The mother of deceased Florida cheerleader Anna Kepner is speaking out about her death on a Carnival Cruise ship. Police reportedly are considering her stepbrother in the murder.
Her biological mom, Heather Wright, has questioned why Kepner was sharing a room with her stepbrother. It's worth noting that Wright and Kepner were estranged for several years. She also has a strained relationship with her ex-husband.
"Why am I the bad guy?" Wright said. "He put them in the same room together."
Right now, police haven't officially declared the stepbrother a suspect. Kepner had been on the ship with her father, stepmother, grandparents, and stepsiblings. Authorities later found her body stuffed under her bed. Following her daughter's death, Wright said her ex banned her from the memorial service. So Wright attended in secret.
"They said I never went, but I did," said Wright. "I didn't want to be seen, so I made sure no one seen me — plus they can't stop me from going anyway, even though Chris said he would have me arrested for back child support."
Anna Kepner Dies
Wright said she isn't doing well following her daughter's death.
"She was my daughter, and I loved her with all of my heart and soul," she said. "The song 'I Am Not Okay' by Jelly Roll is exactly how I feel."
Meanwhile, the family mourned the loss of Anna.
"The outgoing, adventurous teen lived every day with her whole heart, and was "thoughtful, nurturing, and always thinking of others," her obituary reads. "She was also incredibly determined and hardworking; reliable, responsible, and always willing to help."
The obituary continued, "She loved her siblings deeply and made sure they always felt it whether it be taking them to the park, Halloween Horror Nights, or just out for fun, because that's who she was: thoughtful, nurturing, and always thinking of others. She had a big, beautiful heart, often sending random 'I love you' messages or little gestures that made someone's day. Anna loved kids, dolphins, butterflies, arts and crafts, and doing puzzles with her Memaw. She had the best 'blonde moments,' the kind that made everyone laugh. And her famous 'I gotta poop' joke will be one her family never forgets. Whoever's house was closest got the surprise visit!"
