THE mother of Anna Kepner, who was brutally strangled to death on a cruise ship, has opened up about her daughter’s stepbrother’s shadowy court appearance.

Anna’s 16-year-old stepbrother, whose name hasn’t been made public, was arrested in connection to her horror death, but the details about his charges remain under seal due to his age.

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Anna Kepner’s mom Heather Wright has commented about her daughter’s stepbrother’s court appearanceCredit: Heather Wright
 

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Anna, 18, was found strangled to death in the room she was sharing with her stepbrother during a cruiseCredit: Instagram
Over the weekend, Heather Wright, the mourning mom of the 18-year-old cheerleader, said the stepbrother had been charged with murder.

But now she’s walked back her statement and said she was “misinformed,” explaining that getting updates on the case has been a nightmare.

“I’m still all in the dark out here in Oklahoma,” she told People, adding, “nobody really keeps me in the loop.”

Anna’s stepbrother appeared in a federal court room on Friday wearing a ball cap and camouflage hoodie that was pulled tightly around his face, the Associated Press reported.

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However, it’s still unclear whether he’s facing charges, as court documents related to the case are still under seal.

The 16-year-old was named as a suspect in Anna’s death by his parents in unrelated custody documents.

He’s the oldest child of Shauntel Hudson – who had three kids when she married Anna’s dad Chris Kepner after his split with Wright.

Suspicion turned toward the 16-year-old after Anna was found dead under a bed in the cabin she shared with him during a family cruise through the Caribbean on November 7.

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His arrest was announced by Chris last week, who also didn’t give any details about charges, ABC News reported.

Anna’s stepbrother has now been released into the care of a third-party guardian, Kepner said.

TRAGIC DEATH

Anna’s death was ruled a homicide, with the cause of death being listed as “mechanical asphyxiation,” and she had bruises on her body.

There were no signs of sexual assault and she didn’t have any alcohol or drugs in her system.

In the weeks following her death, Anna’s family members called for accountability and justice and vowed to assist with the investigation.

In November, Anna’s grandparents said her stepbrother “fought demons” and insisted the 16-year-old was the only person in the room with the victim.

“He was in the room with her. He was the only one seen coming and going,” Anna’s grandmother Barbara Kepner told ABC News.

“I can’t accuse him because I don’t know what happened in that room, but the summation would be that he did something.”

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Anna was on the cruise with her dad and stepmomCredit: Facebook
Source: https://www.the-sun.com/news/15928517/anna-kepner-mom-stepbrother-arrested-cruise-killed/