Anna Kepner, 18, was found dead aboard the Carnival Horizon on Nov. 7, 2025; the medical examiner ruled the cause of death asphyxiation. Federal agents, including the FBI, opened a homicide investigation when the ship docked in Miami. As of Jan. 21, 2026 — about 75 days later — no arrests or charges have been announced. Court filings indicate a 16-year-old who shared the cabin is under federal investigation and related custody proceedings remain pending.
75 Days After Anna Kepner's Death Aboard Carnival Horizon, No Arrests as FBI Continues Probe
Anna Kepner/InstagramAnna Kepner.
Eighteen-year-old Anna Kepner was found dead in her stateroom aboard the Carnival Horizon on Nov. 7, 2025. The medical examiner later ruled the cause of death asphyxiation, and federal authorities opened a homicide investigation when the ship docked in Miami two days later.
Investigation Status
As of Jan. 21, 2026 — roughly 75 days after the investigation began — no arrests have been made and no charges filed. Local police, federal investigators and prosecutors have released little public information about the status of the probe.
What Public Records Show
Most publicly available details come from court filings submitted by the family of a 16-year-old who shared the cabin with Kepner. According to those documents, Kepner returned to the stateroom on the night of Nov. 6, 2025, and was discovered "asphyxiated under the bed" shortly after 11 a.m. the following morning.
Anna Kepner/InstagramAnna Kepner.
In a separate filing, the father of the teen, Thomas Hudson, stated that his son is "currently under investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation for a federal crime." Court records and statements made at a Dec. 5, 2025 hearing indicate the teenager was treated as a suspect and, after being released from medical care following repatriation to the United States, was placed with a relative of the mother.
At the hearing, a private text from Hudson to Shauntel Kepner appeared in filings: "I kept my mouth shut when you told me that you can't jeopardize your marriage for helping [redacted] your son."
Officials' Response And Related Legal Matters
The FBI declined to comment both in December and when contacted again in January 2026. The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Florida and the Miami-Dade State Attorney's Office also did not respond to requests for comment.
Separately, a custody dispute between Shauntel Kepner and her ex-husband, Thomas Hudson, remains unresolved. Hudson is seeking custody of the couple's minor daughter; a scheduled hearing was delayed after attorneys on both sides were unable to complete their arguments within the allotted court time.
The investigation is ongoing. Authorities have not provided a timeline for when more information or potential charges might be announced.
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