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Anna Kepner Cremated After Death Aboard Carnival Horizon; FBI Investigating Alleged Homicide

Anna Kepner, 18, was cremated after dying aboard the Carnival Horizon in early November. The public death certificate omits cause and manner of death, which are provided only to immediate family under Florida law. Kepner's family says the death was ruled a homicide by mechanical asphyxiation and the FBI's Miami office is investigating. She was reportedly found under her bed in a cabin she shared with her 16-year-old stepbrother, who court records identify as an apparent subject in the probe.

10:24 PM, 11/25/2025Society
Anna Kepner Cremated After Death Aboard Carnival Horizon; FBI Investigating Alleged Homicide

A public copy of 18-year-old Anna Kepner's death certificate shows she was cremated after dying aboard the Carnival Horizon in early November. The version available to the public does not list cause or manner of death; under Florida law those details are provided only to immediate family members.

The Miami-Dade Medical Examiner's Office declined to comment, citing an ongoing investigation. The FBI's Miami field office is leading the inquiry; Kepner's family has said the death has been ruled a homicide by mechanical asphyxiation.

“Mechanical asphyxia just means there is something external to the body that hinders her breathing — her chest or belly can't expand,” explained Dr. Priya Banerjee, a board-certified forensic pathologist.

Official records list Kepner’s time of death as 11:17 a.m. on Nov. 7, one day before the Carnival Horizon returned to port in Miami. Family members have told investigators she was found under her bed in a cabin she shared with her 16-year-old stepbrother, wrapped in a blanket and covered with life jackets.

No criminal charges have been announced publicly and the FBI has not named a suspect. Court documents from a contentious custody dispute involving the stepbrother's parents identify the 16-year-old as an apparent subject in the investigation.

The investigation remains active and officials have released few details; authorities are asking anyone with information to come forward.

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