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A recent court filing has provided new insights into the investigation surrounding the tragic death of a Florida teenager on a Carnival cruise ship.
WASHINGTON — An unexpected twist in an unrelated family court case hints that a minor could potentially face charges linked to the demise of 18-year-old Anna Kepner, who was found deceased on a Carnival cruise earlier this month.
This revelation, accessed by ABC News, CBS News, and other media outlets, emerges from an emergency motion filed in a divorce proceeding involving Kepner’s stepmother, Shauntel Hudson.
According to the motion, which sought a delay in a custody hearing, Hudson’s legal team stated that FBI investigators have informed her of the possibility of “a criminal case being initiated” against one of her minor children in connection with Kepner’s death, as reported by multiple news organizations.
Reports indicate that Kepner was traveling on the Carnival Horizon during a Caribbean cruise with her father, stepmother, and stepsiblings when she was reported missing.
As of Wednesday, no one has been charged in the case and there have been no arrests linked to the teen’s death. Few official details about her death have been released publicly, and her cause of death has not been disclosed by investigators.
Law enforcement sources told CBS News Kepner’s body was found by a housekeeper under the bed in her stateroom on the ship, which returned to Port Miami on Saturday, Nov. 8.
The Miami-Dade County medical examiner lists her time of death as Friday, Nov. 8 at 11:17 a.m.
Following news of her death, Carnival released a statement that said it was working with the FBI Miami office to investigate the incident and that, “Our focus is on supporting the family of our guest and cooperating with the FBI,” the company said in a statement.
Her family previously told ABC News that they wanted her to be remembered for her generosity and spirit. Temple Christian School in Titusville, Florida, also shared tributes to Kepner on its Facebook page.