New court records reveal troubling details following the cruise death of 18-year-old Anna Kepner, whose body was found aboard a Carnival cruise ship last month. Text messages released as part of a family court case show relatives scrambling to control information and limit public exposure in the immediate aftermath of her death.
Anna Kepner was found dead Nov. 7 inside her cabin on the Carnival Horizon. The ship returned to Port Miami two days later, where federal authorities boarded and began investigating. Officials later determined she died from mechanical asphyxia, meaning she was deprived of oxygen. No suspect has been publicly named.
Messages exchanged within roughly a day of the discovery show discussions centered on limiting social media posts and keeping the name of Anna’s 16-year-old stepbrother out of the public eye. Court records note the teen is being investigated but has not been charged. The messages repeatedly emphasize that the minor claimed he did not remember events surrounding the cruise death.
In one exchange, Anna’s stepmother, Shauntel Kepner, described a brief phone call with the teen while he was in a medical facility, stating he said he “could not remember anything.” Other messages reflected concern about online speculation and media coverage.
During a Dec. 5 court hearing, Shauntel’s attorney said the teen’s father agreed to have him live with a relative after his release to reduce any risk to other children. Records also show the teen had not taken insomnia medication for two nights before Anna was found under a bed in a shared cabin.
Former sheriff’s detective Jamie Copenhaver reviewed the texts and described them as resembling “damage control,” raising questions about the family’s focus following the cruise death. The FBI investigation remains ongoing.
