Teen step-sibling focus of FBI probe into girl’s death on Carnival ship, records show
The FBI is investigating the mysterious death of a teenage girl whose body was found on a Carnival cruise ship this month, and the focus is on her 16-year-old step-sibling, according to a court filings obtained by the Miami Herald.
Anna Marie Kepner, 18, was found dead at 11:17 a.m Nov. 7 on board the Carnival Horizon as it was heading back to PortMiami from a Caribbean cruise, according to Miami-Dade Medical Examiner’s Office records. The ship arrived in port on Saturday, Nov. 8, Carnival said in a statement.
Kepner, from Brevard County on Florida’s Space Coast, was traveling with her father, her stepmother and two step-siblings -- one 16, the other 11. A housekeeping worker found the teen’s body under the bed in her room, according to Miami Herald news partner CBS News Miami.
Court documents released to the Miami Herald confirmed that the FBI is focusing its investigation on Kepner’s 16-year-old step-sibling. The Nov. 17 filings pertain to an emergency motion to continue a custody hearing in her stepmother’s divorce proceedings.
The filing states that the stepmother, Shauntel Hudson, cannot attend a Dec. 17 hearing because FBI agents and her attorneys told her “a criminal case may have been initiated against one of the minor children” with the group on the ship. A counter motion filed by her ex-husband’s attorney says the couple’s “sixteen year old child is now a suspect in the death of [Kepner] during the cruise.”
Hudson’s attorneys argue in the motion that she should not attend the hearing, citing her “privilege against self incrimination.”
Attorneys for both parents did not respond to the Miami Herald’s request for comment. The court documents say that the 16-year-old, who was not named, has been released from custody and is living with “a third party.”
The couple divorced in February 2023 in Lee County, according to the documents. The couple also share an 18-year-old son, who was not on the cruise, the documents state.
Kepner’s father, Christopher Kepner, could not be reached for comment.
The FBI, which is handling the case because it happened in international waters, has not responded to the Herald’s request for comment on Kepner’s death investigation.
Doral-based Carnival said in a statement that the case is “an ongoing matter under the jurisdiction of law enforcement” and that the company is “fully cooperating with the Miami office of the FBI.”
The Miami-Dade Medical Examiner’s Office has not released the cause of Kepner’s death.
Thomas Graham, a Miami personal injury attorney who has represented several clients in lawsuits against cruise lines, said there may be complications with the case because the closest thing to law enforcement on the ship was likely security, and 24 hours passed from the approximate time the teen was killed and when the vessel returned to port.
“Hopefully, appropriate steps to secure all evidence and maintain the crime scene were taken. These ships are covered in cameras and there should be digital evidence of everyone who entered and exited the state room via the electronic key system,” Graham told the Miami Herald.
‘Anna was a believer’
An obituary published by her family this week described Kepner as a bright, joyful presence who “filled the world with laughter, love, and light.” Known affectionately as “Anna Banana,” she was celebrated for her spontaneity, her unfiltered humor, and the warmth she brought to everyone around her.
She is survived by her father, Christopher Kepner, her mother, Heather Wright, Hudson, her stepmother, and seven siblings, according to the obituary. It was not immediately clear if any of those siblings are step relatives.
According to the obituary, Kepner had big plans for her future. Kepner hoped to join the Navy after graduation and later become a K9 police officer. She attended Titusville High School and Astronaut High School before finding what her family described as her “home” at Temple Christian School, where she was looking forward to graduating with the Class of 2026.
She was also a former member of the Titusville High Varsity Cheer Team. She earned her boater’s license before she could drive, became PADI-certified to dive with her family, and spent her childhood immersed in gymnastics, eventually helping coach younger athletes.
“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,” the obituary said.
This story was originally published November 19, 2025 at 11:39 AM.
