Chaos on Cruise: Family Demands Answers in Teen’s Death

Her family says they are desperate for answers, while passengers recall a chaotic night with very little information.

The FBI and medical examiner have not released any information about the cause of death.

Orlando, Florida – Friday marked three weeks since 18-year-old Anna Kepner of Titusville boarded a cruise ship and failed to return home.

Her family says they are still waiting for answers.

What We Know

Anna Kepner was found dead earlier this month while on a family cruise on the Carnival Horizon with her father, stepmother, and siblings. According to court documents, her 16-year-old stepbrother is considered a suspect in the case, and federal investigators are treating her death as a homicide.

A Brevard County judge ruled this week that the custody case involving Anna's stepmother and her ex-husband will remain open to the public—meaning Anna's father, Christopher Kepner, may be required to testify.

Family members say she previously told them Anna was living on the ship with her stepbrother.

The FBI is investigating her death, but no arrests have been made. Relatives and passengers on the ship say they are grappling with the uncertainty that has followed the November 7 incident.

The family is seeking justice

What they're saying

For Kepner's relatives, the holiday week is only adding to the loss.

Her aunt, Crystal Wright, described the shock of losing her niece and the despair of not knowing what will happen, saying, "It's a turmoil. We're just sitting here and waiting."

Wright said the family learned from separate custody documents that Kepner's 16-year-old half-brother is being considered a suspect in the FBI investigation, although no charges have been filed.

"We don't understand why, if the boy is a suspect, he hasn't been charged yet? What's going on there?" Wright added that she believes her niece tried to provide answers. "I know Anna fought. I know she fought for her life, so it's difficult. It's difficult."

Passengers Recall That Night on the Ship

Passengers on the Carnival Horizon on the night of Kepner's death say they too have very little information left.

Passenger Tina Altman said an emergency call came in around 11 a.m., prompting ship staff to the eighth floor, where cabin security later blocked off the area where Kepner was found. The ship docked in Miami the next day.

"There's still a lot that's unknown, and I don't think we'll know everything for a very long time," Altman said. As a regular cruiser and mother, she said the accident has devastated her. "I can't even imagine it. I have a 21-year-old daughter and a 19-year-old son, and my heart breaks for the entire family."

Altman said she hopes investigators find the answers the family needs. "They need closure," she said. "We don't know that."

The FBI has not named any suspects or made any arrests in connection with Kepner's death, despite separate custody filings.

The Miami-Dade Medical Examiner's Office has not released or confirmed any information about how he died.

Source

This story is based on information from a November 26, 2025, court filing and interviews with Anna Kepner's aunts, Crystal Wright and Tina Altman, who were on the Carnival Horizon the night of Kepner's death.