Anna Kepner, 18, was found dead in her cabin on November 7 during a six-day Caribbean cruise with her family aboard the Carnival Horizon. Now, new reports indicate that a minor may face potential criminal charges connected to her death, according to filings in an unrelated family court case, as reported by the Daily Mail.
Emergency motion and federal involvement
An emergency motion filed Monday in Brevard County, first obtained by Daily Mail, reveals that federal authorities may be investigating Kepner’s stepsibling. The filing, submitted by her stepmother, Shauntel Hudson, requests additional time to respond to documents in her ongoing 2024 divorce proceedings, citing what she described as an “extremely sensitive and severe circumstance.”
The motion details that Hudson and her children were traveling on the cruise with Anna and her father, Christopher, when the teen was found dead. It states:
“Currently there is an investigation being conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigations (F.B.I.) arising out of the sudden death of eighteen-year-old Anna Kepner. The respondent has been advised through discussions with the FBI investigators and her attorneys, that a criminal case may be initiated against one of the minor children of this instant action.”
Hudson asked the court to pause family proceedings until the federal investigation concludes, warning that any testimony at this stage could be “prejudicial” to both herself and her adolescent child.
A promising young life cut short
The Miami-Dade County medical examiner has recorded Kepner’s time of death as 11:17 a.m. on November 7, but the cause and manner of death remain unspecified. Because the incident occurred in international waters, the FBI is leading the investigation. Carnival Cruise Line stated, “Our focus is on supporting the family of our guest and cooperating with the FBI.”
The six-day cruise, which departed from Miami for a Caribbean getaway, ended in tragedy when the teen’s body was discovered in her cabin, wrapped in a blanket and placed under a bed. Family members described Kepner as a vivacious and engaging young woman.
“She was a people person,” they said in a statement. “She loved being around people. She had that type of energy that just drew you in with her smile and the way she carried herself. She was such an easy person to talk to.”
A varsity cheerleader preparing to graduate next May, Kepner had already mapped out her future. “She had just finished taking the test to join the military,” her family shared. “She was already talking to recruiters and had chosen her career path. She wanted to do something that would help her community.”
ABC News reports that the FBI has declined further comment, and the family has not yet responded to the latest developments regarding the potential criminal investigation.
