Anna Kepner’s Mother Found Out on Google That Teen Daughter Died on Carnival Cruise

Anna Kepner was on a Caribbean cruise with her family when she was killed

Anna Kepner

Anna Kepner.Credit : 

Anna Kepner/Instagram

NEED TO KNOW

Anna Kepner died while on a cruise with her father, stepmother and step-siblings
Kepner was found dead a day after she told family she wasn’t feeling well and retired to bed
Kepner’s step-sibling could face criminal charges following her death, her stepmother said in a court filing; authorities have not named a person of interest in the case

The mother of Anna Kepner says she was not notified of the teenager’s mysterious death aboard a cruise ship — and only learned about it through Google.

Kepner, 18, was found dead under a bed on a Caribbean cruise on Nov. 8.

The Titusville, Fla. high schooler was on the cruise with her father, stepmother and two step-siblings, CBS News previously reported.

Kepner’s biological mother, Heather Wright, reportedly says she was not notified by authorities or family about her daughter’s death.

“I ended up Googling it, because the only information I had was that my daughter was on a cruise,” Wright said, per CNN.

Wright lives in Oklahoma, the outlet reported, and last saw her daughter a few years ago.

“She loved the water,” Wright said, “we were constantly going to the lake here where I live so she could go swimming.”

While authorities remain tight-lipped about the circumstances or nature of Kepner’s death, sources close to the investigation told ABC News that Kepner died from asphyxiation.

A preliminary ruling by investigators say she died result of asphyxiation from a bar hold — or an arm held across the neck, the outlet reported. PEOPLE has not been able to independently verify the report.

Officials have not named a person of interest in the case.

However, her teen step-sibling may face criminal charges, Kepner’s stepmother said in a court filing for an unrelated matter earlier this week. It was not clear how, or if at all, the charges are related to Kepner’s death.

Kepner’s death has shaken her friends and family members. In an online obituary set up soon after her death, she was being remembered as an adoring sister who took care of her siblings and loved posting TikTok videos.

“Anna lived every day with her whole heart. She loved the sun, the water, boat days, island days, and beach days, anything that let her soak in the light she so easily radiated to others,” read part of the obituary.