Anna Kepner’s stepbrother appears in court months after Florida teen found dead on cruise ship
Updated: 4:25 PM EST Feb 6, 2026
The stepbrother of Anna Kepner appeared in federal court in Miami on Friday, according to News 6 South Florida.Anna Kepner, 18, was found dead under a bed aboard a cruise ship on Nov. 7. Her stepbrother – who is not being named because of his age – is 16 and was named a suspect in late November. News 6 says the criminal docket for the magistrate judge shows a sealed case was on his agenda and that case number remained sealed Friday afternoon, so any charges he may face have not been publicly released.Anna was a student at Temple Christian School in Titusville.TimelineNov. 7: Anna died at 11:17 a.m., according to the Miami-Dade Medical Examiner. She was on board the Carnival Horizon cruise ship with her father, stepmother, grandparents and siblings.Nov. 8: The cruise ship returned to PortMiami, where Carnival confirmed the FBI had begun investigating the death of a guest.Nov. 20: An attorney for the 16-year-old’s father said in a court hearing that Anna and her stepbrother were staying in the same room on the cruise ship.“We feel there are some circumstances regarding the 16-year-old and the mother’s judgment regarding that cruise that would affect, you know, obviously, her ability to care for the minor child, the 9-year-old,” attorney Eric Smith said.Later that night, family, friends and classmates gathered at the Grove Church in Titusville for a celebration of life for Anna.Nov. 24: The Medical Examiner’s Office for Miami-Dade told WESH 2 that the report for Kepner “… is currently part of an ongoing investigation or criminal proceeding and, therefore, cannot be released at this time. Once the investigation or proceeding has concluded, the records may become available …”Nov. 25: Attorneys for the 16-year-old’s father filed a subpoena asking for Anna’s father, Chris Kepner, to testify in the divorce and custody case involving his wife, Shauntel Hudson.
BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. —
The stepbrother of Anna Kepner appeared in federal court in Miami on Friday, according to News 6 South Florida.
Anna Kepner, 18, was found dead under a bed aboard a cruise ship on Nov. 7.
Her stepbrother – who is not being named because of his age – is 16 and was named a suspect in late November.
News 6 says the criminal docket for the magistrate judge shows a sealed case was on his agenda and that case number remained sealed Friday afternoon, so any charges he may face have not been publicly released.
Anna was a student at Temple Christian School in Titusville.
Timeline
Nov. 7: Anna died at 11:17 a.m., according to the Miami-Dade Medical Examiner. She was on board the Carnival Horizon cruise ship with her father, stepmother, grandparents and siblings.
Nov. 8: The cruise ship returned to PortMiami, where Carnival confirmed the FBI had begun investigating the death of a guest.
Nov. 20: An attorney for the 16-year-old’s father said in a court hearing that Anna and her stepbrother were staying in the same room on the cruise ship.
“We feel there are some circumstances regarding the 16-year-old and the mother’s judgment regarding that cruise that would affect, you know, obviously, her ability to care for the minor child, the 9-year-old,” attorney Eric Smith said.
Later that night, family, friends and classmates gathered at the Grove Church in Titusville for a celebration of life for Anna.
Nov. 24: The Medical Examiner’s Office for Miami-Dade told WESH 2 that the report for Kepner “… is currently part of an ongoing investigation or criminal proceeding and, therefore, cannot be released at this time. Once the investigation or proceeding has concluded, the records may become available …”
Nov. 25: Attorneys for the 16-year-old’s father filed a subpoena asking for Anna’s father, Chris Kepner, to testify in the divorce and custody case involving his wife, Shauntel Hudson.