FL - Anna Kepner, 18, dies aboard Carnival cruise ship traveling from Miami to Caribbean, FBI launch probe, 7 Nov 2025

[Gemmie]

To me there should have been something found or witnessed as curisie ships have an insane amount of security cameras on them. Also in saying this if the cameras havent found anything them there must be a crew member in on whatever happened to this young person that they dont want others to find out

You quoted an old post of mine in a very fast moving case. The suspect is her 16 yo step brother.

 

[mickey2942]

I wonder if the police could possibly look at the phone records for the step mother. I bet she was burning money calling attorneys for her "baby boy".

Really, if he denies involvement, does the 14 year old know for sure it was the 16 year old? Really, a cruise ship is such an ideal place for a murder. All of the possible suspects disperse when the ship docks. The room is cleaned, and the murder scene is gone. No pictures, no crime scene techs. Nothing.

The DNA? 16 year old can explain anything away. They were sharing a room. And he went to the "hospital", no time to see if he had any wounds on his hands or arms. He can say anything about the DNA, including that they had a "consensual" romp.

 

[MistyWaters]

Yes! Similarly to most hotel rooms, entrance doors to staterooms have a deadbolt lock that prevents someone opening the door with their cruise card/medallion. We always double lock our cabin door during the overnight hours. If AK's younger brother tried to enter the stateroom with his key card and couldn't, it was most likely because of the deadbolt lock.

I disagree that cruise ships have deadbolt locks on the cabin doors similar to hotel rooms. <modsnip> we don’t know why the door wouldn’t open. Maybe he just forgot his keycard.

But what I do wonder is - did the 14 year old alert the adults to the locked door and noises inside possibly screams, or at the very least tell them he was locked out of his room? Nobody cared?… even though it was known Anna left dinner early because she was not feeling well.

 

[MistyWaters]

I wonder if the police could possibly look at the phone records for the step mother. I bet she was burning money calling attorneys for her "baby boy".

Really, if he denies involvement, does the 14 year old know for sure it was the 16 year old? Really, a cruise ship is such an ideal place for a murder. All of the possible suspects disperse when the ship docks. The room is cleaned, and the murder scene is gone. No pictures, no crime scene techs. Nothing.

The DNA? 16 year old can explain anything away. They were sharing a room. And he went to the "hospital", no time to see if he had any wounds on his hands or arms. He can say anything about the DNA, including that they had a "consensual" romp.

Actually a cruise ship isn’t an ideal place for a murder because cruise ships have CCTV everywhere and electronic data records the keycard used at what time each cabin is enter/exited. So the FBI’s investigation can determine what persons entered the room that evening. I would presume anyone working in the ships hospital would note any bruises, as they are trained to be on the lookout for.

Consensual romps do not ever legally include strangulation.
JMO

 

[Dotta]

I disagree that cruise ships have deadbolt locks on the cabin doors similar to hotel rooms. <modsnip> we don’t know why the door wouldn’t open. Maybe he just forgot his keycard.

But what I do wonder is - did the 14 year old alert the adults to the locked door and noises inside possibly screams, or at the very least tell them he was locked out of his room? Nobody cared?… even though it was known Anna left dinner early because she was not feeling well.

Re deadbolts

Yes, cruise ship cabins have a deadbolt lock on the inside.

But...
Staff with a master keycard or a specific override key
can open the deadbolt.
This is typically reserved for emergencies.

Nobody wants to be trapped in a cabin in case of emergency, right?

JMO

 

[Stunned]

This family could be just as horrified as we are as they try to navigate their new reality that new wife's son murdered new husband's daughter. If I was the wife or husband I wouldn't even be talking to the press much less making any sense!

 

[RobertCatesby]

I'm trying to keep up with everything in this case as much as I can but from everything that has come out is there any chance the stepbrother was not involved or at least didn't physically do it himself or has it essentially been confirmed and they're just going through the legal "terms and conditions" before making an arrest?

 

[steeltowngirl]

I'm trying to keep up with everything in this case as much as I can but from everything that has come out is there any chance the stepbrother was not involved or at least didn't physically do it himself or has it essentially been confirmed and they're just going through the legal "terms and conditions" before making an arrest?

The investigation is not complete, or if it is, it has not been publicized. The only confirmation we have of a suspect came from the suspect’s own parents.

“T.H.” is "now a suspect in the death of the step child during the cruise,” Thomas Hudson, the boy's father, said in court papers seeking custody of the youngest of the three children he shares with his ex-wife.

Hudson's ex-wife, Shauntel Hudson, also acknowledged in family court filings that her middle child was a suspect in the death of Kepner aboard the Carnival Horizon ship.

Stepbrother of woman who died on Carnival cruise now a suspect

The teenage stepbrother of an 18-year-old woman who died on a Carnival cruise ship is a suspect in the FBI investigation, according to court papers filed this week.

www.ksat.com

 

[MistyWaters]

I'm trying to keep up with everything in this case as much as I can but from everything that has come out is there any chance the stepbrother was not involved or at least didn't physically do it himself or has it essentially been confirmed and they're just going through the legal "terms and conditions" before making an arrest?

Apparently the FBI haven’t officially announced anything yet. I can’t find the link but I read the Feds are prevented from being involved with minors in Juvenile Court, charges would have to be moved to Adult Court so there’s that too. Otherwise the jurisdiction would have to be State, possibly Florida. I hope I’m explaining this right, as it adds complexity and possibly takes additional time to sort out.
JMO

This was published a couple of days ago:

Cause of Death Revealed for Anna Kepner, Teen Who Was Found Stuffed Under Bed On Cruise

Anna Kepner's death is being investigated by the FBI, but no persons of interest have been publicly named

people.com

No suspect or person of interest has been publicly named in the case.

However, in court filings unrelated to the death, the teen's stepmother Shauntel Hudson said she was briefed by the FBI that one of Hudson's minor children may be facing criminal charges, according to Florida Today, FOX 35 and CBS News.


The filing, which pertains to Hudson's child custody issues with her former husband, did not claim whether the criminal charge is in connection with Anna's death.

 

[browneyes]

I disagree that cruise ships have deadbolt locks on the cabin doors similar to hotel rooms. <modsnip> we don’t know why the door wouldn’t open. Maybe he just forgot his keycard.

But what I do wonder is - did the 14 year old alert the adults to the locked door and noises inside possibly screams, or at the very least tell them he was locked out of his room? Nobody cared?… even though it was known Anna left dinner early because she was not feeling well.

In my 20+ cruises, every cabin has a bolt lock on the inside door. It’s so your room steward, housekeeping, etc cannot enter the room with their card. I locked my late husband out accidentally so many times. MOO

 

[Arkay]

I wonder if the police could possibly look at the phone records for the step mother. I bet she was burning money calling attorneys for her "baby boy".

Really, if he denies involvement, does the 14 year old know for sure it was the 16 year old? Really, a cruise ship is such an ideal place for a murder. All of the possible suspects disperse when the ship docks. The room is cleaned, and the murder scene is gone. No pictures, no crime scene techs. Nothing.

The DNA? 16 year old can explain anything away. They were sharing a room. And he went to the "hospital", no time to see if he had any wounds on his hands or arms. He can say anything about the DNA, including that they had a "consensual" romp.

Yes, the suspect could explain away the presence of his DNA as they shared a room.

I don’t agree with the rest, though.

A cruise ship is a closed environment while traveling, and fortuitously her body was found before the cruise ended and everyone disembarked.

Plus, once the maid found the body, it was a crime scene. I’m certain the maid did not continue tidying up at that point, and onboard security would’ve come immediately. The occupants of the room were known, cameras tracked everyone coming and going from the room, and even if TH nauseatingly claimed this was consensual, the crime here is the murder, not any possible sex.

Unless he tries to insinuate that Anna came on to him and he was a minor, but the police have him as a suspect, not a victim.

JMO and the facts that have so far been disclosed.

 

[MistyWaters]

Yes, the suspect could explain away the presence of his DNA as they shared a room.

I don’t agree with the rest, though.

A cruise ship is a closed environment while traveling, and fortuitously her body was found before the cruise ended and everyone disembarked.

Plus, once the maid found the body, it was a crime scene. I’m certain the maid did not continue tidying up at that point, and onboard security would’ve come immediately. The occupants of the room were known, cameras tracked everyone coming and going from the room, and even if TH nauseatingly claimed this was consensual, the crime here is the murder, not any possible sex.

Unless he tries to insinuate that Anna came on to him and he was a minor, but the police have him as a suspect, not a victim.

JMO and the facts that have so far been disclosed.

I suppose a hypothetical defence is the 16 year old could attempt to implicate the 14 year old alleging he was framed, depending on the comings and goings of each of them to the room, especially if the younger brother didn’t alert anyone about the commotion he claimed he heard coming from inside. I’m certain the FBI would want to be assured a 2nd party wasn’t involved.
JMO

 

[PsyCat]

my bad. it was a different cruise, 6 months ago, where she posted a video that ended with "i wanna go home".

DISREGARD WHAT I SAID, PEOPLE.

did this family have a habit of going on cruises??

 

[Bigditch]

Apparently the FBI haven’t officially announced anything yet. I can’t find the link but I read the Feds are prevented from being involved with minors in Juvenile Court, charges would have to be moved to Adult Court so there’s that too. Otherwise the jurisdiction would have to be State, possibly Florida. I hope I’m explaining this right, as it adds complexity and possibly takes additional time to sort out.
JMO

This was published a couple of days ago:

Cause of Death Revealed for Anna Kepner, Teen Who Was Found Stuffed Under Bed On Cruise

Anna Kepner's death is being investigated by the FBI, but no persons of interest have been publicly named

people.com

No suspect or person of interest has been publicly named in the case.

However, in court filings unrelated to the death, the teen's stepmother Shauntel Hudson said she was briefed by the FBI that one of Hudson's minor children may be facing criminal charges, according to Florida Today, FOX 35 and CBS News.


The filing, which pertains to Hudson's child custody issues with her former husband, did not claim whether the criminal charge is in connection with Anna's death.

Dbm

 

[Kemug]

I suppose a hypothetical defence is the 16 year old could attempt to implicate the 14 year old alleging he was framed, depending on the comings and goings of each of them to the room, especially if the younger brother didn’t alert anyone about the commotion he claimed he heard coming from inside. I’m certain the FBI would want to be assured a 2nd party wasn’t involved.
JMO

Would the suspect have the IQ to think of that? Or indeed, any of the family.

 

[Warwick7]

Brian Entin 1 hour ago...

 

[Warwick7]

Brian Entin 1 hour ago...

As far as I could see most of everything he brought out we already knew, so in essence he's verified the info for us.

The only thing I caught, that I hadn't heard before was: they removed everyone off the ship, then FBI got on and did their part, then the ship cleaned the rooms, then filled the ship with new arrivals and that same day the ship was sent on its merry way...

Its not like each person on the ship was interviewed (wasn't this opposite of what AK's dad said?). They didn't need to. As Brian said, they have cctv footage of who went in that room and when.

Anyway.... Unless someone caught something different, that's the only thing that I saw that was new.

 

[mickey2942]

Grandma of woman, 18, found dead on cruise ship breaks silence

Barbara Kepner, the grandmother of Anna Kepner, 18, who was found dead on a Carnival cruise ship, offered new details into the ongoing investigation into her murder.

www.dailymail.co.uk

Mama has already coached 16 year old. "Amnesia", he doesn't remember anything. How convenient.

Well, hopefully custody won't be an issue when 16 year old is incarcerated.

 

[InItToWinIt]

This from the above article mickey2942 posted.

"Heartbroken father Christopher insisted in a previous interview with the Daily Mail that investigators had shared barely any details with him.

'We were there as a family. Everybody was questioned. Everybody came off that ship. I don't know who they are looking at or what their investigation is,' he said."

No sir - you and your other family members came off that ship ALIVE (walking and talking).
Anna Kepner came off that ship in a body bag (say Anna's name!) This is my own opinion

 

[MistyWaters]

Did I read somewhere the stepbrother had been drinking alcohol? Obvious where this is headed…

Family of 18-year-old who died on cruise speaks out as stepbrother is named 'suspect'

The young woman's body was discovered by a room attendant, “concealed under the bed,” and there were bruises on the side of her neck, according to the Kepners.

abcnews.go.com

“She said on the ship, the stepbrother told her, “In his own words, say he does not remember what happened.” She added, “I believe, to him, that is his truth.”

The stepbrother was questioned along with other family members by law enforcement -- who also pored over the ship’s security camera footage and access-card swipes to get a picture of who was where at the various times prior to the death, according to the Kepner family and a security source briefed on the investigation.

“He was an emotional mess. He couldn't even speak. He couldn't believe what had happened,” Mrs. Kepner said of the stepbrother. After the boat docked in Miami, the stepbrother was hospitalized for psychiatric observation and then released to stay with a family member, Kepner said.”