Crime Stories with Nancy Grace
Step-Brother Charged in Anna Kepner Murder|Crime Alert Recap Saturday 02.28.2026
28 Feb 2026
Chapter 1: What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
Crime Alert, hourly update, breaking crime news now. I'm Jennifer Gould. A Florida cheerleader's lifeless body lay stuffed under a cruise ship bed while her younger brother slept just feet away, unaware that his own 16-year-old stepbrother had allegedly strangled her in a bar hold and hidden her under a pile of life vests.
The high seas whore reached a fever pitch Tuesday as homicide charges were finally confirmed against the minor for the brutal November 7th, 2025 slaying of 18-year-old Anna Kepner aboard the Carnival Horizon. In a development that has triggered a wave of grief and outrage, the teen suspect walked out of a Miami federal court on pretrial release
Chapter 2: What happened in the Anna Kepner murder case?
Even as autopsy results reveal a killing so savage, the victim was left with deep visible bruising on her neck. Here's reporters confronting the teen and his attorney outside the courthouse. Can you tell us the status of his release terms? Is he being remanded anywhere?
Can federal prosecutors detain a juvenile?
The details of Anna's final moments in international waters are nothing short of a nightmare. The Titusville High School senior, who was set to join the Navy after graduation, was found wrapped in a blanket by a housekeeper after missing a family breakfast.
A medical examiner confirmed she was murdered by a mechanical asphyxia fighting for her life as she was silenced in the stateroom she shared with her accused killer. Chillingly, the younger brother in the adjacent room reported hearing the sounds of a struggle, yelling, and chairs being thrown.
Grieving parents Chris and Chantel Kepner blasted the court's, quote-unquote, disturbing decision to let the suspect walk free. Until a public trial is set, the family remains in agony, stating it is, quote-unquote, devastating that the individual responsible has not yet been held fully accountable. The FBI and U.S. Attorney's Office seized exclusive jurisdiction over the high-seas horror,
because it occurred in international waters, yet the case remains strictly under seal to protect juvenile privacy. Because the 16-year-old is being charged as a minor, the federal indictment and specific evidence remain shielded from public view, leaving the community in the dark while the family awaits the next closed-door hearing in the quest for justice. More crime and justice news after this.
The trial of Corey Richens took a dramatic turn when the housekeeper, Carmen Lober, took the witness stand and revealed shocking details about Corey's alleged request for drugs prior to her husband Eric's death.
Following the lunch break, Lober admitted to having spoken with investigators about the case without any form of immunity, driven by a sense of guilt regarding her potential involvement in Eric's death. When I learned that Eric had died from an overdose, it struck me hard. If that's indeed what happened, I felt compelled to own up to my part of that, she said during her testimony.
Under questioning from the prosecution, the woman recounted that Corey had solicited her for drugs on four different occasions, even giving her money to buy fentanyl. She mentioned that Corey later came back seeking something, quote, even stronger, specifically requesting the Michael Jackson stuff. referring to a potent form of drugs.
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Chapter 3: What are the details surrounding the suspect's release?
The housekeeper's testimony was powerful. when she talked about Corey asking for those drugs.
When they had first told me that, when they first mentioned that Eric, I already knew Eric had passed away. But when they had mentioned that it was from an overdose, that hit hard. Only for the fact that if that's what happened, I needed to step up and take accountability of my part in this, what happened, and what I was asked for.
I'm Drew Nelson. A child rapist in California walks out of prison on the state's elderly parole program and walks right into another set of handcuffs. 64-year-old David Allen Funston was scheduled for release after decades behind bars, but Placer County investigators were waiting with a no-bail warrant tied to a separate child sex assault case from 1996.
Authorities immediately transferred him from state custody to the county jail. The elderly parole law requires the convict to be over 50 after serving at least 20 years. The parole decision sparked outrage across the Sacramento region. Sheriff Jim Cooper publicly blasted the release. What in the hell is going on in California? In California, it's battle after battle when it comes to our children.
Funston had been sentenced in 1999 to three life terms plus additional time for kidnapping and sexually assaulting multiple children all under the age of seven. He became eligible for release under California's elderly parole program after serving more than 20 years. Placer County District Attorney Morgan Geyer shared his incredulity that Funston could walk free, speaking to KTXL.
No one ever would imagine that at 64 years old he would be released after being granted parole for the crimes he committed.
That earlier case involved an alleged lewd act against a child under the age of 14. At the time, prosecutors dropped it because the life sentences were expected to keep him locked away permanently. But once parole became a reality, they moved quickly.
We felt obligated to look into our case when we realized that we were within the statute of limitations and could still potentially file. We did what we needed to do in the background to make sure legally we were sufficient.
Victims also speaking out, including one survivor, Amelia, who tells the TV station she was a young child at the time of the crimes he committed against her.
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