What we know about Anna Kepner, the cheerleader who died on a cruise

Anna Kepner, an 18-year-old cheerleader from central Florida, was found dead on a Carnival cruise ship earlier this month.

Her stepbrother is was federally indicted on murder and sexual assault charges nearly 6 months after her death.

Here’s what we know about the case.

How did Kepner die?

Kepner died on Nov. 7 while on the Carnival Horizon cruise ship where she was vacationing with her family. The Miami-Dade Medical Examiner’s Office previously determined Kepner’s time of death was 11:17 a.m.

The medical examiner’s office has declined to provide details on the cause and manner of Kepner’s death. When asked Tuesday morning for an update, the office cited the ingoing criminal investigation as the reason records cannot be released publicly.

Kepner’s death was ruled a homicide caused by “mechanical asphyxia” at the hands of another person, according to a copy of the death certificate that was provided to ABC News by Kepner’s family.

A gag order filed Thursday in a separate case relating to the stepbrother’s mom’s prior divorce calls Kepner’s killing a “suspected murder.”

Has anyone been charged?

Kepner’s 16-year-old stepbrother was indicted on federal charges, including murder and aggravated sexual assault, on April 13, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida said. Court documents show the motion was initially filed Feb. 2 under seal, but the case was transferred to adult prosecution and unsealed April 10.

The news release announcing his arrest said that while the ship was in international waters en route to Miami, the stepbrother “allegedly sexually assaulted and intentionally killed Kepner.” The Miami-Dade Medical Examiner’s Office determined Kepner’s cause of death was “mechanical asphyxiation.”

The teen, who has so far only been identified in court records and the U.S. Attorney’s Office statement by his initials, T.H., had been looked at by authorities as a suspect since shortly after Kepner’s death. Court documents stemming from a case relating to his parents’ prior divorce revealed he was being investigated at the time.

The boy’s mom, Shauntel Hudson Kepner, revealed in a court appearance related to the divorce case that he was hospitalized shortly after the ship docked in Miami on Nov. 8, as was planned. It was not immediately clear why he was hospitalized.

Her lawyer said at the time that the boy was in counseling.

Since his release from the hospital, he was staying with a relative of his mother’s, according to court documents.

The relationship between Kepner and her stepbrother was not totally clear. Her father and his mother were married in December 2024.

Kepner and her stepbrother were sharing a room on the cruise, according to the boy’s father’s lawyer, who said that in court Thursday.

Who was on the cruise?

Court documents revealed that Kepner and her father, as well as at least one of her biological siblings, a brother, were on the cruise, along with Kepner’s stepmother, her son (the suspect), and another of her minor children.

ABC News reported that Kepner’s grandparents were also on the cruise.

Since the death took place in international waters, the FBI has been leading the investigation. The agency has not provided any updates.

Carnival has said it is cooperating with authorities in the investigation and that there is no further threat aboard the Carnival Horizon.

Who was Anna Kepner?

Kepner, a high school senior and cheerleader, was remembered in her obituary as a bubbly, outgoing and reliable teen who was always true to herself.

She dreamed of becoming a cheerleader for the University of Georgia and “loved her siblings deeply,” the obituary said.

Her funeral was held on Thursday, and her family asked attendees to wear bright colors versus black “in honor of Anna’s bright and beautiful soul,” the obituary said.

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