In a twist that investigators are calling “deeply abnormal and deeply disturbing,” newly pulled digital logs from the Carnival Horizon reveal that the air-conditioning in Anna Kepner’s cabin was manually set to 14°C — a freezing, medically dangerous temperature — exactly seven minutes before the 18-year-old cheerleader was discovered dead under the bed.
And the precision of that adjustment is sending shockwaves through the case.
A detail no one expected — and no one can explain
According to internal ship data obtained by federal agents, someone inside Cabin 7142 accessed the thermostat panel at 2:43 a.m., lowering the temperature from a normal 22°C down to a frigid 14°C.
Seven minutes later, Anna’s body was found.
Investigators say this temperature shift is not random, not accidental, and not consistent with typical passenger behavior.
One FBI analyst reportedly told colleagues:
“This was deliberate. Someone needed the cabin cold — very cold — and they needed it quickly.”
Why lower the temperature? A chilling possibility
Experts consulted by the investigation say that abruptly dropping a room to 14°C could:
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slow rigor mortis,
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alter lividity patterns,
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confuse time-of-death estimates, and
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mask odors or bodily changes.
In other words:
it could be used to manipulate a crime scene.
A former federal forensic consultant called the timing “a red flag so bright you can see it from space.”
Who touched the thermostat? FBI says the answer is ‘not simple’
Contrary to public speculation, the AC control in Anna’s cabin was electronic, not manual — meaning it logged:
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the time,
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the access method,
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and which keycard was active in the room.
But here’s the unsettling part:
Investigators say the data doesn’t match the person who was “supposedly” in the cabin at that time.
Was the keycard cloned?
Was someone hiding inside?
Or did the digital trail get tampered with?
Authorities aren’t saying — but the silence is deafening.
The stepbrother question resurfaces
Insiders confirm that the new AC discovery has pushed 16-year-old Matthew Kepner, Anna’s stepbrother, back into sharp focus.
He has not been charged, but agents are “reassessing the entire timeline,” including:
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his movements across the ship,
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his access to shared cabins,
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and his behavior in the hours before Anna vanished beneath the bed.
One investigator said:
“The AC log contradicts several statements. That alone is enough to reopen angles we previously set aside.”
A timeline now under microscopic scrutiny
The updated FBI timeline shows:
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2:36 a.m. — last known movement near Anna’s cabin.
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2:43 a.m. — AC drops to 14°C.
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2:50 a.m. — Anna is discovered.
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2:55 a.m. — first medical response.
Seven minutes.
One adjustment.
A room turned arctic.
And a young woman found hidden beneath a bed.
A detail that may rewrite the entire investigation
For weeks, investigators focused on the physical struggle that led to Anna’s death. But now, the AC shift suggests someone took calculated steps after the fact, hinting at:
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staging,
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panic,
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or a deliberate attempt to mislead.
A federal source said bluntly:
“Whatever happened in that cabin didn’t end when she died. Someone tried to control what came next.”
Where the case goes from here
Forensic cyber-techs are now analyzing:
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the thermostat’s internal chip,
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access logs,
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cabin sensor data,
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and temperature fluctuation patterns.
They say a single overlooked detail could expose the person who tampered with the environment in Anna Kepner’s final moments.
But for now, the only certainty is this:
Someone made that room ice-cold — and they did it for a reason.