BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. (Court TV) — New court filings are shedding light on the investigation into a teen’s death on a Carnival cruise ship.
18-year-old Anna Kepner was reported dead earlier this month while aboard the Carnival Horizon cruise ship. The cheerleader from Titusville, Florida, was vacationing with her father, stepmother and three stepsiblings when she died, reported CBS News. Law enforcement told the outlet that a housekeeper found her body under the bed in her room.
A court document filed by Kepner’s stepmother on Monday details that the FBI is investigating Kepner’s death and that one of her minor children may face criminal charges.
The document, filed by Shauntel Hudson in a custody case, states:
“The Respondent has been advised through discussions with FBI investigators and
her attorneys, that a criminal case may be initiated against one of the minor children of this instant
action.”
The document further states, “Any testimony the Respondent may give, either written or oral, could be prejudicial to her or her adolescent child in this pending criminal investigation, therefore the Respondent cannot be compelled to testify.”
Another document, filed by Hudson’s ex-husband in response to her motion, states, “The sixteen year old child is now a suspect in the death of the step child during the cruise.”
Details around Kepner’s death have not been released by authorities. Following news of her death, Carnival released a statement that read, in part, “Our focus remains on supporting the family of our guest and cooperating with the FBI.”
FILE – Carnival Cruise Line’s Carnival Horizon cruise ship is shown docked at PortMiami, Friday, April 9, 2021, in Miami. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee,File)