Anna Kepner, an 18-year-old Florida resident, was cremated following her death on the Carnival Horizon cruise ship. A copy of her death certificate, obtained by Fox News, confirms her passing, although specific details remain sealed due to an ongoing FBI homicide investigation.
The family previously disclosed that her death was ruled a homicide caused by mechanical asphyxiation. The FBI is reportedly investigating the 16-year-old stepbrother, who had been involved in a custody dispute, as a possible suspect in the case. The Miami-Dade Medical Examiner’s Office has declined to comment, citing the ongoing investigation.
Anna Kepner’s official time of death is listed as 11:15 a.m. on November 7, a day before the Carnival Horizon cruise liner returned to port in Miami.
Family members have stated that she was found under her bed, wrapped in a blanket and covered in life jackets in a cabin she shared with her stepbrother. There have been no publicly announced criminal charges in the case, and the FBI has not identified anyone as a suspect.
However, court documents from a bitter custody battle between the stepbrother’s parents reveal the 16-year-old is an apparent subject of the FBI’s investigation. The FBI did not immediately respond to a request for comment, and has said little after announcing its investigation two weeks ago.