The investigation into Anna Kepner's mysterious death aboard a cruise ship could be complicated by the fact that one of the people under investigation is under 18.
Kepner, 18, died on the Carnival Horizon cruise ship on Nov. 7. The ship had left Miami for the Caribbean but returned to port on Nov. 8. Although the FBI began investigating, little information has been released by authorities regarding her death.
NBC News has reported that a court filing related to the previous marriage of Kepner's stepmother, Shauntel Hudson, indicated that the FBI was investigating Kepner's 16-year-old stepbrother. Kepner's stepmother and father have been together since 2023.
The network reported that the court filing asked for a pause in the unrelated case, stating that Hudson "has been advised through discussion with FBI investigators and her attorneys, that a criminal case may be initiated against one of the minor children of this instant action."
Retired FBI agent Jennifer Coffindaffer posted on social media that the stepbrother's age could complicate matters. She said the federal government can only charge minors via the Juvenile Delinquency Act.
Coffindaffer predicted that authorities might move to a delinquency hearing in an attempt to charge him as an adult. "The bottom line is, if the stepson murdered and is under 18 YO as indicated, it is a more complicated process to have him charged. Likely, this is the holdup," she wrote on X.
Anna Kepner:
— Jennifer Coffindaffer (@CoffindafferFBI) November 19, 2025
The federal government can only charge minors via the Juvenile Deliquency Act (JDA).
This complicates matters.
In the case of Anna, for her stepbrother to be charged, the USAO will likely move for a delinquency hearing to:
A-Move to charge him as an adult... pic.twitter.com/vkuShHf1uY
Another former FBI agent, Nicole Parker, told Fox News that because of where Kepner died, the FBI has jurisdiction over the case.
"The FBI has jurisdiction to handle cases when a crime occurs in international waters," Parker told the network. "It's very complex — it falls under what's called special maritime jurisdiction laws that mandate this. For example, if a cruise departs from Miami, that gives FBI Miami jurisdiction if it's returning in or out of a U.S. cruise port. And if the alleged crime occurred in international waters, then that's the FBI's responsibility."
The Daily Mail previously reported that CCTV footage on the ship showed Kepner returning alone to the cabin she shared with her 14-year-old brother and her 16-year-old stepbrother on Thursday, Nov. 6.
Although the two boys returned later, her 14-year-old brother left the room to take photos of the $800 million cruise ship to post on social media, according to the Daily Mail. When the 14-year-old returned later, he did not see Anna in the room and assumed she was with their parents and went to sleep.
The Daily Mail reported that Kepner's body was found the next day, around 11:17 a.m., by a maid who was cleaning the cabin. The body was reportedly stuffed under her bed, wrapped in a sheet, and covered with life jackets.
