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

[Lebowski]

Body of cheerleader, 18, found stuffed under bed on Carnival cruise

The death of 18-year-old cheerleader Anna Kepner has taken an unsettling turn, as sources tell the Daily Mail how her body was found aboard a Carnival Cruise ship.

www.dailymail.co.uk

Confirming her body was wrapped up under her bed with life jackets on it by housekeeper around 11 am after her family couldn’t find her.

...

Very curious whether there was evidence of foul play on her body or not.

...

bodies don't hide themselves after accidents, suicides, and deaths from natural causes.

 

[MayMay1123]

Carnival's life jackets are stowed away in a top closet. The underside of the bed is hidden by a bed skirt, people usually will store their empty luggage there. The ships don't have "single" passenger cabins. If you are sailing solo, you actually pay double for a two person cabin. Whoever went into her cabin and did what they did would definitely be on multiple cameras that could track movements. They would have to be somehow disguised for a great deal of time, or know of some way to not be seen that the public wouldn't be aware of.

 

[BetteDavisEyes]

We have been on 7 cruises, 2018-2025, 6 on Royal Caribbean ships (4 different ships) and 1 on Norwegian. On most cruise ships, including all 5 that we have been on, guest life jackets are not stored in guest rooms under the beds. They are stored in large cabinets at muster stations. All guests are assigned a specific muster station that you are to go to if the emergency signal sounds. That is thought to be better practice because if there was an emergency guests could be anywhere on the ship so to make them go back to their room to get their life jacket then on to their muster station would take A LOT of time and would be a lot more dangerous than having guests go directly to their muster station.

<respectfully snipped> I've been thinking about this since I read earlier about AK's body being found under a bed, wrapped in a blanket, surrounded by life vests. I've been on at least 30 cruises since the mid-1980s and don't recall passenger life jackets ever being stored under beds. In most cases, particularly on Princess ships that we mostly sail these days, the life vests are stored in the closet area of the stateroom where they can be quickly accessed in case of an emergency. I can't imagine having to get down on the floor to get a life jacket under the bed. Precious time could be lost if the vests are not easily retrievable if they get pushed too far under the bed. Elderly passengers would be especially vulnerable to falling and not being able to stand up once they are down on the floor. There are also additional life vests stored along decks with lifeboat access for guests who might be unable to retrieve their life jackets from their staterooms.

 

[ChatteringBirds]

There haven't been any press releases/ statements by LE nor press conferences yet, right?

 

[Gators North]

There haven't been any press releases/ statements by LE nor press conferences yet, right?

I haven’t seen anything new except this article from the Toronto Sun which I think is a rehash of what we already know.

Just a thought…. If she was feeling sick at dinner, could someone have slipped something in her drink? Sorry if this has already been mentioned. JMO

Cruise ship mystery death of teen Anna Kepner takes darker turn

The mysterious death of pretty Florida teenager Anna Kepner on a Caribbean cruise ship has now taken a more sinister turn.

torontosun.com

 

[nao]

Moo...if she did ingest some toxic substance, it is possible she became paranoid/scared and hid under bed

 

[sunspun]

Carnival's life jackets are stowed away in a top closet. The underside of the bed is hidden by a bed skirt, people usually will store their empty luggage there. The ships don't have "single" passenger cabins. If you are sailing solo, you actually pay double for a two person cabin. Whoever went into her cabin and did what they did would definitely be on multiple cameras that could track movements. They would have to be somehow disguised for a great deal of time, or know of some way to not be seen that the public wouldn't be aware of.

Or... completely identifiable (meaning probably not a planned murder) and just waiting for the hammer to fall.

 

[Stunned]

<respectfully snipped> I've been thinking about this since I read earlier about AK's body being found under a bed, wrapped in a blanket, surrounded by life vests. I've been on at least 30 cruises since the mid-1980s and don't recall passenger life jackets ever being stored under beds. In most cases, particularly on Princess ships that we mostly sail these days, the life vests are stored in the closet area of the stateroom where they can be quickly accessed in case of an emergency. I can't imagine having to get down on the floor to get a life jacket under the bed. Precious time could be lost if the vests are not easily retrievable if they get pushed too far under the bed. Elderly passengers would be especially vulnerable to falling and not being able to stand up once they are down on the floor. There are also additional life vests stored along decks with lifeboat access for guests who might be unable to retrieve their life jackets from their staterooms.

Have cruised on Princess many times, you are correct.
Also want to point out that at mant ports in the Caribbean there are pharmacies right there. They are there because you can buy many drugs over the counter that you need a prescription for in the US. Believe me many cruise ship passengers line up to get into these pharmacies!

 

[CaliGrandmax4]

According to Google, the Carnival Horizon ship has passenger life jackets stored inside the cabin closet for each guest.
There are also additional life jackets at the muster station.

I would presume the life jacket found on top of the body was the one from inside her cabin's closet.

Why would the apparent perp gone through the work to get a life jacket, anyway?

A quick Google reveals the Carnival Horizon has 1,450 crew members. I wonder if any of them are missing.

Does anyone know which kind of cabin she was in?

I have cruised many times on Carnival Horizon and the two sister ships (Vista and Panorama). I csn confirm life jackets are stored in the top of the first closet upon entering your cabin.

On occasion there are extra life jackets in the second closet.

They are not stored under the bed.

 

[Serononin]

Moo...if she did ingest some toxic substance, it is possible she became paranoid/scared and hid under bed

Or whoever gave her the substance was there/found her, panicked and hid her.

The bit in the article where it said she complained of feeling sick brought me back to the death of a childhood friend of mine when we were 17. I wasn't there, but I heard from others afterwards that she said she felt sick while at a concert, then an hour or so later (IIRC) she started seizing, and by the time she got to the hospital she was gone. It turned out that she'd had MDMA on her while she was waiting in line outside the venue, saw police with drugs detection dogs, panicked and decided to swallow it all, which was a fatal dose.

All this to say that a teen trying something like that for the first time can seem fine one minute and be in dire straits the next

 

[arielilane]

Video date Nov. 13.

Time of death already known. That's surprising, moo.

Anna died on the Carnival ship "Horizon" at 11:17 a.m. according to the Miami-Dade medical examiner.

 

[crhedBngr]

MSM just released this:

Step-sibling of cheerleader found dead on Carnival cruise may face charges: Filing

A minor may face criminal charges in connection with the death of Anna Kepner aboard a Carnival Horizon cruise ship, according to a new filing in an unrelated family court matter.

JMVHO.

 

[Sillybilly]

ADMIN NOTE:

Posts (and responses) based on non-approved social media have been removed. Please read The Rules: Social Media - Facebook, Twitter, etc.

Post in accordance with The Rules or there will be a loss of posting privileges.

 

[The4TierBridge]

Video date Nov. 13.

Time of death already known. That's surprising, moo.

Anna died on the Carnival ship "Horizon" at 11:17 a.m. according to the Miami-Dade medical examiner.

That’s taken from the Miami-Dade ME website, where she is case number 2025-03158. It’s probably just when the body was found/when death was pronounced by medical or legal personnel (unless this is known to be a different time?)

Miami-Dade County - Medical Examiner - Medical Examiner Database Search Results

Search Results

www.miamidade.gov

 

[Tippy Lynn]

MSM just released this:

Step-sibling of cheerleader found dead on Carnival cruise may face charges: Filing



JMVHO.

Snipped: Shauntel Hudson -- Kepner's stepmother, who was also on the cruise along with her children and Kepner's father -- requested a delay in her custody hearing because one of her minor children may face criminal charges, according to the filing.


The stepmothers children involved in the custody hearing are minors. Do we know if she has adult children?

 

[gnsndr33]

I was just on this cruise ship in May and there were no life jackets in the room. All were in the muster stations. I have cruised carnival 37 times. 3 this year. Its been a couple of years since they stop storing life jackets in rooms. I just got back from a cruise on Carnival out of New Orleans 2 weeks ago and it was the same no jackets in the rooms. In June I was on the carnival Mardi Gras and same no jackets in rooms. But there was life jackets out by muster stations and we were told if we felt better having one with us we could take them to room. There is several large metal containers with life jackets that was not locked.

 

[Gemmie]

That’s taken from the Miami-Dade ME website, where she is case number 2025-03158. It’s probably just when the body was found/when death was pronounced by medical or legal personnel (unless this is known to be a different time?)

Miami-Dade County - Medical Examiner - Medical Examiner Database Search Results

Search Results

www.miamidade.gov

View attachment 625851

The ship didn't dock till the next day. (all upthread) Likely TOD was determined by an apple watch is my guess.

 

[PayrollNerd]

Wow. I’m reading between the lines here and it’s my opinion, not fact.

Step Mom has a custody hearing already scheduled. Is the family dynamic the child is living in not healthy? Is bio Dad requesting custody changes for his child or children’s health and well-being, education, parental alienation, etc?

Taking the family on a cruise seems like it should be a positive. Are the kids homeschooled so a vacation in Nov is fine?

The word adolescent in the article makes me think of a teen. Did the adolescent and the victim have a contentious relationship prior to the cruise?

Anna’s Dad has lost his child. Step Mom & other Dad have effectively lost their child, if charged. Everybody loses. Unbelievably sad.

 

[Megnut]

MSM just released this:

Step-sibling of cheerleader found dead on Carnival cruise may face charges: Filing



JMVHO.

Just how old is this adolescent who "may" be facing charges?

This awful story sounds like it's about to break even worse.

JMO

 

[Kemug]

It would have seemed like such a good idea to have this family cruise and do some bonding, and now this tragic
result. I wonder if the marriage can survive it?