Family Speaks Out As Cruise Death Officially Ruled...

Following weeks of investigating and ready for solutions, Anna Kepner’s current dying onboard Carnival Horizon is formally labeled as a murder.

The 18-year-old’s dying certificates, which was issued on Monday, November 24, 2025, and provided to ABC News by the household, lists the way of dying as “mechanical asphyxia.”

Simply days in the past, a supply near the investigation had shared that the Florida teen had died due to asphyxiation from a bar hold.

This aligns with the trigger on the formal dying certificates, which states that Kepner “was mechanically asphyxiated by different particular person(s).”

Moreover, the date of damage is now listed as November 6, 2025, with the time of dying unknown.

Beforehand, the Miami-Dade County Medical Examiner had listed the time of death as 11:17 a.m. on Friday, November 7, 2025. This can possible now be revised, if it hasn’t been already.

Kepner’s physique was discovered on November 7, hidden beneath a mattress in her cruise cabin, lined with a sheet and life jackets.

When the Carnival ship arrived in PortMiami, FBI brokers have been ready to start their investigation.

Even now, that is nonetheless a creating scenario. Further parts just like the post-mortem and toxicology experiences haven’t but been launched.

No Arrests Have Been Made

Though Kepner’s dying has formally been dominated a murder, her killer has not but been arrested.

As of the time of this publication, no prices have been filed.

That stated, courtroom filings present that authorities have been taking a look at Kepner’s 16-year-old step-brother as a doable suspect, who was sharing a cruise cabin with the deceased.

Kepner’s stepmom, Shauntel Hudson, had requested to delay custody proceedings along with her ex-husband as a result of “a legal case could also be initiated” in opposition to considered one of her kids.

No less than within the public eye, suspicion across the step-sibling has elevated in response to safety footage.

Though the footage has not been publicly launched, it supposedly exhibits that the step-brother entered the cruise cabin shortly after Kepner was final seen alive and didn’t emerge once more that night time.

In the meantime, Kepner’s different sibling was captured coming into the room briefly, and venturing again out to discover the ship and take photos.

Kepner’s Grandparents Communicate Out

The step-sibling has obtained fairly a little bit of backlash from the media and public, and understandably so.

Nonetheless, Kepner’s grandparents, who have been additionally on the cruise, could have a unique perspective.

In an exclusive interview with ABC News, Jeffrey and Barbara Kepner painted the image of a blended, however tight-knit household.

Barbara stated that Anna and her step-brother have been shut and obtained alongside nicely, describing the duo as having been “two peas in a pod.”

The grandparents stated that the step-siblings volunteered to remain in the identical cabin collectively, however knew that they’d the choice to stick with the remainder of the household if any disagreements occurred.

“The 2 youthful ladies stayed with the dad and mom after which the three youngsters, they determined amongst themselves they needed to remain within the room collectively,” Barbara stated.

“However we had a bigger room and we made it very clear that at any time in the event that they weren’t getting alongside, they didn’t wish to be collectively, we had an additional mattress in our room that they may come to,” the grandmother continued.

Per the grandparents, the step-brother was devastated upon studying concerning the cheerleader’s dying.

“He was an emotional mess. He couldn’t even communicate. He couldn’t consider what had occurred,” Barbara recounted.

She went on to clarify that the step-brother was so distraught that he needed to be hospitalized for psychiatric statement after the Carnival ship returned to Miami.

He has since been launched to the care of one other relative at an undisclosed location.

For now, the investigation continues. The household and onlookers alike should proceed to attend for concrete solutions about what actually occurred to poor Anna Kepner.