Why No Charges? Attorney Explains the Anna Kepner Cruise Ship Investigation

Eighteen-year-old Anna Kepner died aboard a cruise ship. Her sixteen-year-old stepbrother has been identified as the suspect — not by police, not by the FBI, but through explosive court filings in a custody battle. The family acknowledges it. Witnesses describe aggression, chokeholds, and a dynamic the adults claim they never saw. And still: no charges.

So what does this silence actually signal?

Former prosecutor Eric Faddis explains why federal investigations move slowly, why cruise-ship deaths fall under complex jurisdictional rules, and what benchmarks investigators need before they pursue homicide charges involving a minor. We examine the digital trail (key-card logs, surveillance, onboard data), the fracture within the family, and how contradicting statements influence a prosecutor’s strategy.

Eric also walks through what a defense attorney would be doing right now behind the scenes — protecting a juvenile client, anticipating transfer hearings, and preparing for the moment charges finally drop.

We discuss why custody documents are revealing more than the FBI, why investigators might be intentionally delaying charges, and what it means when a case hinges on both forensic evidence and family testimony.

This case is quiet — too quiet — and Eric breaks down exactly what silence means in federal law.

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