Anna Kepner update: Stepbrother of teen found dead on Carnival cruise ship appears in Federal Court
Prime suspect in teen's death, stepbrother of Anna Kepner, in Federal Court
The stepbrother of a Titusville teen girl who died on a Carnival cruise ship in November – who is being investigated as a suspect in her death – was in federal court in Miami on Feb. 6. Anna Kepner, 18, was found dead on a Carnival cruise ship on November, 7, 2025. This week marks three months since the Titusville teen left on a vacation with her family and never came home.
MIAMI, Fla. - The stepbrother of a Titusville teen girl who died on a Carnival cruise ship in November – who is being investigated as a suspect in her death – was in federal court in Miami, Friday.
A teen suspect in Anna Kepner's death was in federal adult court with his attorney in Miami on Feb. 6, 2026.
What we know:
Anna Kepner, 18, was found dead on a Carnival cruise ship on November, 7, 2025. This week marks three months since the Titusville teen left on a vacation with her family and never came home.
Kepner's stepbrother, 16, – with whom she shared a cabin with on the cruise ship – was seen leaving juvenile criminal court in Miami on Feb. 6 and walking into adult federal court.
The teen walked from juvenile court to federal court covered head to toe with a baseball cap covering his face.
Through text messages released in an unrelated court custody hearing, the boy's mom told her ex-husband, "He is a minor and has been kept completely out of it we have not said anything to anybody and we are going to try out best to keep it completely out he is a minor so his name shouldn’t be anywhere and when we talk to the fbi again we will reiterate that we do not want his name out there and everything that’s been posted on tiktok and social media nobody knows anything and everybody’s just speculating, we know what i told you last night and we’ll know exactly more when the autopsy is done."
Retired FBI agent Jennifer Coffindaffer said the family has been very careful to keep the teen out of the limelight.
"If indeed, he is going to be prosecuted as an adult, which that means he’s been elevated, you are no longer to see documents sealed," Coffindaffer said. "… Cover all you want, but at the end of the day, I think we’re going to see this go to trial. We’re going to see his face."
What they're saying:
Kepner's mother, Heather Wright, spoke with FOX 35 saying she's glad the case is finally moving forward – hoping she'll get some answers and justice for her daughter.
"Everyday I get on my phone, and first thing in the morning I will look at updates on Anna Kepner’s case," Wright told FOX 35's Esther Bower. "All I want is justice for my daughter."
How did Anna Kepner die?
Anna Kepner, the Florida teen who mysteriously died aboard the Carnival Horizon, died from asphyxiation – or being deprived of oxygen – according to new court documents filed in an unrelated child custody case between Kepner's stepmom and her ex-husband.
The documents also revealed that Kepner's body was found under one of the beds in the same room that Kepner and her step siblings apparently shared aboard the Carnival Horizon cruise ship.
Anna Kepner,18, died on a Carnival Horizon cruise on Nov. 7. The FBI is conducting an investigation into her death.
FBI investigates Anna Kepner's death
Kepner's 16-year-old stepbrother is being investigated by the FBI in connection to her death.
The FBI has not confirmed its investigation nor named anyone a suspect. FOX 35 and other outlets have reached out to the FBI several times regarding the case.
"The respondent has been advised through discussions with FBI investigators and her attorneys that a criminal case may be initiated against one of the minor children," an emergency motion filed in the unrelated custody case said.
The FBI has not revealed any details about a potential suspect or suspects connected to Kepner's death.
Other court documents said that the stepbrother was taken to the hospital shortly after the cruise ship arrived back at PortMiami on Saturday, Nov. 8, the day after Kepner's body was found.
A teen suspect in Anna Kepner's death was in federal adult court with his attorney in Miami on Feb. 6, 2026.
Anna shared a room with her stepbrother
Anna shared a cabin with two of her siblings, one of whom is her stepbrother, who is reportedly being investigated as a possible suspect in her death, court documents said.
When asked if the three kids got along, Hudson responded, "Yes, the three of them were three amigos. They were best friends."
Hudson-Kepner said a travel advisor told them to get two separate rooms for all the step siblings.
The room where Anna died was directly across the hall from where Hudson-Kepner and her husband – Anna's father, Chris – were staying. The sleeping arrangements included the grandparents having their own room, Hudson-Kepner and Chris Kepner in a room with the two youngest daughters and Anna staying in a separate room with her stepbrother and biological brother.
Hudson-Kepner said she does not think it was wrong for the step siblings to stay together.
Wright questioned why her daughter was in the same room with her stepbrother.
"What was going through your head when you didn’t go check on your daughter for 16 hours?" Wright said.
Local perspective:
Coffindaffer called today "a big day for justice."
"Look at how long it’s been since this young girl was found dead, deceased under a bed, under lifejackets, under blankets and its been months," Coffindaffer said.
Childhood photo of Anna Kepner provided by Heather Kepner.
‘He can’t remember anything'
Text messages between Anna Kepner's stepmother and the "suspect's" mom, Shauntel Hudson-Kepner and her ex-husband, Thomas Kepner, start on Nov. 8, around 7:30 p.m., with Hudson-Kepner saying, "I need you to call me asap. It’s an emergency."
The son took medication for ADHD and insomnia, Hudson-Kepner said during the Dec. 5 court hearing. He had not taken the insomnia medication for two nights on the cruise, including the night before Anna's body was found, Hudson-Kepner confirmed before a judge in court.
In a Nov. 9 text exchange between Hudson-Kepner and Kepner around 10:20 a.m., Hudson-Kepner spoke about a short interaction she had with her son while he was in a facility.
"I was able to talk to him last night for under two minutes briefly. He just keeps repeating over and over he can’t remember anything," Hudson-Kepner said.
The Source: Information in this story was gathered from reporting by FOX 35's Esther Bower as well as previous reporting.