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

[lissakirk]

Thank you, and are you sure sbout that? I thought i read she went to Titus High then a religious school then the final religious school, Temple.

Do you know if she still was able to spend time with Tabitha after they divorced? Since Tabitha claimed Chris was violent with their kids, I wonder if that included Anna too and was Anna scared of him?

Confirmed by her obituary, she went to Titusville High (public school), Astronaut High (public school), then Temple Christian (religious school). I live here and am familiar with the schools. I don't know about her relationship with Tabitha, though.

 

[su5ie]

I find so much in this case confounding. I don't understand WHY the rooming arrangements were what they were. I would think that minor girls would be bunked with other minor female relatives. And statements from family members after Anna's death as revelations of the step sibling came out didn't clear up my confusion, but have only added to it. If Anna's ex boyfriend is to be believed there were already issues between the victim and her stepbrother so was the family unaware of these concerns or did they simply downplay them in the pursuit of the picture perfect blended family?

This is the most confusing for me ,there appears to have been two other minor daughters on that cruise so why was Anna boarded with the two minor males even if one was her bio brother .
Only reason I can think of is suspect was also a threat to younger male and Anna was used as a buffer between them

 

[tlcya]

This is the most confusing for me ,there appears to have been two other minor daughters on that cruise so why was Anna boarded with the two minor males even if one was her bio brother .
Only reason I can think of is suspect was also a threat to younger male and Anna was used as a buffer between them

I was thinking maybe the adults expected Anna to run herd on both the boys she was roomed with. Even though one had "demons" and she reportedly had been previously harassed by him.

You know, so the parents could have cake and eat it too. Perfect healing family vacay with Anna to serve as built in babysitter for the problem child.

 

[starlightstarbright]

This is the most confusing for me ,there appears to have been two other minor daughters on that cruise so why was Anna boarded with the two minor males even if one was her bio brother .
Only reason I can think of is suspect was also a threat to younger male and Anna was used as a buffer between them

My guess would be that the parents found it easier to room with the 2 younger ones and leave the teens to their own devices.

It would have made sense for the 3 girls to share a room, but then Chris and Shauntel would have been stuck with 2 teen boys, including one with possible behavioural issues. Out of sight, out of mind was probably more fun.

 

[LifeIsAMystery]

Confirmed by her obituary, she went to Titusville High (public school), Astronaut High (public school), then Temple Christian (religious school). I live here and am familiar with the schools. I don't know about her relationship with Tabitha, though.

Yes until Tabitha’s live in boyfriend allegedly molested Anna.

That is a lot of changing schools in hs.

 

[Gemmie]

My guess would be that the parents found it easier to room with the 2 younger ones and leave the teens to their own devices.

It would have made sense for the 3 girls to share a room, but then Chris and Shauntel would have been stuck with 2 teen boys, including one with possible behavioural issues. Out of sight, out of mind was probably more fun.

Except one could have bunked with the grandparents as they claimed to have had a bed Anna could have used. Psycho could have bunked with them and Connor with the parents. Girls in the GIRLS cabin. It's how I would have divvied up the sleeping arrangements.

 

[swanniee11]

Not sure if this was posted yet

American woman missing on Caribbean island may have been spotted nearby

Authorities now believe somebody matching Ann Evans' description checked into a hotel on the French side of the island.

www.wusa9.com

Snipped: Kepner died of "mechanical asphyxia," according to a death certificate obtained by ABC News

 

[lonetraveler]

It's nice that everyone in the family seems more concerned about the stepbrother than the fact Anna was murdered. The more I hear about this family it's obvious she never stood a chance.

I get the very same vibes. And, he of course has the "convenient amnesia" thing going,

 

[BetteDavisEyes]

My guess would be that the parents found it easier to room with the 2 younger ones and leave the teens to their own devices.

It would have made sense for the 3 girls to share a room, but then Chris and Shauntel would have been stuck with 2 teen boys, including one with possible behavioural issues. Out of sight, out of mind was probably more fun.

The little girls had to be in a stateroom with an adult. At 18, Anna was not considered an adult, but she could be in a room with the boys who were 14 and 16.

Minor Guest Policy: Effective February 1, 2025 | Carnival Cruise Line

help.carnival.com

Guests 14 years of age and younger
Must be booked with a relative or guardian (25 years of age or older) in the same cabin or a connecting cabin.

 

[lonetraveler]

All great questions! So the grandparents were the father's parents and Anna's "real" (not step) grandparents. That makes it even more strange that they said "“I know that those two kids cared about each other in the right way. I can't accuse him because I don't know what happened in that room" Who, if anyone, is speaking out for Anna?

This statement really hit me as very strange. I just cannot digest this one.

 

[OneLove]

I think it likely Anna would have greatly resented being made to room with 2 little 9 year olds as that woukd have made her a virtual babysitter for them.

Rooming with the grandparwnts wouldn't have been terribly appealing either though I'm sure she loved them.

Its just so sad that the best option she was given was rooming with the teen that had sexually assaulted her and which assault had been ignored by dad and step mom of the moment. She likely thought her 14 year old brother in the room would deter that from happening. But, wow, all it took was him stepping out a bit to take pictures. I can't imagine being forced to keep him in the family and having to call him brother '"because there are no steps", though I'm sure the grandparents meant it to be loving. They may have believed they could love the demons out of him. Maybe sometimes that works but this situation was just too volatile.

 

[su5ie]

Well I suppose to be fair to grandma , her own son had 'demons" and she was on a cruise with him .So be a bit pot and kettle to think any different of lovable rogue Tim

 

[Serononin]

I was thinking maybe the adults expected Anna to run herd on both the boys she was roomed with. Even though one had "demons" and she reportedly had been previously harassed by him.

You know, so the parents could have cake and eat it too. Perfect healing family vacay with Anna to serve as built in babysitter for the problem child.

The blended family equivalent of teachers making the quiet kids sit next to their most disruptive classmates in the vain hope that they'll "set a good example"

 

[iamshadow21]

The blended family equivalent of teachers making the quiet kids sit next to their most disruptive classmates in the vain hope that they'll "set a good example"

Or seat bullies at the same table with their victims, in the ridiculous hope they'll "make friends".

MOO

 

[su5ie]

Or seat bullies at the same table with their victims, in the ridiculous hope they'll "make friends".

MOO

This in particular ticks me off . It like further punishment for the victim

 

[Ghostwheel]

The little girls had to be in a stateroom with an adult. At 18, Anna was not considered an adult, but she could be in a room with the boys who were 14 and 16.

Minor Guest Policy: Effective February 1, 2025 | Carnival Cruise Line

help.carnival.com

Guests 14 years of age and younger
Must be booked with a relative or guardian (25 years of age or older) in the same cabin or a connecting cabin.

By these rules, having Anna, the 14 yo and the 16 yo in the same cabin without a 25 year old would also not be allowed. "14 years of age and younger Must be booked with a relative or guardian (25 years of age or older) in the same cabin or a connecting cabin."

Definitely not following the rules. Cases like these rather show why the rules exist, I suppose.

 

[su5ie]

By these rules, having Anna, the 14 yo and the 16 yo in the same cabin without a 25 year old would also not be allowed. "14 years of age and younger Must be booked with a relative or guardian (25 years of age or older) in the same cabin or a connecting cabin."

Definitely not following the rules. Cases like these rather show why the rules exist, I suppose.

Excellent observation

 

[BetteDavisEyes]

By these rules, having Anna, the 14 yo and the 16 yo in the same cabin without a 25 year old would also not be allowed. "14 years of age and younger Must be booked with a relative or guardian (25 years of age or older) in the same cabin or a connecting cabin."

Definitely not following the rules. Cases like these rather show why the rules exist, I suppose.

For booking purposes, the parents probably indicated that there would be one "adult" in each room. Once they embarked, they nixed the rules and went to Guest Services to request key cards for those three in a stateroom that was in close proximity to theirs. The age restrictions are a little different on Princess, but guests do this sort of thing frequently.

 

[OneLove]

>snip<
Definitely not following the rules. Cases like these rather show why the rules exist, I suppose.

Yes; and we can look at the lives of this step mom and dad and clearly see that they don't "follow the rules" in general. We know the dad hasn't in a long time. Sex with the 15 year old babysitter for one example. When it was revealed that Anna was sexually assaulted by her first step mother's bf, my first thought was wondering how Tabitha reacted to that, having been 15 when she herself was first assaulted (and any "willingness" on her part is immaterial as adults are responsible to know better). Was Anna blamed for the bf messing with her?

Since the judge declined to close Shauntelle's custody hearing, we should soon be learning alot more. Her ex-husband and father of her children claimed that the teens were allowed to drink alcohol on the cruise and there may be much more lax and/or negligent parenting choices to be revealed.

Personally, I tend toward thinking the 14 year old didn't alert the parents to the awful fighting he heard in the cabin because fighting was a common routine way of life for them. As long as they didn't kill each other, it was juat no big deal, kids will be kids. You know, "caring for each other in the right ways". Whoops...

 

[su5ie]

Chris began dating / married Tabitha at 15 /16 so prehaps rather than view it with horror the family normalised 15 years of age as being old enough to be an adult and engage in adult things .
So Tim being 16 he was considered a man and Anna being 18 she was considered an adult woman both capable of making their own decisions regarding alcohol, sex etc

Because to view them both as children would mean acknowledging Chris is a pedophile

And while in this case Chris is not a poi his past mistakes may be why it was deemed OK for Anna to be sharing with a boy close to her own age and for nobody to deem that inappropriate at all ,even if just for the sake of preventing a teenage pregnancy.

Regardless of how well two older teens of the opposite gender get on when they are in no way related a parent is not being responsible by allowing them share intimate space such as a bedroom unsupervised.

Prehaps that is why we hear reports of dad clutching a bottle of whisky going into the home because not only does he have to deal with the grief of losing his daughter at the hand of his suffering with demons stepson he also has to confront demons in his own past