BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. — A federal investigation is underway into the death of 18-year-old Anna Kepner, a Titusville high-school senior and varsity cheerleader, whose body was found aboard the Carnival Horizon after a Caribbean cruise.
Court filings obtained by Channel 9 reveal that the FBI is investigating what occurred and that one of her minor stepsiblings may face criminal charges.
The cruise departed from Miami and visited Caribbean destinations before returning to port. According to the family, Anna had recently completed entrance testing to join the U.S. military and was described as a straight-A student. The motion filed in Brevard County family court states: “Currently, there is an investigation being conducted by the FBI arising out of the sudden death of eighteen-year-old Anna Kepner.”
In that filing, Anna’s stepmother, Shauntel Hudson, who was on the cruise with Anna, her father, and the children, requested that a custody hearing be postponed, citing that “a criminal case may be initiated against one of the minor children.”
No official cause or manner of death has been released by the medical examiner. The FBI, which is leading the investigation due to the death occurring in maritime jurisdiction, has not confirmed whether a homicide investigation is underway or whether charges will be filed.
The newly obtained court documents confirm that the FBI is formally involved in the case and that the legal action concerns a delay in family court proceedings due to the criminal investigation’s potential impact. And while no charges have been filed publicly, the motion explicitly states the possibility of charges against a minor sibling. “She has not identified herself as a target of a criminal investigation. She basically said she’s afraid that anything she said could be used against her children,” said Adam Pollack, a defense attorney who reviewed the case. “I think Miss Hudson has now propelled her children into the news spotlight needlessly. The FBI was not broadcasting that they were conducting a criminal investigation of the children.”
What’s Next
Authorities and the cruise line, Carnival Cruise Line, say they are cooperating fully with the investigation. The local community in Titusville is mourning and awaiting updates. As this investigation is active and the motion suggests possible criminal proceedings, more details are expected from federal and local law enforcement agencies.
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