The tragic death of 18-year-old Anna Kepner, who passed away on a Carnival cruise ship earlier this month, has led to her being cremated, as confirmed by a death certificate obtained by Fox News.

While the publicly accessible document does not specify the cause or manner of her death, these details are included in the version given to her immediate family, in accordance with Florida law. The Miami-Dade Medical Examiner’s Office has refrained from commenting, citing the ongoing nature of the investigation.

The FBI’s Miami division is currently investigating Kepner’s death. In a conversation with ABC News, her family disclosed that it has been determined to be a homicide caused by mechanical asphyxiation.

Anna Kepner was identified as the passenger who tragically died on board the Carnival Horizon, as confirmed by her family. (Instagram/Anna Kepner)

Dr. Priya Banerjee, a board-certified forensic pathologist, clarified that “mechanical asphyxia” implies an external force prevented her from breathing, restricting the expansion of her chest or abdomen.

Read the document:

The FBI did not immediately respond to a request for comment and has said little after announcing its investigation two weeks ago.

Kepner’s official time of death is listed as 11:17 a.m. on Nov. 7, a day before the Carnival Horizon cruise liner returned to port in Miami.

North Brevard Funeral Home in Titusville, Florida, Tuesday, November 25, 2025. (Mark Sims for Fox News Digital)

Anna Kepner, her father, stepmother and several siblings in a family photo. (Shauntel Kepner/Facebook)

Family members have said she was found under her bed, wrapped in a blanket and covered in life jackets in a cabin she shared with her stepbrother.

There have been no publicly announced criminal charges in the case, and the FBI has not identified anyone as a suspect.

Anna Kepner’s family said she had dreams of joining the military. (Instagram/Anna Kepner)

However, according to court documents from a bitter custody battle between the stepbrother’s parents, the 16-year-old is an apparent subject of the FBI’s investigation.