Cheerleader Found Dead on Carnival Cruise Ship Discovered Wrapped in Blanket Under Cabin Bed
- Victor Nwoko
- 8 hours ago
- 3 min read
Authorities are investigating the death of 18-year-old high school cheerleader Anna Kepner, whose body was discovered aboard the Carnival Horizon after she failed to appear for breakfast during a family vacation. Kepner, from Titusville, Florida, was traveling on a six-day Caribbean cruise when she was reported dead in international waters between Mexico and Florida.
According to multiple sources familiar with the case, Anna began feeling unwell during dinner on the evening of November 6 and returned to her cabin. The next morning, when her father Christopher Kepner, 41, and stepmother Shauntel Hudson, 36, gathered the family for breakfast, Anna was nowhere to be found. Family members searched the $800 million Panama-registered ship before a cabin steward discovered her body around 11 a.m. on November 7.
Two individuals with direct knowledge of the discovery said Anna was found wrapped in a blanket, covered with life jackets, and placed under a bed in the cabin. Her father did not respond to questions regarding the grim details, and federal authorities have not commented on the circumstances surrounding her death.
Christopher has said that investigators have shared few details with the family. “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 said. He added that he remains in the dark: “I have no idea what is going on right now. We are just trying to sit still and wait for answers.”
The Miami-Dade County Medical Examiner recorded her time of death as 11:17 a.m. on November 7 but did not specify the cause or location of death. Because the Carnival Horizon was between Cozumel and Miami at the time, the case falls under FBI jurisdiction.
The lack of information has fueled speculation across TikTok, Reddit, and other platforms. Christopher said the family has had to shut out online chatter and media coverage. “We are very private people. Our lives have been turned upside down.”
Anna, affectionately known as “Anna Banana,” was a gymnast and varsity cheerleader preparing to graduate in May. She had aspirations to join the military and later become a canine officer with the Titusville Police Department. Friends and classmates at Temple Christian School have filled her parked Kia Forte with flowers and tributes, remembering her as a “bright, kind-hearted young woman.”
She lived with her father, stepmother Tabitha Kepner, 33, and her younger siblings. Tabitha said she is “still waiting for answers” and cannot comment further. Christopher, recently remarried, described his daughter as selfless, ambitious, and beloved. “She was special to so many people. The whole family is lost for words. We miss her and love her more than anything,” he said.
Anna’s social media showed her enthusiasm for travel, including a previous cruise on the same ship just months earlier. In one video posted onboard, she wrote, “I wanna go back.”
The Carnival Horizon had recently visited Jamaica to deliver hurricane aid and made tourism stops at Grand Cayman and Cozumel. When the ship returned to Miami on November 8, passengers were reportedly instructed to vacate their cabins earlier than usual.
Carnival stated that its focus is on supporting the family and cooperating with investigators. The FBI said no further information is being released at this time.
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