The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has released limited information as it continues its investigation of the death of 18-year-old Anna Kepner.
One key detail now confirmed is that Anna Kepner passed away on Friday, November 7, at 11:17 a.m., according to the Miami-Dade County Medical Examiner. Per The Cruise Globe, the Carnival Horizon was off the northwest coast of Cuba in international waters at this time.
This is significant, as the Death on the High Seas Act (DOHSA) applies to victims who die in international waters and severely limits compensation to their families. As a result of DOHSA, the maximum compensation the Kepner family will likely be entitled to is funeral expenses for their daughter.
Making matters worse, Anna’s father, Christopher Kepner, has stated that the Kepner family is in the dark with regard to the investigation.
He told the Daily Mail, “The FBI hasn’t shared anything with me yet. I would imagine they’re going to be in contact with me about it – but I know as little as everybody else. I have no idea what is going on right now. We are just trying to sit still and wait for answers.”
From my 35+ years as a lawyer handling cruise ship cases, this lack of communication is entirely consistent with how the FBI approaches crimes at sea. I have seen how the FBI treats cruise crimes as low-priority and how it lacks the personal commitment shown by the Miami-Dade Police Department and the Broward County Sheriff’s Office which sometimes investigate cruise crimes.
Unfortunately, the lack of communication by the FBI leaves families like the Kepners with no information, no transparency, and no answers. As this investigation continues, the Kepner family deserves far better than the silence they’ve received so far.
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