FBI probes Florida teen’s death on cruise ship
Nicole Parker, a former special agent with the FBI, appeared on ‘Fox & Friends’ to shed light on the investigation into the tragic death of 16-year-old Anna Kepner, which took place aboard a Carnival cruise ship. She elaborated on the complexities the FBI faces when dealing with crimes that occur in international waters.
In the heart of Titusville, Florida, the community mourns the loss of Anna Kepner, a vibrant high school senior who passed away under mysterious circumstances during a Caribbean cruise on the Carnival Horizon in early November. Her death has sparked a federal inquiry and stirred deep emotions among those who knew her.
As the investigation unfolds, the FBI is meticulously examining ship records, while a growing array of legal documents and interviews reveal underlying tensions within Anna’s blended family. The ship docked as planned, allowing the FBI to assume leadership of the investigation, though no charges have been filed yet.
In a recent legal development, Anna’s stepmother, Shauntel Kepner, formerly known as Shauntel Hudson, requested a delay for a December court hearing with her ex-husband. Her attorney, Millicent Athanason, cited the ongoing FBI investigation into Anna’s death as the reason for the postponement. Anna was discovered deceased on the cruise ship on November 7.
Athanason informed a Brevard County judge on November 17, “The Respondent has been advised through discussions with FBI investigators and her attorneys that a criminal case may be initiated against one of the minor children involved in this matter.”
Christopher Kepner, visibly grieving, arrived at a memorial service for his daughter Anna at the Grove Church in Titusville, Florida, on Thursday, November 20, 2025. (Photo by Mark Sims for Fox News Digital)
Relatives say they have received few official answers since the ship docked. Anna’s birth mother, Heather Wright, told WESH 2 she learned of her daughter’s death through an online search. She has not responded to Fox News Digital’s attempts to reach her.
“I found out through Google. I ended up Googling it, because the only information I had was that my daughter was on a cruise,” she told the local outlet.
Similarly, Anna’s stepgrandfather, Christopher Donahue, 53, told Fox News Digital Wednesday that he too learned about her death through social media.
Anna Kepner’s family said she had dreams of joining the military. (Instagram/Anna Kepner)
“I don’t know why Anna was staying in a room with her stepbrother,” Donahue said. He said he learned about the arrangement from a news article.
“All I know is that she went on that boat, and she never came back,” he added. “You don’t go 0 to 100, but we weren’t on the boat. Everyone is heartbroken. There are questions. I don’t think we’ll ever know.”
The swirl of public claims around Anna’s death has revived long-simmering disputes. In a March 31, 2023, divorce petition filed in Brevard County and obtained by Fox News Digital, Anna’s former stepmother, Tabitha L. Kepner, alleges that Christopher Purcell Kepner, Anna’s father, had a “history of physical and mental abuse toward the minor children and toward the Petitioner,” and she sought sole parental responsibility for the children she shared with him and supervised time-sharing.
She was married to Christopher Kepner after he split with Anna’s mother and before he met his third wife, Shauntel.
Anna Kepner was identified by her family as the passenger who died onboard the Carnival Horizon. (Instagram/Anna Kepner)
In 2024, Michelle Johnson filed a small claims suit in Brevard County against Shauntel Hudson seeking the return of several firearms, including a 12-gauge shotgun and two rifles, which she alleged Hudson refused to hand back.
The filings include a series of emails in which Johnson accused Hudson of “manipulating and alienating” her children from their father, describing the situation as “a very sad and heartbreaking ordeal.”
“Prior [sic] to you, manipulating controlling and brainwashing them for the past month,” Johnson wrote to Hudson. “It’s devastating and upsetting. Please step back and look at what’s the best for these kids? They need their family…”
That case was later dismissed after Johnson missed a service of process deadline.
Anna Kepner, her father, stepmother and several siblings in a family photo. (Shauntel Kepner/Facebook)
Together, the records paint a portrait of a fractured family now thrust into the spotlight following Anna’s mysterious death aboard the six-day Carnival cruise.
Anna’s family and friends attended a service at The Grove Church in Titusville, Fla., on Thursday evening. One of the Kepners’ neighbors told Fox News Digital Thursday that their street has been quiet since Anna’s death. He described the Kepners as a friendly family.
Two vehicles, a Dodge truck and Chevy SUV, were parked in the Kepners’ driveway, but no one answered the door. Investigators have not disclosed a cause or manner of death, and prosecutors have not filed charges.
