Key Aspects:
- A cause of death has been revealed for Anna Kepner, the teenager who died onboard Carnival Horizon earlier this month.
- According to a source close to the investigation, Kepner died by asphyxiation resulting from a bar hold.
- Charges have not officially been filed, but authorities are currently looking at Kepner’s step-sibling as a possible suspect.
New details have emerged regarding the tragic death of Anna Kepner, who was found deceased in her cruise cabin onboard Carnival Horizon on November 8, 2025.
The 18-year-old’s body was discovered by a cabin steward, who found her wrapped in a sheet and hidden by life jackets – leading many to believe the teen’s untimely death was not due to natural causes.
According to a report from ABC News, a source involved in the investigation has now confirmed that the teen’s cause of death is asphyxiation from a bar hold.
For context, a bar hold is a gruesome act that involves choking a victim by putting an arm across the neck and applying pressure.
The source that spoke to ABC also confirmed that investigators found two related bruises on the side of Kepner’s neck.
Additionally, preliminary information indicates that Kepner was not sexually assaulted and that there did not appear to be drugs or alcohol in her system.
However, the investigation is ongoing and autopsy and toxicology reports to officially confirm this information are still in progress.
Piecing Together Kepner’s Final Hours
While investigators wait for the final medical reports, they aren’t just sitting idly.
Instead, authorities are working on putting together a timeline of Kepner’s final hours to help bring her attacker to justice.
For example, they were able to determine that Kepner’s time of death was 11:17 a.m. on Friday, November 7, 2025.
This process also involves thoroughly reviewing hours of cruise ship surveillance footage.
While the footage has not been officially released, the story so far seems to be that Kepner left dinner early the night before her body was found because she wasn’t feeling well.
The cheerleader was sharing her stateroom with her 16-year-old step-brother and another younger male sibling, both of whom were captured heading back to the cabin shortly after their sister.
But while the youngest sibling was captured leaving the room again and taking pictures around the ship that night, the 16-year-old step-brother did not re-emerge.
The alarm wasn’t sounded until the following morning when Kepner didn’t show up for breakfast, which led to the discovery of her body.
So far, the Florida teen’s 16-year-old stepbrother has been identified as a possible suspect.
Earlier this week, court filings surfaced that showed that Kepner’s stepmother, Shauntel Hudson, asked to delay a custody hearing because her child could face criminal charges.
In a subsequent court filing, the step-brother was identified only by the initials T.H. and is said to currently be under the care of a relative – not his parents – at an undisclosed location.
However, it’s unclear when or if charges against the minor will officially be levied.
Though the investigation is ongoing and will be for a while, this case seems to be related to issues within the family and other cruise passengers onboard Carnival Horizon were not in active danger.
Carnival has previously issued statements saying that the cruise line is cooperating with the investigation and doing its best to support the family.
Aside from dealing with some propulsion issues, the 3,960-guest ship is operating normally.
