BREAKING: Anna Kepner’s Death on Carnival Cruise Ruled Homicide by Mechanical Asphyxiation

Family Demands Answers After Cruise Ship Death of 18-Year-Old Declared Homicide

Anna Kepner, 18, of Titusville, whose body was discovered aboard the Carnival Horizon earlier this month, died from “mechanical asphyxiation” and was the victim of homicide, according to newly released findings reported Monday.

Kepner was found dead on Nov. 7 around 11:15 a.m., concealed beneath the bed in the cabin she shared with her 16-year-old stepbrother. She was wrapped in a blanket and covered with life jackets, according to investigators familiar with the case.

Kepner had been on a six-day family cruise when she died in international waters in the Gulf of America.

A death certificate provided by the Kepner family states the teen “was mechanically asphyxiated by other person(s),” a ruling that formally classifies her death as a homicide.

Although her time of death was listed as 11:17 a.m. on Nov. 7, the report indicates her fatal injuries occurred the night before — the last time she was seen alive during the family vacation.

“Mechanical asphyxia means something outside the body prevented her ability to breathe. Her chest or abdomen could not expand,” explained Dr. Priya Banerjee, a forensic pathologist who reviewed the case details.

The Miami-Dade Medical Examiner’s Office declined to comment, citing the active investigation.

The FBI, which holds jurisdiction over suspicious deaths aboard U.S.-based cruise vessels, is leading the probe.

No suspects have been publicly identified; however, court documents filed in a separate custody battle reveal the teen’s stepbrother has been labeled a potential “suspect” by his own parents. No criminal charges have been filed.

Kepner, a senior at Temple Christian School in Titusville, planned to join the U.S. Navy after graduation and hoped to become a K-9 police officer.

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