New reporting suggests 18-year-old Anna Kepner may have died from asphyxiation caused by a chokehold aboard a Carnival cruise ship as the FBI continues to investigate her death
The death of an 18-year-old Florida high school cheerleader found hidden under a bed on a Carnival cruise ship was reportedly caused by asphyxiation from a chokehold (or an arm across the neck), per a new report by ABC News. The FBI and the Miami-Dade Medical Examiner’s Office have not officially confirmed or made a statement. FBI agents discovered two bruises on the side of Anna’s neck, and reportedly, there were no signs of sexual assault and no drugs or alcohol found in her system.
Anna Kepner, a senior at Titusville High School with aspirations to join the military, was discovered wrapped in a blanket beneath a bed covered by life jackets in a cabin she shared with her brothers on the Carnival Horizon. The ship had departed Miami on November 2, 2025, for a six-day Caribbean cruise and returned to port on November 8th.
I broke down the latest updates in the Anna Kepner case below. Her cause and manner of death are still pending as of now. ⬇️ @LAmag
🚨New Disturbing Details Emerge in Death of Florida Teen Found Under Cruise Ship Bed…
Newly released records shed disturbing light on the death… https://t.co/E2SLGMcxHm pic.twitter.com/Xgl3Gb31Jr
— Lauren Conlin (@conlin_lauren) November 21, 2025
The preliminary findings indicate Kepner was possibly strangled in what investigators believe was a violent altercation, the sources said. The exact circumstances remain under active probe by the FBI, which is treating the case as a possible homicide. No charges have been filed as of Thursday.
Kepner had left a family dinner early on November 6th and was captured on surveillance video entering the cabin she shared with her 14-year-old biological brother and 16-year-old stepbrother. Her younger brother returned later that evening, changed clothes, took photos around the ship, and later went to sleep in a bunk bed, unaware that his sister was already deceased and shoved under her bed. Her body was found the next morning by cleaning staff during a search prompted by the family.
Anna Kepner’s cause of death is being reported by @ABC as asphyxiation resulting from a bar hold (an arm across the neck). There have been no comments or confirmation from the FBI or the Miami-Date ME’s office. I requested confirmation from the ME’s office and haven’t heard back… pic.twitter.com/nN2eeNemqZ
— Lauren Conlin (@conlin_lauren) November 21, 2025
The stepbrother, whose identity is protected as a minor, has been identified as a person of interest and is staying with relatives of his biological mother. No arrests have been made of November 21st as this is an ongoing investigation.
Lauren Conlin
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