Federal investigators may be zeroing in on the stepsibling of a Florida high school cheerleader whose body was discovered wrapped in a blanket and hidden under a bed aboard a Carnival cruise ship, according to a startling new court filing.
The possible federal investigation comes nearly two weeks after 18-year-old Anna Kepner was found dead in her cabin on Nov. 7, during what was supposed to be a carefree six-day Caribbean getaway with her family aboard the Carnival Horizon.
In an emergency motion filed Monday in Brevard County — and first obtained by the Daily Mail — Anna Kepner’s stepmom, Shauntel Hudson, asked for more time to respond to filings in her 2024 divorce case, pointing to what she described as an "extremely sensitive and severe circumstance."
Anna Kepner’s stepsibling may now be under federal scrutiny as investigators dig into the mysterious circumstances surrounding her death aboard the Carnival Horizon on Nov. 7. @anna.kepner16/Instagram
"Currently there is an investigation being conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigations (F.B.I.) arising out of the sudden death of eighteen-year-old Anna Kepner," the filing states, noting that Hudson and her children were on the cruise with the teen and her father, Christopher, when she was discovered dead.
“The respondent has been advised through discussions with the FBI investigators and her attorneys, that a criminal case may be initiated against one of the minor children of this instant action,” the filing continued, according to ABC News.
Hudson, a mother of three who recently married Kepner’s father, requested that the proceedings be delayed until the "criminal investigation has concluded," warning that her testimony could be "prejudicial" to both herself and her adolescent child while the probe is ongoing.
Anna Kepner with her family — all of whom were present when she was found dead. Shauntel Kepner / Facebook
Attempts to reach Hudson for comment were unsuccessful.
Neither the FBI nor her ex-husband immediately responded to Faqinsuraces’ request for comment.
Kepner — affectionately known as ‘Anna Banana’ to her family — was discovered dead, wrapped in a blanket, piled under life jackets, and shoved beneath a bed, sources told the Daily Mail.
The gymnast and cheerleader, slated to graduate from Temple Christian School in Titusville this May, told her family at dinner the night before that she wasn’t feeling well — then quietly retreated to her room, sources said, unaware it would be the last time they’d see her alive.
The Miami-Dade County medical examiner recorded her time of death as 11:17 a.m. on Nov. 7, but has not disclosed a cause. Instagram/@anna.kepner16
But the next morning, when her family gathered for breakfast, she was nowhere to be found.
A frantic search swept the massive ship, which can carry nearly 4,000 passengers, until a maid discovered Kepner’s body in her cabin around 11 a.m., forcing the Carnival Horizon to abruptly change course for the Port of Miami, Florida.
The Miami-Dade County medical examiner recorded her time of death as 11:17 a.m. on Nov. 7, but has not revealed the cause.
The FBI is spearheading the investigation since the death occurred in international waters. Jeffrey Greenberg/Universal Images Group via Getty Images
"I have no idea what’s happening right now," her grieving father, Christopher Kepner, told the outlet last week, adding that the heartbroken family remains in the dark about what occurred.
“We are just trying to sit still and wait for answers.”
While the FBI oversees the investigation into the teen’s death in international waters, authorities have offered almost no information about what happened.
