Cruise Ship Policing Gap Examined After Suspicious Passenger Death

Last week, a Carnival Cruise ship docked in Miami with a dead person on board. At the time, little else was known, except that the FBI arrived. Since then, more details emerged, and the person who died was Anna Kepner, 18, a bright young woman who was about to enlist in the military. Read on for more details.

The Homicide Death Of Anna

On Wednesday, Brian Entin discussed the case on his podcast on YouTube. Plus, he brought in an attorney named Michael who often deals with true crime aboard cruise ships. Brian reminded viewers that the case of Anna is being treated as “a homicide.” However, the duo also discussed policing on cruise ships like the Carnival Cruise Line.

The reason he did that was because FBI evidence trucks at the Port of Miami were a sign something bad happened. “The only time I’ve ever really seen evidence trucks like this are at serious crimes, mass shootings,” Entin noted.

Additionally, Brian noted that while the ship returned to port on Saturday, the medical examiner said that Anna died on Friday morning. Obviously, that created a gap in time before federal agents could board.

Attorney Weighs In

Michael, a maritime attorney, weighed in about policing on cruise ships. He explained, “There is no independent law enforcement on a cruise ship. The only law enforcement are the cruise ship security guards.”

As the first responders to any incident are employees of the cruise line itself, it seems there could be a serious conflict of interest. Michael explained that “In my experience, there’s a lot of incentive for the cruise ship employees to try to protect the company. In fact, that’s their job.”

A ‘Hidden Epidemic’

While it is not known if Anna Kepner was assaulted intimately, Michael and Brian Entin agreed that statistics seem to show cruise lines have a “hidden epidemic” of it. Plus, Michael claimed there’s a pattern where victims are actively discouraged from filing official reports. “They will do everything they can to get [victims] to not report it,” he opined.

According to the attorney, there’s an “information imbalance.” From the moment an incident occurs until the ship docks, the cruise line maintains complete control over the scene and potential evidence. Naturally, that means the FBI only boards well after a crime happens, and he indicated the company had already done what they could to preserve their reputation.

Is Cruising Safe?

While both Entin and Michael acknowledged that cruising seems safe for most passengers, the legal system tends to minimize corporate liability. Therefore, justice could go wrong, and victim support might be delayed.

What are your thoughts on the situation? Did you know that there are no official marshals or police on board cruise ships? Let us know in the comments below, and come back here often for all your true crime news and updates.