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Court document reveals details in teen's Carnival cruise death investigation, report says

Richard Tribou, Orlando Sentinel on

Published in News & Features

A filing in Brevard County’s circuit court this week revealed more details into the FBI’s investigation into the death of an 18-year-old high school senior aboard a Carnival Cruise Line ship earlier this month, according to a report on WFTV.

The station obtained a motion filed in the 18th Judicial Circuit, which covers both Brevard and Seminole counties, by a lawyer representing the stepmother of the deceased student, Anna Kepner, who was set to graduate in 2026 from Titusville’s Temple Christian School.

Carnival had initially confirmed a passenger had died on board the Carnival Horizon that had returned to PortMiami on Nov. 10, and that the FBI was involved in its investigation.

The FBI has since not announced any further details including how Kepner died, but the family court motion states that one of Kepner’s minor stepsiblings could face criminal charges, according to WFTV.

The filing, which is a motion to postpone a custody hearing, confirmed an FBI investigation was underway into the “sudden death” of Kepner, and that Shauntel Hudson, who is Kepner’s stepmother, had been on the cruise with her, Anna’s father and Hudson’s minor children.

 

The filing stated “a criminal case may be initiated against one of the minor children.”

No charges have been announced, nor has the FBI stated whether or not Kepner’s death was considered a homicide.

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