The tragic passing of an 18-year-old cheerleader aboard a Carnival cruise ship has been officially classified as a homicide.
Anna Kepner, a teenager from Florida, passed away on November 7 during a family cruise through the Caribbean, accompanied by her father, stepmother, and two stepsiblings.
While the Carnival Horizon vessel was en route back to Miami, her body was discovered by the ship’s staff. ABC reported that she was found wrapped in a blanket and covered with life vests.
In a recent development, a copy of the death certificate, provided to ABC7 by Kepner’s family on Monday, indicates that her death resulted from “mechanical asphyxia.” The injury date is noted as November 6, though the exact time is not specified.
The certificate states that the young woman “was mechanically asphyxiated by other person(s).”
No additional autopsy or toxicology findings have been disclosed to the public, and further information from the Miami-Dade medical examiner or the FBI is still pending.
Anna’s remains were discovered under a bed by a housekeeper on the Carnival Horizon during the family’s cruise with her father, stepmother, stepsiblings, and grandparents.
The FBI is at the forefront of the investigation into her death, as it took place in international waters.
Though the FBI has chosen not to comment on the ongoing investigation conducted alongside local authorities, unrelated family court records obtained by CBS suggest that Kepner’s family believes her 16-year-old stepbrother is a suspect in the case.
Family court documents filed on Tuesday (November 18) in Brevard County, Florida, concerning custody issues from stepmother Shauntel Hudson’s previous marriage, revealed her request to halt proceedings due to notification that one of her children was involved in the investigation.
Hudson is reported to have been informed, through discussions with FBI investigators and her legal advisors, that a criminal case may be pursued against one of her minor children, according to the documents.
The records state that Hudson is currently unable to provide testimony due to the “extremely sensitive and severe circumstance” of Kepner’s sudden death.
The next day’s documentation identified the teenage son of Hudson, referred to by the initials ‘T.H.’, as the child under investigation in connection with the incident.
“There is an open investigation regarding [Kepner’s] death… and T.H. is a suspect regarding this death which occurred recently on a cruise ship,” as noted in a filing from stepmother Hudson.
The 16-year-old is residing with another family member to ensure the safety of his siblings while the investigation is ongoing. His biological father has offered to arrange legal representation for him.
At this time, no charges have been filed.