A major development has emerged in the investigation into the death of Anna Kepner, the Florida teenager who was found dead aboard a Carnival cruise ship last year. According to ABC News, Anna’s 16-year-old stepbrother has been arrested and charged in connection with her death.
The arrest was confirmed by Chris Kepner, Anna’s father and the suspect’s stepfather. Kepner told ABC News that the teen has since been released into the custody of a guardian. The suspect appeared in court Friday at the James Lawrence King Federal Justice Center in Miami, but few additional details were made public.
Because the accused is being charged as a juvenile, the case is largely sealed. A judge ordered all court records closed, meaning the exact charges and allegations have not been publicly released. Authorities have not provided further explanation of what evidence led to the arrest or what role the teen is believed to have played.
Anna Kepner, who was 18 at the time of her death, was discovered on November 8 aboard the cruise ship. Officials said she was found around 11 a.m. by a room steward cleaning a cabin. Her body was reportedly hidden under a bed, prompting an immediate response that led the ship to detour and return to Port Miami.
Investigators later determined that Anna had died the day before, on November 7, while the ship was near Cuba on the island’s northwest coast. The Miami-Dade County Medical Examiner ruled her death a homicide, stating the cause was mechanical asphyxia, meaning she was suffocated through physical force. Officials have said this type of asphyxia is consistent with someone being placed in a chokehold.
Friends bring bundles of balloons and flowers to place on the car of Anna Kepner, an 18-year-old Temple Christian School student who died aboard the Carnival Horizon cruise ship. The cause of death was not immediately known, and the case is under investigation by the FBI.
The stepbrother had previously been publicly named as a suspect. In December, Brevard Judge Michelle Studstillreferenced him during a custody hearing involving his father, Thomas Hudson, who was seeking emergency custody of his 9-year-old daughter. At that time, the court acknowledged that the teen was under suspicion in Anna’s death, though no charges had yet been announced.
Following Friday’s court appearance, ABC News released a detailed statement from Chris Kepner and his wife Shauntel Kepner, who is both the suspect’s mother and Anna’s stepmother. In the emotional statement, the couple expressed appreciation for the FBI and Department of Justice, praising the agencies for what they described as a professional and thorough investigation.
They also spoke candidly about the grief of losing their daughter. The couple described Anna’s death as violent and senseless, saying the loss has permanently changed their family. They emphasized their belief in accountability and said Anna deserves justice through a full legal process.
However, they also voiced frustration that the person charged is currently not behind bars. They said it was “deeply painful and disturbing” to see the accused walking freely while their family continues to suffer. That reality, they wrote, has added anger and outrage to their grief.
The Kepners explained that they had been advised by the FBI to remain quiet during the investigation, but said they could no longer stay silent as the case continues to unfold. They promised to keep speaking out in honor of Anna’s life and to ensure her death is not forgotten.
The case remains ongoing, with more details expected as the legal process continues.
