Federal authorities are investigating the death of 18‑year‑old Anna Kepner, who was found on the Carnival Horizon on Nov. 7. The Miami‑Dade Medical Examiner listed her time of death as 11:17 a.m.; cause and manner remain pending. Court filings say the FBI told Kepner's stepmother that one of her children is under investigation, and a subsequent filing names a teen by the initials T.H. as a person of interest. Investigators are reviewing ship surveillance and other evidence as the probe continues.
Stepbrother Identified as Person of Interest After 18‑Year‑Old Found Dead on Carnival Horizon, Court Filings Say
Federal authorities are investigating the death of 18‑year‑old Anna Kepner, who was found on the Carnival Horizon on Nov. 7. The Miami‑Dade Medical Examiner listed her time of death as 11:17 a.m.; cause and manner remain pending. Court filings say the FBI told Kepner's stepmother that one of her children is under investigation, and a subsequent filing names a teen by the initials T.H. as a person of interest. Investigators are reviewing ship surveillance and other evidence as the probe continues.
01:59 AM, 11/20/2025Society
Anna Kepner, an 18‑year‑old high school senior, was found dead aboard the Carnival Horizon on Nov. 7 while vacationing with family, court documents and officials say. The Miami‑Dade Medical Examiner recorded her time of death as 11:17 a.m.; the cause and manner of death remain pending.
The FBI in Miami responded to the docked ship and is leading the investigation, with Carnival assisting authorities. Carnival released a statement saying it sees "no related threat to safety aboard" the Horizon as it continues its current voyage. An FBI Miami spokesperson said there are no public updates at this time.
What the court filings say
In a filing in Brevard County linked to litigation over the stepmother's prior marriage, Shauntel Hudson asked the court to postpone her testimony after being told by FBI investigators that one of her children is being examined in connection with Kepner's sudden death. The filing says the FBI is "looking into Hudson's child arising out of the sudden death" of Kepner and that Hudson "has been advised... that a criminal case may be initiated against one of the minor children of this instant action."
A separate court document filed the following day identifies Hudson's teenage son by the initials T.H. and lists him as a person of interest in the investigation. That filing says T.H. is currently staying with a relative to protect the safety of his younger sister and Kepner's other sibling. It also notes that the boy's biological father was pursuing legal counsel on his behalf, though it was unclear whether counsel had been retained.
The filings describe an "extremely sensitive and severe circumstance" that prevents Hudson from testifying at this time.
Investigation details
Investigators are expected to review the ship's surveillance footage and other onboard records to build a timeline and identify potential evidence, a former Miami police chief said. Requests for comment from Hudson's lawyer and from Carnival had not been immediately answered.
Kepner was remembered by family in her obituary as bubbly, outgoing and dependable. She loved her siblings and hoped to cheer for the University of Georgia. Her funeral is scheduled for this week, according to court filings.