BURLINGTON, VT — A newly released forensic reconstruction has revealed a disturbing development in the mysterious death of 27-year-old Anna Kepner, whose case has been the focus of national attention for weeks.
According to a report obtained exclusively by The Chronicle Ledger, enhanced analysis of security footage from the Burlington commuter line has confirmed that Anna was not alone in the narrow hallway between train cars shortly before she was found unresponsive.
Investigators say they were able to generate a sharpened, frame-by-frame reconstruction of the footage using forensic image enhancement software typically reserved for federal cases. What they found has “shaken the family to its core,” according to a source close to the investigation.
THE FACE IN THE FRAME
The report confirms that a second person can be seen standing directly beside Anna — but was completely unrecognizable in the original footage due to lighting distortions and motion blur.
The enhanced still image shows:
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A human figure with a face partially turned toward the camera
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No identifiable uniform or visible logo
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A posture indicating Anna may have been approached or cornered
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Someone standing so close, investigators now believe Anna was already aware of the presence before the footage was recorded
The face has not been publicly identified, and investigators have not yet confirmed whether the person is a known passenger or someone who boarded at an unscheduled stop.
“This changes everything,” a federal forensic analyst said. “For weeks we assumed she was alone. She wasn’t.”
FAMILY REACTION
When authorities showed the image to Anna’s parents, one family member reportedly left the room in shock. Another cried and said only:
“We knew there was something missing. Now we know what it was.”
The family has refused to release a formal statement, but sources say they are now pushing for the case to be formally reclassified as a homicide investigation.
WHY THIS CHANGES THE CASE
Until this week, investigators had no visual evidence that Anna interacted with anyone after boarding the train. Her death was initially described as “medical distress.” That explanation now appears inadequate.
The new image:
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Places an unidentified person at the scene
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Suggests Anna may have been confronted or escorted
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Contradicts the claim she was alone before collapsing
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Raises the possibility of foul play or coercion
WHAT HAPPENS NEXT
The FBI and Vermont State Police are now working to identify the second individual, using enhanced facial recognition software and passenger records from the train’s manifest.
Investigators are also reviewing reports that Anna received a phone call she declined minutes before entering the hallway — and that her second hidden phone recorded audio no one has heard publicly.
A spokesperson for the state police would only say:
“We now believe Anna did not spend her final moments alone. That fact speaks for itself.”
