Shocking Twist in 18-Year-Old’s Cruise Ship Death: FBI Is Investigating Her Teen Stepbrother

The high school student who was found dead aboard a Carnival Horizon cruise ship in the Caribbean may have died as a result of foul play, according to multiple reports.

Anna Kepner, 18, was pronounced dead in international waters on Friday, November 7 while on trip with her family. The FBI, who began their investigation when the ship docked in Miami the next day, had not released any details about what happened.

But an unrelated legal document obtained by the Daily Mail indicates a shocking twist. Shauntel Hudson – who recently married Anna’s dad, Chris Kepner – filed a motion on Monday, November 17 asking for more time to respond to filings related to her 2024 divorce, citing an “extremely sensitive and severe circumstance,” the outlet reported.

“’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 filing reads, adding that Hudson had been advised “that a criminal case may be initiated against one” of her minor children.

“Any testimony the Respondent may give, either written or oral, could be prejudicial to her or her adolescent child in this pending criminal investigation, therefore the Respondent cannot be compelled to testify,” the filing continued.

According to NBC News, another filing on Tuesday, November 18 identifies her teenage son as a suspect.

As the Daily Mail had previously reported, sources said Anna complained of illness and returned to her cabin on the evening of Thursday, November 6. The next morning, a housekeeper found her body under her bed, wrapped in a blanket and covered in life jackets.

The Titusville, Florida, high school senior was vacationing with her dad, stepmother and three stepsiblings.

“Everybody was questioned. Everybody came off that ship. I don’t know who they are looking at or what their investigation is,” Chris told the Daily Mail on Wednesday, November 12. “Anna was an 18-year-old, beautiful young girl; she had a whole life ahead of her.”

“Anna was pure energy: bubbly, funny, outgoing, and completely herself,” her obituary reads. “She loved her siblings deeply.”

Carnival Cruise Line confirmed her passing in a statement to ABC News: “Our focus is on supporting the family of our guest and cooperating with the FBI.”