Anna Kepner’s 16-year-old stepbrother has been charged with murder and aggravated sexual abuse in connection with her death aboard a Carnival Cruise ship in November last year.
What we know about the case
Anna Kepner was traveling with her family on the Carnival Horizon in November when her body was discovered on November 6, concealed under a bed in a cabin she shared with two other teens, including her younger stepbrother. The ship was nearing the end of its voyage and was scheduled to return to Florida.
An autopsy determined the cause of death to be mechanical asphyxia, a condition in which breathing is obstructed by external force or pressure.
“Our hearts go out to the victim’s family during this unimaginable loss,” U.S. Attorney Jason Reding Quiñones said in a written statement. “A federal grand jury has returned an indictment charging serious offenses that allegedly occurred aboard a vessel in international waters.”
The boy was initially charged as a juvenile on February 2, and the case remained sealed. It was later unsealed after US District Judge Beth Bloom ruled that he would be prosecuted as an adult at the request of federal prosecutors. Court records indicate that the defense did not object. If convicted, he could face a maximum sentence of life in prison.
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Who was Anna Kepner?
Anna Kepner was an 18-year-old from Titusville, Florida, and a high school senior expected to graduate in 2026.
A fan of the Georgia Bulldogs, she hoped to become a cheerleader at the University of Georgia.
Anna also planned to join the US Navy and later work as a K9 police officer, according to her obituary.
“She had just finished taking the test to join the military,” her family told ABC News. “She was already talking to recruiters and had chosen her career path. She wanted to do something that would help her community.”
Her obituary described her as “pure energy,” “bubbly, funny, outgoing, and completely herself.”
“She never had a filter, and that was part of her charm,” the description continued. “Whether she was practicing new makeup looks (even if she had nowhere to go), making TikToks in front of the mirror, or blasting a perfectly curated playlist on the boat. Anna lived every day with her whole heart. She loved the sun, the water, boat days, island days, and beach days, anything that let her soak in the light she so easily radiated to others.”
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Anna Kepner’s family
Anna was the daughter of Christopher “Chris” Kepner and Heather Wright. Her stepmother, Shauntel Hudson-Kepner, who is married to her father, was also on the cruise.
Siblings
She is survived by seven siblings: Andrew, Tim, Alex, Connor, Cody, Kylie, and Brooke.
“She loved her siblings deeply and made sure they always felt it whether it be taking them to the park, Halloween Horror Nights, or just out for fun, because that’s who she was: thoughtful, nurturing, and always thinking of others,” her obituary said.
(With inputs from AP)
