Family posts and a Feb. 20 emergency court filing indicate a 16-year-old stepbrother has been charged with homicide in the Nov. 7 death of 18-year-old Anna Kepner aboard the Carnival Horizon. The filing says the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Southern District of Florida lodged charges on Feb. 3, and the matter is currently sealed and assigned to a Miami federal judge. The teen appeared at a Feb. 6 federal hearing, but because the indictment is under seal the courtroom was closed to media and details remain limited. Federal agencies and Carnival Cruise Line have not made detailed public disclosures as the investigation and related custody litigation continue.
Key takeaways
- Victim: Anna Kepner, 18, was found dead aboard the Carnival Horizon on Nov. 7, 2025; the ship returned to Miami on Nov. 8, 2025.
- Accused: A 16-year-old stepbrother is a subject of a federal case described in court filings; his name is not public because he is a minor.
- Court filings: An emergency filing dated Feb. 20 reports that the U.S. Attorney charged the teen on Feb. 3, 2026; the filing is linked to a separate custody dispute.
- Sealed case: The federal case is under seal and being overseen in Miami federal court by Judge Beth Bloom, and the Feb. 6 hearing was closed to media.
- Investigation: The FBI and the U.S. Attorney’s Office have not issued operational updates; law enforcement sources previously told media investigators are examining possible strangulation and alcohol use.
- Cruise line: Carnival Cruise Line says it is cooperating with federal authorities; the FBI has jurisdiction because the victim was a U.S. citizen and the death occurred in international waters.
Background
The incident has drawn national attention because it involves the death of an American teenager on a commercial cruise ship and an apparent federal criminal investigation. Deaths aboard vessels in international waters trigger federal jurisdiction when U.S. citizens are involved, which is why the FBI and the U.S. Attorney’s Office are participating. Public detail has been limited from investigators; what is available comes from court filings, family social media posts and prior media reporting.
The matter is complicated by a parallel custody dispute between the youth’s parents, which produced the emergency filing that disclosed the charge. That filing was submitted by attorneys for Thomas Hudson and references social-media posts from the Kepner family. The mix of private family litigation, sealed federal proceedings and a high-profile criminal inquiry has produced fragmentary public records and raised questions about how the case will proceed.
Main event
According to family members and earlier reporting, Anna Kepner spent the evening before her death complaining of not feeling well and returned to her stateroom. On Nov. 7, a housekeeper found her body under the bed in the stateroom; the Carnival Horizon then returned to Miami on Nov. 8. Those timing details are reflected in multiple filings and in statements from relatives shared with reporters.
Law enforcement sources previously told reporters the FBI was investigating the teen stepbrother for possible involvement. Investigators have said they are exploring whether Kepner was strangled during an altercation and whether alcohol was a factor. Because an active federal grand jury and sealed indictment are involved, investigators and prosecutors have made little public disclosure.
The emergency filing dated Feb. 20, 2026 — part of the custody litigation — says that, per family social media, the U.S. Attorney in the Southern District of Florida charged the youth on Feb. 3. The filing quoted court paperwork that redacted parts of the charge and identified the youth only by initials. The minor appeared before a Miami federal judge on Feb. 6; because the case remains sealed media were not allowed in the courtroom.
Analysis & implications
Sealed federal cases involving juveniles are common because federal law includes heightened confidentiality and protective measures for minors. Prosecutors often pursue sealed indictments when investigative steps remain active or when disclosure could jeopardize witnesses or methods. The presence of a sealed federal matter does not itself indicate whether prosecutors will seek to try a defendant as a juvenile or transfer the case to adult court.
If prosecutors later elect to charge the teen as an adult, portions of the indictment and associated filings could be unsealed, leading to more public records and open hearings. A decision on whether to prosecute in juvenile or adult court weighs factors such as the defendant’s age, the nature of the alleged offense, prior record and the perceived need for public safety and deterrence.
Beyond legal technicalities, the case raises operational and reputational issues for cruise operators. Large passenger vessels must coordinate with federal authorities when deaths occur at sea; carriers typically cooperate with investigations while seeking to protect guest privacy and safety. Pending the outcome of the federal probe, litigation risk for family members and the company could persist.
Comparison & data
| Date / Event | Detail |
|---|---|
| Nov. 7, 2025 | Anna Kepner found dead aboard Carnival Horizon; housekeeper discovered body under bed. |
| Nov. 8, 2025 | Ship returned to Miami. |
| Feb. 3, 2026 | Filing reports U.S. Attorney charged the teen (date listed in family social media and emergency filing). |
| Feb. 6, 2026 | Sealed federal hearing in Miami; media excluded. |
| Feb. 20, 2026 | Emergency filing in custody dispute references the Feb. 3 charge and family social posts. |
The timeline above compiles dates from court filings, family posts and reporting. It reflects what is documented publicly; because the federal docket is under seal, prosecutors’ charging instruments and investigative exhibits are not available for independent review at this time.
Reactions & quotes
Legal experts explain why details are tightly held while a federal investigation proceeds. Before the filing became public, a former Palm Beach state attorney explained the routine use of seals in juvenile federal matters and the possibility of unsealing if adult charges follow.
“If it’s a juvenile you won’t know until he’s charged as an adult.”
Dave Aronberg, former Palm Beach state attorney (commenting to reporters)
The custody-related emergency filing quoted family social media to report the existence of a federal charging date and redacted homicide counts. That filing is the immediate public source for the assertion that federal charges were lodged on Feb. 3.
“According to social media from the Kepner family, on February 3, 2026, the Petitioner/Father’s son, TH, was charged by the United States Attorney in the Southern District of Florida for the [redacted] and homicide of Anna Kepner.”
Emergency court filing in family custody litigation (Feb. 20, 2026)
Family members and court filings have included statements that an investigation remains open and that the teen is a suspect; the FBI and U.S. Attorney’s Office have declined to provide operational updates. Carnival said it is cooperating with federal authorities while the probe continues.
“There is an open investigation regarding [Kepner]… and T.H. [a stepbrother] is a suspect regarding this death which occurred recently on a cruise ship.”
Shauntel Hudson, court filing (Nov. 18, 2025)
Unconfirmed
- The precise statutory counts and full language of the Feb. 3 federal charges remain sealed and have not been publicly confirmed.
- Allegations that Kepner was strangled and that alcohol played a role are based on law-enforcement sources and have not been established in a public prosecutorial filing.
- Variations in surnames and references across filings and family posts create inconsistencies in how family members are identified in public records.
Bottom line
The case centers on a sealed federal prosecution linked to the Nov. 7, 2025 death of 18-year-old Anna Kepner aboard the Carnival Horizon and an emergency Feb. 20 filing that cites a Feb. 3 charging date. Because the indictment and related proceedings are under seal, many key evidentiary and legal details remain inaccessible to the public.
How prosecutors proceed — whether pursuing juvenile adjudication or adult prosecution — will determine whether filings are later unsealed and when fuller information becomes available. In the near term, federal confidentiality rules and active investigative concerns will likely limit public disclosure, while legal and family disputes continue to play out in state and federal court.