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

[mickey2942]

This boy is gonna claim they were horsing around and he "accidentally" killed her and panicked. Then he is gonna walk.... And in several more years he is gonna be arrested again for something else that could be prevented....

Completely agree. Look at Edmund Kemper, serial killer, who was incarcerated after killing his grandparents at age 15. Let out at age 21, and subsequently became a prolific serial killer.

Edmund Kemper - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[Vegoia]

It's strange they arent definitely saying she wasnt sexually abused and that is why she was naked. It's going to come out one way or another in court. why would he be on pretrial release? they dont think he is a danger?

 

[mickey2942]

It's strange they arent definitely saying she wasnt sexually abused and that is why she was naked. It's going to come out one way or another in court. why would he be on pretrial release? they dont think he is a danger?

I bet that he couldn't actually rape her. The act was the killing. He may have even tried, and became enraged when he couldn't perform.

 

[Mauritius]

It's strange they arent definitely saying she wasnt sexually abused and that is why she was naked. It's going to come out one way or another in court. why would he be on pretrial release? they dont think he is a danger?

Maybe (total speculation here!) there aren’t available federal *juvenile* facilities, or at least not available in that Florida area such that he can make appearances/meet with counsel?

I guess I’m imagining there aren’t that many juvenile federal criminal offenders, so maybe not many facilities for them… I may be wrong about that of course.

 

[mickey2942]

Maybe (total speculation here!) there aren’t available federal *juvenile* facilities, or at least not available in that Florida area such that he can make appearances/meet with counsel?

I guess I’m imagining there aren’t that many juvenile federal criminal offenders, so maybe not many facilities for them… I may be wrong about that of course.

There are plenty. But they usually defer to state jurisdiction. That is what makes this crime unique, there really is no way to dump this into the state system.

The judge can always consider to charge him as an adult. But I don't see that happening, he doesn't have a history of documented violence. That we have seen. And apparently, they found family to stand up for him and allow him to stay in their custody.

 

[cujenn81]

I am really surprised by this excerpt from the statement attributed to Chris and Shauntel Kepner in the article above:

"At this time, it is deeply painful and disturbing to our family that the person responsible is able to walk freely. This reality adds to our grief and outrage. It is devastating to know that while we live every day with the loss of our child, the individual responsible has not yet been fully held accountable. "


Does this mean they think someone else killed her, rather than it being her stepbrother? Or have they somewhat cut ties with him and are as amazed as we are that the stepbrother is not in jail? Or ...?

Color me confused.

 

[MistyWaters]

Color me confused.

It’s really no wonder we’re confused. It seems Anna’s own mother doesn’t know what’s happening either.

Verifying Device

“Over the weekend, Heather Wright, the mourning mom of the 18-year-old cheerleader, said the stepbrother had been charged with murder.

But now she’s walked back her statement and said she was “misinformed,” explaining that getting updates on the case has been a nightmare.

“I’m still all in the dark out here in Oklahoma,” she told People, adding, “nobody really keeps me in the loop.”…..

……However, it’s still unclear whether he’s facing charges, as court documents related to the case are still under seal.…”

 

[sunspun]

Would it be better if he showed up in a suit and pretended to have respect?

Infinitely better, imo.

 

[normal_teenager]

Personally, I think it was the step brother. Most of the evidence is against him and the fact that he was in the same room as Anna before she died while the half brother was locked out is damning evidence. He had also forgotten to take his insomnia medications for 2 nights in a row leading up to the murder of Anna. Coincidence? I think not. He is absolutely guilty and he has said over and over that he knows nothing, why would you need to repeat yourself multiple times if you are truly innocent?

 

[PayrollNerd]

Not sure if this was posted on here. I listened to some of it. The oldest boy is well spoken, seems like a good kid.

ETA: removed incorrect link and added correct link.

 

[Judy Sleuth]

Charges have been filed at last, according to the family. CBS is being very careful here to point out that nothing has been stated/confirmed by LE; that this info comes from the family (in a social media post?). Here are some quotes from the carefully-worded article linked below:

(1)" A 16-year-old stepbrother of Anna Kepner has been charged with homicide ... according to court documents obtained by CBS News, which cited the Kepner family's social media."

(2) "The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Florida and the FBI have not commented on developments in the Kepner case."

(3) "However, CBS News has learned there is an ongoing case against the teen that is currently under seal and being overseen by Miami federal judge Beth Bloom."

Family of Anna Kepner says stepbrother charged with homicide in her death on cruise ship, court document shows

Anna Kepner, 18, was on a Caribbean cruise with her father, stepmother and three stepsiblings when she was discovered dead on the Carnival Horizon in November.

www.cbsnews.com

 

[Megnut]

Charges have been filed at last, according to the family:

Family of Anna Kepner says stepbrother charged with homicide in her death on cruise ship, court document shows

Anna Kepner, 18, was on a Caribbean cruise with her father, stepmother and three stepsiblings when she was discovered dead on the Carnival Horizon in November.

www.cbsnews.com

There it is. In  black blur and white.

Two charges.

It's what we expected but it's still jarring to see.

JMO

 

[Judy Sleuth]

Charges have been filed at last, according to the family. CBS is being very careful here to point out that nothing has been stated/confirmed by LE; that this info comes from the family (in a social media post?). Here are some quotes from the carefully-worded article linked below:

(1)" A 16-year-old stepbrother of Anna Kepner has been charged with homicide ... according to court documents obtained by CBS News, which cited the Kepner family's social media."

(2) "The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Florida and the FBI have not commented on developments in the Kepner case."

(3) "However, CBS News has learned there is an ongoing case against the teen that is currently under seal and being overseen by Miami federal judge Beth Bloom."

Family of Anna Kepner says stepbrother charged with homicide in her death on cruise ship, court document shows

Anna Kepner, 18, was on a Caribbean cruise with her father, stepmother and three stepsiblings when she was discovered dead on the Carnival Horizon in November.

www.cbsnews.com

In follow-up to my own post, it looks like the documents CBS obtained were from the ongoing custody case. Maybe this "new" news is not really new, then?

 

[Vaderman]

Charges have been filed at last, according to the family:

Family of Anna Kepner says stepbrother charged with homicide in her death on cruise ship, court document shows

Anna Kepner, 18, was on a Caribbean cruise with her father, stepmother and three stepsiblings when she was discovered dead on the Carnival Horizon in November.

www.cbsnews.com

This is a mess. Essentially nothing but hearsay that's more concerned on a custody battle than the h

 

[Stunned]

This case has been made for TV movie from the very beginning. So here we are at another cliffhanger! Is he charged with homicide or not? IMO

 

[Elley Mae]

Anna Kepner’s 16-year-old stepbrother charged with her cruise ship murder: reports

Anna Kepner’s 16-year-old stepbrother charged with her cruise ship murder: reports

Anna Kepner’s 16-year-old stepbrother has been charged with her murder, according to a new report.

nypost.com

 

[Dotta]

https://twitter.com/x/status/2026187116800024768

 

[Chimera]

Family of Anna Kepner says stepbrother charged with homicide in her death on cruise ship, court document shows

Anna Kepner, 18, was on a Caribbean cruise with her father, stepmother and three stepsiblings when she was discovered dead on the Carnival Horizon in November.

www.cbsnews.com

A 16-year-old stepbrother of Anna Kepner has been charged with homicide as a minor in the death of the Florida teen, who was found dead aboard a Carnival cruise ship during a family vacation in November, according to court documents obtained by CBS News, which cited the Kepner family's social media.

However, CBS News has learned there is an ongoing case against the teen that is currently under seal and being overseen by Miami federal judge Beth Bloom.

The stepbrother, who CBS News is not naming because he is a minor, appeared in federal court in Miami on Feb. 6, for a hearing but because the case is under seal media was not allowed in the courtroom

"If it's a juvenile you won't know until he's charged as an adult," Dave Aronberg, a former Palm Beach state attorney, told CBS News.
Rbm.
So, there's a separate case ??
Was hoping this was the start of true justice for Anna, but we'll see.
Jmo.

 

[Spectrix]

According to social media from the Kepner family, on February 3, 2026, the petitioner/father's son, TH, was charged by the United States Attorney in the Southern District of Florida for the [redacted] and homicide of Anna Kepner,' an emergency filing said on Friday,

What, pray tell, is redacted in this context. Rape? Sexual assault?

It goes on to claim that, 'immediately after the cruise, the respondent/mother and Chris Kepner expelled [the minor] from their household and neither has seen [the minor] since then.
'Social media from the Kepner family has indicated that they want the "nails in the coffin" of [the minor] and that both the Kepner family and the respondent "want him buried,"' the emergency filing alleged.

It seems absurd to me that this dysfunctional excuse for a "family" still has custody of TH's little sister.

Shock bust made after Anna Kepner found dead in cabin of cruise ship

Federal authorities have officially charged Anna Kepner's teenage stepbrother for her heinous killing onboard a Carnival cruise ship on November 7.

www.dailymail.co.uk

 

[Gemmie]

What, pray tell, is redacted in this context. Rape? Sexual assault?

Shock bust made after Anna Kepner found dead in cabin of cruise ship

Federal authorities have officially charged Anna Kepner's teenage stepbrother for her heinous killing onboard a Carnival cruise ship on November 7.

www.dailymail.co.uk

I can't think of anything else that would be redacted. So sad for Anna. It's bad enough to be raped... but raped and killed? Hoping it's not in the other order like I believe it was in the Lily Peters case due to how the arrest warrant, etc., was written.