Stepbrother Arrested and Charged After 18-Year-Old's Death Aboard Carnival Horizon

ABC News reported Feb. 6 that the stepbrother of 18-year-old Anna Kepner was arrested and charged this week, according to the victim’s father. The arrest marks the first public confirmation of criminal charges in a case that has drawn scrutiny from family courts and the FBI since Anna was found dead aboard the Carnival Horizon during a Caribbean cruise in November 2025.

People reported the Miami-Dade death certificate lists the cause as "mechanically asphyxiated by other person(s)" and classifies the death as a homicide. Accounts of how and when Anna was discovered vary. DailyMail reported she was pronounced dead at 11:17 a.m. on Nov. 7 while the ship was en route from Mexico to Florida, while ABC News Go earlier noted she was reported dead aboard the Carnival Horizon on Nov. 8. Both outlets and Fox News described the body as found under a bed in the family cabin, wrapped in a blanket and covered with life preservers or life jackets, though DailyMail attributed the discovery to a maid via unnamed sources; that detail has not been corroborated in other mainstream reports.

The investigation has moved through family court and federal channels. A Brevard County judge said on Dec. 5 that the 16-year-old is "now a suspect of the death of the stepchild during the cruise," a designation reported by People. FBI Miami has been identified as the lead investigative agency in court filings and news reports; ABC News Go cited a filing that the FBI is conducting an investigation "arising out of the sudden death of 18 year old Anna Kepner." Investigators have reviewed ship security camera footage and access-card swipe records to reconstruct movements on board, ABC reported.

Family and legal voices have framed the case as both criminal and traumatic. The Guardian quoted Jeffrey Kepner saying, "It’s all family – it’s a blended family, yes, but that’s not how our family." Anna’s grandmother, Barbara Kepner, described the 16-year-old as shaken and quoted him saying he "does not remember what happened." She added, "I believe, to him, that is his truth." Millicent Athanason, attorney for Anna’s stepmother, told court, "We're not sure what the FBI is going to do," and said, "Whether he's going to be charged federally or whether they're going to turn it over to the state." Athanason also told the court, "They're also waiting on some testing results. They've done a bunch of psychological testing and psychiatric testing, so they're also waiting to hear about that."

Reporting through December indicated the 16-year-old was temporarily hospitalized for psychiatric observation and later placed with a relative for safety reasons, according to Fox News and The Guardian. What remains outstanding for confirmation are the precise charges, the arresting agency and jurisdiction, official medical examiner records tied to the pronouncement time, and any arrest affidavit or charging document. ABC’s Feb. 6 update surfaced the arrest via the victim’s father, but public charging paperwork and announcements from the FBI or prosecutors were not included in the accounts reviewed.

For case-watchers and community members, the next authoritative steps will be the release of charging documents and the Miami-Dade medical examiner’s full findings. Verify arrest and charging records when they become available, and expect the maritime and custody threads to shape both legal strategy and family outcomes as the investigation moves into formal prosecution or juvenile proceedings.