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

[BlaiseFinlay]

2 young daughters = one room
2 teenage sons = one room
2 adults = one room
Anna = Dining room
SH's other teenage son = TH's home

JMO

Makes sense. I wonder what the room situation was before, though? There isn’t really an appropriate way for a 16 year old girl, a 12 year old boy, and/or a 7 year old girl to share a room either.

Maybe they were already using the dining room as a bedroom, and the switch was necessary so that Anna could keep her own room.

I have issues with expecting children to adapt to strangers being brought into their home let alone their bedroom, but using the dining room as a bedroom isn’t something that bothers me. If it can be closed off, it’s fine. You don’t need a built-in closet, that’s what wardrobes/armoires are for.

I listened to some of the grandmother’s interview that was replayed in a podcast I was listening to, and she sounded reasonable in the parts I listened to (which included the part about not accusing him). The statements sounded like she was trying to not impede the investigation or prosecution, and not alienate her son. I don’t think she should have given an interview at all, but then many people even here ask why we’re not hearing from a victim’s friends and family, so I guess there is no pleasing everyone.

 

[LifeIsAMystery]

An attorney addresses the ‘gag order’ request that SHK has made in family court. He says it’s an overreach, and not appropriate for family court to decide, and potentially hinder an investigation. He says basically SHK and TH have an option to pause custody proceedings if they want to keep information non-public. Also says SHK has requested to not have the father’s text messages reviewed. Attorney basically says that’s nonsense, FBI will have access to all. Not a family court matter.

Wonder what she is afraid will come out?

 

[LookingForClues]

I'm distressed by so many things in Anna’s life. I'm a stepmom. When I met my husband, he was raising his 3 kids, teens and preteens at the time. We've been married for almost 25 years now. Stepfamilies are complicated. Your ultimate goal is to be a happy "tight-knit" blended family. But it doesn't happen overnight, and it doesn't happen because you pronounce it to be so. At the very least, the first few years are awkward for everyone, parents and kids!

Everyone is trying to figure out how this new family works. Family vacations are important. But you can't force it. And you do need all of the kids to feel they have a place to retreat when things get stressful, uncomfortable, or just "too much togetherness." It doesn't sound like this was a consideration on this trip, given the way they divvied up the sleeping arrangements.

In Anna’s stepfamily, the parents have been married for about a year. Really, that is just a speck of time. Unfortunately, I think all of the adults on this family vacation were in denial about Anna being uncomfortable with her stepbrother, and it ended tragically for Anna. It's a heartbreaking mess, no matter how you look at it.

 

[tara83]

Makes sense. I wonder what the room situation was before, though? There isn’t really an appropriate way for a 16 year old girl, a 12 year old boy, and/or a 7 year old girl to share a room either.

Maybe they were already using the dining room as a bedroom, and the switch was necessary so that Anna could keep her own room.

I have issues with expecting children to adapt to strangers being brought into their home let alone their bedroom, but using the dining room as a bedroom isn’t something that bothers me. If it can be closed off, it’s fine. You don’t need a built-in closet, that’s what wardrobes/armoires are for.

I listened to some of the grandmother’s interview that was replayed in a podcast I was listening to, and she sounded reasonable in the parts I listened to (which included the part about not accusing him). The statements sounded like she was trying to not impede the investigation or prosecution, and not alienate her son. I don’t think she should have given an interview at all, but then many people even here ask why we’re not hearing from a victim’s friends and family, so I guess there is no pleasing everyone.

I found her comments very,very strange Saying they were 2 peas in a pod and cared for each other in the right way Who actually even thinks of saying things like the right way? Plus the demons statements. Makes me wonder if the whole family knew about the sexual advances the ex boyfriend claimed the suspected killer made. This family seems heavily involved in covering things up and saving face more than facing the truth. JMHO.

 

[BlaiseFinlay]

I don't see either the father or the step mother being blamed for Anna's murder. I do see discussion of '"attending factors", something that may have created circumstances that increases the likelihood it would happen IF certain things that have been reported are indeed true.

Some of those factors are:
• Did they know the 16 year old had sexually assaulted Anna previously (the bf reported they did)
• Did the 16 year old have mental health and/or behavioral issues that were known (the step grandmother used the words "demons in his past")

As a suspect, the attending factors involving the 16 year old are pertinent to the case. We are discussing the 16 year old and Anna's living situation. The parent and step parent absolutely did not commit this murder. Its also true that Anna lived under the care and jurisdiction of her father and, by circumstance, the step mother. One of the offspring had already been removed or removed himself from the home allegedly due to violence and a volatile home situation.

Well, I for one blame them. A parent has a responsibility to keep their minor child from murdering someone. And a parent has a responsibility to always protect their child from harm, regardless of age. Especially when that child is still in high school, living under that parent’s roof, and on a vacation planned by that parent.

So the question then becomes, was this absolutely unforeseeable? There is a reason why you will rarely find co-ed dorms (rooms). So the parents already knew they were deviating from that norm. Then we have two witnesses suggesting the parents had reason to know there were problems with the stepbrother — the grandmother referring to past demons, and the ex-boyfriend’s claim that he told Anna’s father about the problems.

I’m not suggesting they’re legally culpable, just morally.

 

[sunspun]

Death of Florida teenager on Carnival cruise ship ruled a homicide

The case has drawn international attention and sparked intense speculation on social media.

www.detroitnews.com

The death of a Florida teenager on a Carnival cruise ship earlier this month has been ruled a homicide, the latest development in a case that has drawn international attention and sparked intense speculation on social media.

Anna Kepner's cause of death was “mechanical asphyxia," according to a copy of her death certificate obtained by ABC News, which said the 18-year-old “was mechanically asphyxiated by other person(s)."

Mechanical asphyxia is when an object or physical force stops someone from breathing, according to Stephen Nelson, a chief medical examiner in Central Florida who is not involved in the case.

“In some way, shape or form, your airway has been cut off,” said Nelson, a former chair of Florida's Medical Examiners Commission...

From your post above:

Anna Kepner's cause of death was “mechanical asphyxia," according to a copy of her death certificate obtained by ABC News, which said the 18-year-old “was mechanically asphyxiated by other person(s)."

End quote

So does this mean the death certificate actually stated that last part, "by other person(s)"?

Earlier when I'd read "mechanically asphyxiated", it didn't have that part.

But I suppose since they've definitively named it a homicide, that part may go without saying.

 

[BlaiseFinlay]

I found her comments very,very strange Saying they were 2 peas in a pod and cared for each other in the right way Who actually even thinks of saying things like the right way? Plus the demons statements. Makes me wonder if the whole family knew about the sexual advances the ex boyfriend claimed the suspected killer made. This family seems heavily involved in covering things up and saving face more than facing the truth. JMHO.

Yeah those parts I haven’t listened to. I agree.

 

[flowershop]

Has there been any mention in MSM about Anna's bio mom?

 

[mickey2942]

I'm distressed by so many things in Anna’s life. I'm a stepmom. When I met my husband, he was raising his 3 kids, teens and preteens at the time. We've been married for almost 25 years now. Stepfamilies are complicated. Your ultimate goal is to be a happy "tight-knit" blended family. But it doesn't happen overnight, and it doesn't happen because you pronounce it to be so. At the very least, the first few years are awkward for everyone, parents and kids!

Everyone is trying to figure out how this new family works. Family vacations are important. But you can't force it. And you do need all of the kids to feel they have a place to retreat when things get stressful, uncomfortable, or just "too much togetherness." It doesn't sound like this was a consideration on this trip, given the way they divvied up the sleeping arrangements.

In Anna’s stepfamily, the parents have been married for about a year. Really, that is just a speck of time. Unfortunately, I think all of the adults on this family vacation were in denial about Anna being uncomfortable with her stepbrother, and it ended tragically for Anna. It's a heartbreaking mess, no matter how you look at it.

I agree. A first year is always adjustment for everyone. We were fortunate to have a private bedroom for everyone. We went on vacations, boys with boys, girls with girls. We wouldn't have had it any other way.

 

[Silverstorm]

I don't see either the father or the step mother being blamed for Anna's murder. I do see discussion of '"attending factors", factors that may have created circumstances that increased the likelihood bad things could happen IF certain things that have been reported are indeed true.

Some of those factors are:
• Did they know the 16 year old had sexually assaulted Anna previously (the bf reported they did)
• Did the 16 year old have mental health and/or behavioral issues that were known (the step grandmother used the words "demons in his past")

Both of these factors have been published here in accepted news media, both spoken by people very close to Anna, and so, of course, are being discussed.

As a suspect, the attending factors involving the 16 year old are pertinent to the case. We are specifically discussing the 16 year old as it pertains to Anna's living situation.

The parent and step parent absolutely did not commit this murder but they may have opened the door to allow it to happen more easily. Its a fact that Anna, as a minor dependent child, lived under the care and jurisdiction of her father and, by circumstance, the step mother. One of stepmother's offspring had already been removed or removed himself from her home allegedly due to violence and a volatile home situation. That seems pertinent. Add to that a 16 year old with issues of some degree of importance, and here we are.

Hopefully more will be made known in time. The silence is deafening but the little bits we do know show an unfortunate set of factors not in Anna's favor.

That may be uncomfortable to some folks but hopefully could be a wake up call to some and may even save lives.

I absolutely blame them and said they need to have their own charges brought against them. The step mom for not getting help for her son who desperately needed it and Anna’s father for not protecting her. This is in addition to what is going to happen to the poi. He is a child and needs help. The whole thing is tragic.

 

[Synergizer Bunny]

Makes sense. I wonder what the room situation was before, though? There isn’t really an appropriate way for a 16 year old girl, a 12 year old boy, and/or a 7 year old girl to share a room either.

Maybe they were already using the dining room as a bedroom, and the switch was necessary so that Anna could keep her own room.

I have issues with expecting children to adapt to strangers being brought into their home let alone their bedroom, but using the dining room as a bedroom isn’t something that bothers me. If it can be closed off, it’s fine. You don’t need a built-in closet, that’s what wardrobes/armoires are for.

I listened to some of the grandmother’s interview that was replayed in a podcast I was listening to, and she sounded reasonable in the parts I listened to (which included the part about not accusing him). The statements sounded like she was trying to not impede the investigation or prosecution, and not alienate her son. I don’t think she should have given an interview at all, but then many people even here ask why we’re not hearing from a victim’s friends and family, so I guess there is no pleasing everyone.

I am going to speculate here. I think that Chris and Tabitha and the three kids were all living under one roof. Chris probably moved out some place when they divorced in March of 2023, and the kids (including Anna) stayed with Tabitha. Chris didn't rent this new home until he was planning on getting married and combining families with Shauntel. It appears that all of the kids (except Anna) go back and forth between parents. So, they are not all under one roof on a full-time basis. Even so, the setup is there for when they visit. Plus, I think that I read that Anna lived with the (paternal) grandparents during some of the time, but I'm not sure when that was or for how long.

I figure that you have to make do with what you have. Anna looked healthy and happy or at least she was doing a good job in school and setting goals for herself. It's just tragic that her life was snuffed out for no reason, as I see it. I just hope that justice is served for her.

JMO.

 

[Little Jack]

My immediate assumption about the "demons" statement was that Anna's grandma was implying that the suspect had been abused in some way in the past.
But of course I could be entirely wrong.

 

[JudyBolton]

From your post above:

Anna Kepner's cause of death was “mechanical asphyxia," according to a copy of her death certificate obtained by ABC News, which said the 18-year-old “was mechanically asphyxiated by other person(s)."

End quote

So does this mean the death certificate actually stated that last part, "by other person(s)"?

Earlier when I'd read "mechanically asphyxiated", it didn't have that part.

But I suppose since they've definitively named it a homicide, that part may go without saying.

There is a screen shot of the death certificate posted at 2:17 today. Some family member discussed it with the media. They may have stated the portion that has been blacked out on the screen shot. It was stated that COD was only released to the family not the public.

 

[OneLove]

I absolutely blame them and said they need to have their own charges brought against them. The step mom for not getting help for her son who desperately needed it and Anna’s father for not protecting her. This is in addition to what is going to happen to the poi. He is a child and needs help. The whole thing is tragic.

Do we know the step mom had not gotten help for her son? Have I missed that?

I've wondered if the tiny religious school might have been due to his behavioral issues. I wish former friends of Anna's from her previous public school cheerleading days would weigh in. Was she glad to switch schools twice more after that or unhappy about the multiple changes? Usually teens make friends and have interests that lead them to not want to be uprooted. And multiple times? Why?

While I absolutely hold these adults *responsible* for their choices that held the door open, only the 16 year old wielded the fatal weapon. Those adults could have protected both Anna *and* the troubled 16 year old's future by being more conscientious in their choices and less in denial.

Anna's dad took on 4 step children when he married this woman and his own 2 were forced to make major life changes to accommodate them all and at a fundamental developmental stage. I hope the 14 year old is allowed professional help in dealing with his horrible new reality. I wish he didnt have to call his sister's killer "brother" and hear his own family tell him "there's no such thing as step siblings", ugh.

 

[Stunned]

Well, I for one blame them. A parent has a responsibility to keep their minor child from murdering someone. And a parent has a responsibility to always protect their child from harm, regardless of age. Especially when that child is still in high school, living under that parent’s roof, and on a vacation planned by that parent.

So the question then becomes, was this absolutely unforeseeable? There is a reason why you will rarely find co-ed dorms (rooms). So the parents already knew they were deviating from that norm. Then we have two witnesses suggesting the parents had reason to know there were problems with the stepbrother — the grandmother referring to past demons, and the ex-boyfriend’s claim that he told Anna’s father about the problems.

I’m not suggesting they’re legally culpable, just morally.

I blame them also along with her son. This was avoidable. IMO

 

[Synergizer Bunny]

Sounds like she was treated more like the "step child" in her father's own home. Like, you are leaving soon, there ain't no room here for you.

That is just sad to me. No home or bedroom to go back to. Pretty evident.

I can't help but think that Anna felt that she didn't have anyone to truly care about her. I can well imagine that she longed to have a real mother who cared about her, that she could go to in good times and bad. It seems to me that her father cared more about himself and his own needs.

It actually wouldn't surprise me if Anna didn't speak up with any concerns or fears about Shauntel or her kids because, really, where would that get her if she started to make waves in this new family? Shauntel, IMO, is going to side with her kids over Anna. Anna was probably counting the days until she would be gone from that house.

I actually don't think that she had any say into the sleeping arrangements on the cruise. If she were to voice an objection, I really think that she would be shot down for it.

This is just my speculation; and I could be totally wrong. Just the vibes that I get from this extremely dysfunctional family.

For all we know, TH was acting out because of the violence that he saw between his brother and Chris or because of some other rage that built up because of this entire situation. TH's petition to get custody of his two younger children clearly mentions about Shauntel and her paramour. Who knows how long the affair was going on before they divorced? It seems to me that the kids probably were caught in the middle of this sordid affair or knew what was going on.

It's easier to take out your anger on someone weaker or who can't fight back.

Just my opinion.

 

[Stunned]

Z

I can't help but think that Anna felt that she didn't have anyone to truly care about her. I can well imagine that she longed to have a real mother who cared about her, that she could go to in good times and bad. It seems to me that her father cared more about himself and his own needs.

It actually wouldn't surprise me if Anna didn't speak up with any concerns or fears about Shauntel or her kids because, really, where would that get her if she started to make waves in this new family? Shauntel, IMO, is going to side with her kids over Anna. Anna was probably counting the days until she would be gone from that house.

I actually don't think that she had any say into the sleeping arrangements on the cruise. If she were to voice an objection, I really think that she would be shot down for it.

This is just my speculation; and I could be totally wrong. Just the vibes that I get from this extremely dysfunctional family.

For all we know, TH was acting out because of the violence that he saw between his brother and Chris or because of some other rage that built up because of this entire situation. TH's petition to get custody of his two younger children clearly mentions about Shauntel and her paramour. Who knows how long the affair was going on before they divorced? It seems to me that the kids probably were caught in the middle of this sordid affair or knew what was going on.

It's easier to take out your anger on someone weaker or who can't fight back.

Just my opinion.

I think Shauntel has proved her child came first. IMO

 

[steeltowngirl]

Has there been any mention in MSM about Anna's bio mom?

Yes, there have been numerous MSM articles including Anna’s biological mother. She was interviewed on Banfield. Here are a couple.

Anna Kepner’s mom speaks out after daughter’s cruise ship death

Heather Wright joined “Banfield” on Friday night, confirming she realized her daughter had died via Google.

www.newsnationnow.com

Anna Kepner's Mother Found Out on Google That Teen Daughter Died on Carnival Cruise

Anna Kepner was on a Caribbean cruise with her family when she was killed

people.com

 

[BrownRice]

I know I never knew Anna, but am just so infuriated on her behalf.

IMO she’s spent her entire life on this VERY UGLY CAROUSEL of constantly changing parents and stepparents and parental figures, such as the grandparents.

She was the eldest of all the kids? And a female, but was consigned to sleep in the dining room—-that’s so wrong.

It’s such a tragedy that she was months away from stepping off the carousel and making her own choices, like the military, and she will never now experience the life she could have made for herself.

JMO

Agree. Reminds me of Madeline Soto. Even mom’s screevy boyfriend (and child pedo/killer) had his own room. And tenants had a room. Madeline had a corner of a living room or dining area.

 

[Synergizer Bunny]

IME, when I divorced and my ex moved in with someone who also had kids (they never married though) it was court ordered that after age 12, siblings of opposite genders must have separate bedrooms and step siblings must also have separate rooms. This wasn’t in Florida but I imagine it’s a pretty common stipulation in divorce/child custody cases. Of course, it would require both parents follow the court order, or someone raising concern if it wasn’t followed. Sadly it doesn’t seem Anna had any adults in her life like that.

It makes me wonder why the supervised visitations in Chris' divorce from Tabitha were not followed?? She stated that Chris had been abusive to her and the kids. Why is she then allowing him to take the kids unsupervised? Was it because she now had a new boyfriend and was glad that he was taking the kids?? Plus, if Chris was truly abusive towards his own kids, it's not a big leap to believe that he assaulted Shauntel's oldest boy (especially, if he said something disrespectful to Chris).

JMO.