A passenger on a Carnival cruise ship has revealed he unknowingly captured some of the last known footage of 18-year-old Anna Kepner alive, just days before she was found dead in her cabin in a case ruled a homicide.
The Fateful Sail Away Party Footage
Nicholas Giddens recorded a video on the pool deck of the Carnival Horizon on November 2, the day the ship departed Miami. He posted the clip to TikTok, showing passengers, including Kepner, participating in a synchronised dance to the Cupid Shuffle as part of the vessel's Sail Away Party.
Giddens told the Daily Mail he only realised Kepner was in his video after a commenter pointed it out following national news coverage of her death. Kepner was identifiable wearing a white top and black shorts. "I thought it was a joke at first. So, I went back and looked at it and sure enough, I saw her grandma first, and then I saw right across from her grandma was Anna. She was right there," Giddens said.
He later reposted the same video on December 4 with an on-screen caption memorialising Kepner, which has since garnered over 875,000 views on TikTok.
A Tragic Discovery at Sea
Anna Kepner, a former high school cheerleader from Central Florida, was on the six-day voyage with her father, stepmother, brother, stepbrother, other stepsiblings, and grandparents. The itinerary included stops in Jamaica, Grand Cayman, and Cozumel, Mexico.
On November 7, while the ship was in international waters between Mexico and Florida, Kepner's body was discovered in the cabin she shared with her 14-year-old brother and 16-year-old stepbrother. She was found wrapped in a blanket and covered with life vests underneath a bed.
Giddens recalled hearing a shipboard announcement that day about a medical emergency in a cabin, but assumed it involved an older passenger. "I didn't know it was Anna until after the cruise was over," he stated.
Her death certificate listed the cause as 'mechanical asphyxia', stating she 'was mechanically asphyxiated by other person(s)'. Her death was officially ruled a homicide. Kepner had been expected to graduate high school in May and join the US Navy.
Investigation Focuses on Teen Stepbrother
The Daily Mail first reported that Kepner's 16-year-old stepbrother was under investigation and was considered a 'suspect'. This status was later referenced in court documents filed in a custody case between the boy's divorced parents, Shauntel Hudson, 36, and Thomas Hudson, 37.
FBI investigators boarded the ship when it docked in Miami on November 8, interviewing the family and securing CCTV footage. More than a month later, authorities have not decided whether to proceed with a prosecution.
During a December 5 custody hearing, the boy's mother's lawyer, Millicent Athanason, provided an update. "We're not sure what the FBI is going to do – whether he'll be charged federally or if the case will be turned over to the state," Athanason told Brevard County Court. "They're also waiting on testing results. They don't know how long it's going to take."
The stepbrother, whose identity is protected as a minor not formally charged, is currently living with a relative in rural Florida. The Daily Mail photographed him on December 12 selling firewood at a roadside stand. When approached, he said, "I'd rather not talk," pulling his cap down to hide his face.
