The Brevard County teen who was killed on board a Carnival Cruise Line ship last November was recognized during what would have been her high school graduation over the weekend, according to a report on WFTV.
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Anna Kepner’s father Christopher Kepner accepted her diploma from the Temple Christian School in Titusville, the station reported.
Kepner, who had been 18 when she died, was sailing with family on the Carnival Horizon. The U.S Justice Department last month released details that her 16-year-old stepbrother Timothy Hudson had been charged with her murder as well as aggravated sexual abuse.
Hudson was initially charged in February and indicted on March 10. The government will try him as an adult.
Kepner’s body had been found in a cabin concealed under a bed she had been sharing with two other teens, including Hudson.
The cause of Kepner’s Nov. 6 death was determined to be mechanical asphyxia, which is when an object or physical force stops someone from breathing.
Kepner’s father, Christopher Kepner, released a statement, saying the family was placing “trust in the justice system to pursue the truth with care and integrity.”
After news of her death broke in November, her family told ABC News that Kepner had been a “happy, bubbly, straight-A student with a bright future ahead.”
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“She had just finished taking the test to join the military,” the family told the media outlet. “She was already talking to recruiters and had chosen her career path. She wanted to do something that would help her community.”
The family told ABC she began gymnastics at the age of 2, and had joined the high school’s varsity cheerleading team.
Her school at the time posted images of flowers placed atop her car that still remained parked in her senior parking spot on the school’s campus.
The post attributed to school administrator Andrea Stoner thanked everyone who came out Monday morning in memory of Anna.
“The parking lot was full of so many that knew and loved her,” it said. “Praise God that we can rest in knowing that Anna is with our Lord and Savior. It doesn’t make our grief any easier, but God is close to the broken hearted.”
An earlier post to the school’s Facebook page attributed to Mr. Brunner said, “Anna I will deeply miss you. You were a bright, kind-hearted young woman whose presence brought warmth and energy into the classroom.
“Your curiosity, your gentle spirit, and the way you cared for those around you made a lasting impression on me and on everyone who knew you. I will miss you poking your head in my office to say hello and that turning into a fun 15 minute conversation,” it continued. “Losing you is heartbreaking, yet I remain grateful for the time I had with you and the privilege of you becoming part of our TCS family. Your absence will be felt every day, but your impact and the memories you created will continue to live on in our hearts.”
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The Associated Press contributed to this report.