Tragic Discovery on Carnival Horizon
The body of an 18-year-old high school cheerleader was discovered wrapped in a blanket and concealed under a bed aboard a Carnival cruise ship, the Daily Mail can exclusively reveal. Anna Kepner, a vibrant teenager from Titusville, Florida, was on a six-day Caribbean holiday with her family when tragedy struck during the voyage.
Mysterious Circumstances Surrounding Death
According to sources who spoke anonymously to the Daily Mail, Anna complained of feeling unwell during dinner on November 6 and returned to her cabin alone. When her father Christopher Kepner, 41, and stepmother Shauntel Hudson, 36, gathered the family for breakfast the following morning, the popular teenager was nowhere to be found.
The family initiated a frantic search across the $800 million Panama-registered vessel, but it was ultimately a cabin maid who made the grim discovery. Around 11am on November 7, while entering the cabin to service it, the maid found Anna's body wrapped in a blanket, covered with life jackets and stuffed beneath a bed.
FBI Investigation and Family Anguish
When the Carnival Horizon docked at the Port of Miami on November 8, FBI agents immediately boarded the ship to begin their investigation. However, authorities have remained tight-lipped about the circumstances surrounding Anna's death, refusing to confirm whether she was murdered.
The case falls under FBI jurisdiction because the incident occurred in international waters between Mexico and Florida, beyond the reach of local law enforcement. The Carnival Horizon, a massive 133,500-gross ton megaship capable of accommodating 4,700 passengers, was travelling between Cozumel and Miami at the time.
Heartbroken father Christopher Kepner expressed his frustration in a previous interview, stating that investigators had shared virtually no details about his daughter's death. "We were there as a family. Everybody was questioned. Everybody came off that ship. I don't know who they are looking at or what their investigation is," he told the Daily Mail.
The Miami Dade County Medical Examiner listed Anna's time of death as 11:17am on November 7, though the report didn't specify where or how the tragedy occurred.
Social Media Speculation and Family Privacy
The lack of official information has sparked an avalanche of speculation on social media platforms including TikTok and Reddit, where users have circulated various theories about what might have happened to the young cheerleader.
Christopher, a crane operator, revealed that the family has been forced to withdraw from public life amid the intense scrutiny. "I've had to shut the world out. I don't watch the TV anymore. We've literally had to stop doing anything to do with the internet," he said. "We are very private people. Our lives have been turned upside down."
Remembering Anna 'Banana' Kepner
Anna, affectionately known by her nickname "Anna Banana" among friends and family, was due to graduate in May and had ambitious plans to join the military before pursuing a career with the Titusville Police Department.
Her father described her as a "bright, kind-hearted young woman" who was "full of life and loved by everyone in this community." He added: "She was special to so many people. The whole family is lost for words. We miss her and love her more than anything."
A gymnast and varsity cheerleader, Anna attended Temple Christian School in Titusville, where her Kia Forte remains parked outside, covered in flowers and tributes from devastated friends.
In a haunting coincidence, Anna had previously posted a TikTok video from the same ship six months earlier, dancing in a white dress with the caption: "I wanna go back."
Carnival Cruise Line issued a statement confirming their focus remains on "supporting the family of our guest and cooperating with the FBI," while the FBI has declined to release any further information at this time.
