Court documents suggest a relative of the Florida teen who died on a Carnival Cruise could face charges

A heartbreaking development has emerged in the death of 18-year-old Anna Kepner, a Florida teen who died unexpectedly aboard the Carnival Horizon cruise ship on November 7, 2025. New court filings suggest the FBI is now looking into whether a family member may have been involved.

Anna, a high-achieving cheerleader from Zanesville, Ohio, was discovered by a cabin attendant, who reportedly found her body hidden under a bed and covered with life jackets and a blanket. Authorities released no immediate details, but recent legal documents have provided the first major update.

In a motion filed on November 18, Anna’s stepmother, Shauntel Hudson, said federal investigators are considering criminal charges against one of her minor children. The filing, submitted during Hudson’s ongoing divorce case, requested extra time to respond because of the “sensitive and severe” situation.

The documents state that the FBI investigation centers on one of the children Hudson brought into her recent marriage to Anna’s father, Chris Kepner. The filing also asks to delay a custody hearing to avoid interfering with the criminal inquiry.

The night before her death, Anna told relatives she wasn’t feeling well and returned to her cabin. When she didn’t show up for breakfast, family members searched the ship. Investigators are now reviewing surveillance footage, key card records, and her phone while interviewing passengers and crew.

Chris Kepner said the entire family was removed from the ship for questioning and that they are devastated, with no answers about what happened. The medical examiner has not released a cause of death.

Loved ones remembered Anna as a vibrant, ambitious student who enjoyed gymnastics, cheerleading, diving, and boating. As speculation spreads online, her family says they have stepped away from the internet while waiting for clarity in a case that has turned a family vacation into a tragedy.