my god, it's a tragedy. But for whatever reason,
now this suggestion, like what in God's name happened?
Speaker 2 (09:19):
This is a sixteen year.
Speaker 3 (09:20):
Old, a stepbrother, a sixteen year old stepbrother somehow is
involved in his step sister's death on this cruise ship.
This took a twist. I don't think anyone saw coming.
Speaker 1 (09:33):
And you're talking about we're talking about the potential of
a sixteen year old. Okay, a sibling is one thing.
A sixteen year old murderer is still very difficult for
me to give my interrom So, okay, this is early
in the we're trying to figure out what goes on,
and that, of course there will be And one of
the court filings said that they are in the process
of finding a lawyer for the sixteen year old, right,
(09:54):
so we don't know what happened. But the idea now
roll if this made headlines, and of course any time,
but there's a death on it. It seems like they
make headlines all the time. But when you hear about
an eighteen year old, of course this is.
Speaker 3 (10:09):
Going to make that line. But to hear that she
was found in the condition she was in, with life
jackets and blankets around or underneath the bed, that is
so atypical. As we pointed out, we all have heard
of cruise ship deaths. They all almost, I feel like, unanimously,
are a story of someone going overboard, someone falling off
(10:30):
the ship, the idea of someone being murdered on the ship,
tucked under the bed missed and now a relative, a
step brother, implicated in this murder. This has taken a
whole new twist that no one saw coming.
Speaker 1 (10:44):
All right, and folks stay here when we come back.
It seems like you see a headline every now and again.
There were a couple of headlines earlier this year. Right
then they leave. It was somewhere down in Australia something
they left a passenger behind.
Speaker 3 (10:57):
She was on a hike guests, an elderly woman. They
left her, forgot her, but she died. I came back
and got her she had already passed away.
Speaker 1 (11:04):
Yes, we hear about these, but just how many deaths
are there every year on cruise ships. We'll get into that.
Stay here, all right, folks, welcome back, say TJ.
Speaker 2 (11:25):
Roges.
Speaker 1 (11:25):
We have been talking, actually we've been talking for quite
a while about the possibility of us going on a cruise.
Speaker 3 (11:31):
We have.
Speaker 1 (11:33):
And usually the first thing that we come up with
to say why we shouldn't go on a cruise has
to do with norovirus.
Speaker 3 (11:40):
Yes, there, that's my big concern. I don't want to
go on a cruise because of the possibility that yes,
Nora virus somehow gets on that cruise ship and spreads
like wildfire. And now this amazing vacation that you've spent
all this money, all this time for, you're in a
bathroom for days. No thank you. So that's always my
(12:02):
biggest fear with cruise ships. But yes, there's also the
fear of maybe being a honeymooner. I feel like that's
not a good like that is who gets pushed over?
Speaker 2 (12:10):
Or you watch we watch.
Speaker 3 (12:12):
Any I read too many novels and watch too many
TV shows. But yes, if I'm in a new relationship,
or I don't want to be sick. Those are two
reasons why I've avoided cruise ships.
Speaker 2 (12:23):
So you don't want to go on a cruise with me, Oh.
Speaker 3 (12:26):
Well, we're not in a new relationship. We're just in
a Yes, we're in a mature relationship. So I know
I would feel totally comfortable going on a cruise ship
with you.
Speaker 1 (12:34):
But I think that probably is the one thing that
deters a lot of folks, that the idea of illness, sickness,
the idea of going overboard is terrifying.
Speaker 2 (12:44):
And we hear.
Speaker 1 (12:45):
These stories and we see movies is a part of
our just our culture, in our entertainment shows and movies
shows somebody going overboard, You're gonna get rescued. Ship keep going.
I wonder what would happen if I fell overboard? Would
I be noticed?
Speaker 3 (13:04):
Depends on what time of night, and depends on if
you were.
Speaker 1 (13:06):
With it night, Yes, the dead of night going overboard? Right,
we think about all these things. We don't necessarily think
about murder being killed on a cruise ship. And even
though these things do make headlines, it is extremely rare, folks.
The estimates are that cruises annually result in about two
(13:28):
hundred deaths annually from a variety of things, rarely violence. Overwhelmingly,
it's what a medical emergency.
Speaker 3 (13:39):
That makes sense.
Speaker 2 (13:40):
It's not going over the older folks.
Speaker 3 (13:41):
Get on cruises, so that actually makes sense. And you
know what it's I getting on a cruise ship. Would
I would never be concerned about being robbed or I
don't know, suffering in some way at the hands of
someone who. Yeah, I actually would never fear of violence,
So that that jibes with the numbers. I guess that
(14:02):
makes sense. But I think your biggest enemy. Look, if
you talk to any homicide detective or anyone who's dealt
in murder, they will tell you you are more likely
to die by someone who purports to love you than
by a stranger. Like it's not even close. Statistically speaking,
die by violence. You are so much more significantly likely
(14:24):
to die by someone who says, baby, I love you
versus some random stranger. So you should be less concerned
about the other people on the cruise ship and more
concerned about the person you're walking onto the cruise ship.
Speaker 2 (14:37):
Jesus that the truth.
Speaker 1 (14:41):
Now, I know you're one hundred percent right, but you
just put it in a way that just sounded depressing.
Speaker 3 (14:47):
But this story in particular is really concerning. This isn't
a romance like I think we get romance gone bad
or some sort of like you know, a murder, a
passionate murder, but step siblings that is eerie and scary
on a whole other level. And we don't know that circumstances.
We don't know if he is actually the stepbrother is
(15:08):
actually going to be charged. We know he has been
a suspect, but this is one that is on a
whole other level. I think it's not something that we
would expect. It's not a murderer that you would see
actually on all of the murderer stories we watch on
television like this a step brother of stepsister sibling kind
(15:29):
of murder, siblicide, that is not something to see very often.
So if that is this case, that is going to
be very interesting to see what led to this and
what comes out of it.
Speaker 1 (15:40):
Yeah, and look, we just have to pause that, We
just have to allow for getting more information out about
what happens. Just the idea of a sixteen year old child,
this is a child nice being a murderer.
Speaker 2 (15:54):
What could have possibly happened.
Speaker 1 (15:56):
But again these court filings stated, and again these court
filings are from the mom herself and her side stating
that her child is a suspect. So we are getting
this that you can't get a better source than that, right,
So we're not this is a speculation. This is from
her that her child is a suspect. We do know
(16:17):
the young lady Anna Kaepner. That will be amoral service
for her tomorrow on Thursday. Again, and we talked about
this as well. I don't know what to make of
it rolled but it bothered me, or disturbed me, or
at least got our attention that everywhere she was being
referred to as a cheerleader, cheerleader, cheerleader, cheerleader, and and
that's a fact. She was a cheerleader, and that's fine.
(16:39):
It for some way, And maybe you're right, and maybe
that's a part of the media. How do you make
people care If you just say an eighteen year old,
that's one thing. If you say an eighteen year old
high school senior, that's another thing. If you say an
eighteen year old high school senior who's a cheerleader. Is
that just a part of what we do to make
people care more.
Speaker 3 (17:01):
Yes, I do think we're like in terms of that choice,
we're personalizing someone. We're identifying someone and hoping that others
identify who she was or who she might have been.
You connect with someone the more you know of them.
And the cheerleader thing, yes, I think they're painting a
picture of this girl, this sweet, happy, go lucky cheerleader,
(17:23):
positive high school senior with the world in front of her. Yes,
there is an image that's being created. But if it
makes people care, if it makes people listen, if it
makes people sit up and notice what happened and at
least be curious and want to follow through with the
story to make sure that if she was, in fact,
if she met harm, that there is justice for her.
(17:45):
You know, I get it. There. It is a formula
that local media and media in general follow. We're trying
to get people on board with the story we're storytelling.
Speaker 2 (17:55):
I get it.
Speaker 1 (17:56):
But in giving value to her being a cheerleader, does
it take away value from another who isn't a cheerleader,
who doesn't do this thing. He isn't in that group,
He isn't a part of this. That is the only
part I hesitated. These are facts she was a cheerleader,
and that's okay, that's perfectly fine. But we noticed that cheerleader, cheerleader, cheerleader, cheerleader,
(18:17):
and people were sending us notes about the story, and hey,
you hear about the cheerleader.
Speaker 2 (18:21):
It just it's just what we do.
Speaker 3 (18:25):
We get kind of watered down to this basic general
feeling of like what we represent and it's not always
the full picture.
Speaker 2 (18:33):
So what in who we value is what we say
and who we value.
Speaker 1 (18:37):
Yes, this young lady is absolutely valuable. To make sure
we're not taken away from that, she is as much
value as any other kid in America. But the point
is every other kid in America is just as valuable
as she is as well.
Speaker 3 (18:50):
No, that's a really good point. And like how it's
not about just telling the stories and how how we
choose to tell them and how we choose to depict them.
So that is a very important part of this. But
we will continue to follow this developing situation and bring
you the very latest. But we thank you for listening
to us. I maybe rollback alongside TJ. Holmes. We will
talk to you very soon.