Cheerleader’s cruise ship death unravels amid bitter family strife and questions at sea

TITUSVILLE, Fla. — Anna Kepner, a Florida teen and precocious schoolhouse elder remembered for her agleam spirit, was recovered dormant aboard the Carnival Horizon during an aboriginal November Caribbean cruise, prompting a national probe and igniting a nationalist reckoning among the adults successful her life.

As agents sift done vessel records, a widening ellipse of tribunal filings and interviews has laid bare heavy rifts successful Kepner’s blended family. The FBI is starring the probe aft the vessel returned to larboard arsenic scheduled. No transgression charges person been announced.

In an exigency question filed successful Brevard County, Anna's stepmother, Shauntel Kepner, formerly Shauntel Hudson, done her attorney, Millicent Athanason, asked a justice to postpone a December proceeding successful a proceeding with her ex-husband owed to the FBI probe into the decease of Anna, who was recovered dormant connected a Carnival cruise vessel connected Nov. 7.

"The Respondent has been advised done discussions with FBI investigators and her attorneys, that a transgression lawsuit whitethorn beryllium initiated against 1 of the insignificant children of this instant action," Athanason wrote to a Brevard County justice connected Nov. 17.

STEPMOTHER IN CRUISE SHIP DEATH MYSTERY FEARS CHILD COULD BE INCRIMINATED: COURT DOCS

Christopher Kepner (center, reddish hat) arrives astatine a memorial work for his daughter, Anna Kepner, astatine the Grove Church successful Titusville, Florida, Thursday, November 20, 2025. (Mark Sims for Fox News Digital)

Relatives accidental they person received fewer authoritative answers since the vessel docked. Anna’s commencement mother, Heather Wright, told WESH 2 she learned of her daughter's decease done an online search. She has not responded to Fox News Digital's attempts to scope her.

"I recovered retired done Google. I ended up Googling it, due to the fact that the lone accusation I had was that my girl was connected a cruise," she told the section outlet.

Similarly, Anna’s stepgrandfather, Christopher Donahue, 53, told Fox News Digital Wednesday that helium excessively learned astir her decease done societal media.

Anna Kepner's household said she had dreams of joining the military. (Instagram/Anna Kepner)

"I don’t cognize wherefore Anna was staying successful a country with her stepbrother," Donahue said. He said helium learned astir the statement from a quality article. 

"All I cognize is that she went connected that boat, and she ne'er came back," helium added. "You don’t spell 0 to 100, but we weren’t connected the boat. Everyone is heartbroken. There are questions. I don’t deliberation we’ll ever know."

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The swirl of nationalist claims astir Anna's decease has revived long-simmering disputes. In a March 31, 2023, divorcement petition filed successful Brevard County and obtained by Fox News Digital, Anna's erstwhile stepmother, Tabitha L. Kepner, alleges that Christopher Purcell Kepner, Anna’s father, had a "history of carnal and intelligence maltreatment toward the insignificant children and toward the Petitioner," and she sought sole parental work for the children she shared with him and supervised time-sharing. 

She was joined to Christopher Kepner aft helium divided with Anna's parent and earlier helium met his 3rd wife, Shauntel.

Anna Kepner was identified by her household arsenic the rider who died onboard the Carnival Horizon. (Instagram/Anna Kepner)

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In 2024, Michelle Johnson filed a tiny claims suit successful Brevard County against Shauntel Hudson seeking the instrumentality of respective firearms, including a 12-gauge shotgun and 2 rifles, which she alleged Hudson refused to manus back.

The filings see a bid of emails successful which Johnson accused Hudson of "manipulating and alienating" her children from their father, describing the concern arsenic "a precise bittersweet and heartbreaking ordeal."

"Prior [sic] to you, manipulating controlling and brainwashing them for the past month," Johnson wrote to Hudson. "It's devastating and upsetting. Please measurement backmost and look astatine what's the champion for these kids? They request their family…"

That lawsuit was aboriginal dismissed aft Johnson missed a work of process deadline.

Anna Kepner, her father, stepmother and respective siblings successful a household photo. (Shauntel Kepner/Facebook)

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Together, the records overgarment a representation of a fractured household present thrust into the spotlight pursuing Anna’s mysterious decease aboard the six-day Carnival cruise.

Anna's household and friends attended a work astatine The Grove Church successful Titusville, Fla., connected Thursday evening. One of the Kepners' neighbors told Fox News Digital Thursday that their thoroughfare has been quiescent since Anna's death. He described the Kepners arsenic a affable family.

Two vehicles, a Dodge motortruck and Chevy SUV, were parked successful the Kepners' driveway, but nary 1 answered the door. Investigators person not disclosed a origin oregon mode of death, and prosecutors person not filed charges.