Anna Kepner’s Stepsibling May Face Charges After 18-Year-Old Found Dead Under Bed on Carnival Cruise

Authorities may pursue criminal charges against a minor whose stepsister, 18-year-old Anna Kepner, was found dead aboard a cruise ship on Nov. 8.

Kepner’s body was discovered under a bed on the Carnival Horizon, investigators previously told CBS News. The case is being handled by the FBI because the incident occurred in international waters. As of Wednesday, Nov. 19, no criminal charges had been filed.

According to court filings in a separate legal matter, Kepner’s stepmother now says that one of her three children — Anna’s stepsiblings — may be the focus of potential criminal charges, Florida Today, FOX 35 and CBS News reported.

The statement came from the attorney for Shauntel Hudson, Kepner’s stepmother, in an emergency motion filed in divorce court on Monday, Nov. 17. The filing explained why Hudson might not be able to testify at an upcoming hearing, the outlets reported.

“An extremely sensitive and severe circumstance has arisen wherein the Respondent/Mother will not be able to testify at the hearing at this time,” the filing states, as reported by CBS News.

“[Hudson] 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 motion continues, according to Florida Today.

In the filing, Hudson said she could not testify in the upcoming hearing because of Kepner’s death and invoked her Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination, FOX 35 reported.

No additional information has been released about the potential charges or whether they are directly connected to Kepner’s death.

Kepner was on the cruise with her father, Hudson and her three stepsiblings, CBS News reported. The night before she was reported missing, she told her family she wasn’t feeling well and went back to her stateroom, according to the outlet.

Loved ones have described her as someone who could brighten any space she entered.

“If you were sad, she’d make you laugh. She would joke around and be the funniest little person in school,” her family previously told CBS News.

The cause and manner of Kepner’s death have not yet been determined, FOX 35 reported.

Kepner’s father and Hudson finalized their divorce in 2023 and were following a court-ordered parenting plan for their children, Florida Today reported.

The investigation remains ongoing.