An 18-year-old Florida high school senior and aspiring Navy recruit was discovered dead in her cabin on a Caribbean cruise ship last week, wrapped in blankets and life jackets in a bizarre and chilling scene. Now, court documents reveal her 16-year-old stepbrother is the FBI’s prime suspect in the slaying, as a bitter family custody war boils over with allegations of child abuse on both sides.

Anna Marie Kepner, a vibrant cheerleader from Brevard County known to her family as “Anna Banana,” was found lifeless on November 7, 2025, aboard the Carnival Horizon during the final days of a six-day cruise that departed Miami on November 2. The ship docked the next day as scheduled, but the discovery turned what should have been a joyful family vacation into a nightmare probed by federal agents.

The FBI’s Miami field office is leading the investigation because the death occurred in international waters, where U.S. jurisdiction applies to American-flagged vessels like the Carnival Horizon. No cause of death has been released by the Miami-Dade County medical examiner’s office, which is conducting the autopsy. However, sources familiar with the probe tell the New York Post that foul play is strongly suspected, with the teen’s body positioned in a way that suggested an attempt to conceal it.

The suspect, identified in court filings only as “T.H.” to protect his juvenile status, is Anna’s stepbrother through her father Christopher Kepner’s 2023 marriage to Shauntel Hudson. Hudson and two of her children, including the 16-year-old boy, joined Kepner and Anna on the cruise. The blended family had appeared picture-perfect on social media, with posts showing sun-soaked deck days and group selfies. But behind the scenes, a vicious custody dispute between Hudson and her ex-husband, Thomas Hudson – the suspect’s biological father – had been raging in Brevard County family court.

Documents unsealed this week paint a picture of dysfunction and violence. Hudson accused Thomas of physically abusing their two youngest children, including the suspect, prompting an ongoing Florida Department of Children and Families (DCF) probe. She claimed in emergency motions filed Monday that Thomas’s actions had left the boy “traumatized” and in need of protection from his father’s “unstable” home. Thomas fired back in his own filings, alleging Hudson and Kepner had engaged in a “violent altercation” with their adult son earlier this year, and that Hudson’s choices had “put his future in jeopardy.”

“This is a tragedy wrapped in tragedy,” a family friend told Fox News on condition of anonymity. “Anna was the light of the family – always sending random ‘I love you’ texts or little surprises. No one saw this coming, but the custody fights were getting uglier by the day.”

Anna’s obituary, published online Wednesday, captures the essence of the girl who dreamed of becoming a K9 police officer after enlisting in the U.S. Navy. “Anna lived every day with her whole heart,” it reads. “She was a beauty inside and out, with a big, beautiful heart that radiated light. She loved the sun, the water, boat days, island days, and beach days. She never had a filter, and that was part of her charm.” The family described her as someone who “hugged with her whole body” and found joy in the simplest things, like spontaneous dance parties or helping at animal shelters.

The cruise, meant to celebrate family bonds, instead became the backdrop for unimaginable horror. According to a timeline pieced together from passenger accounts and ship logs obtained by investigators, Anna was last seen alive on November 6 during a port stop in Cozumel, Mexico. She retired early to her cabin, citing fatigue from cheer practice back home. Hours later, alarms were raised when she missed a family dinner. Cabin stewards discovered her body around midnight, hidden under bedding and flotation devices – a detail that has puzzled investigators and sparked online speculation about staging or panic.

The stepbrother, described in docs as a quiet high school sophomore with a history of behavioral issues tied to the alleged abuse, has not been charged. He remains in the custody of a Hudson relative in Florida while the FBI conducts interviews. Agents have seized the family’s electronic devices and reviewed cruise security footage, which reportedly shows “concerning interactions” between the siblings earlier in the trip. No motive has been publicly stated, but sources hint at escalating tensions from the custody battle spilling over during the confined ship environment.

Carnival Cruise Line issued a statement expressing “deepest condolences” to Anna’s family and cooperating fully with authorities. “The safety and well-being of our guests is our top priority,” the company said. “We are heartbroken by this senseless loss and are providing all requested information to the FBI.” The incident marks the latest in a string of high-profile tragedies on cruise ships, following the 2024 overboard death of a honeymooner off Royal Caribbean and a 2023 assault case on Norwegian Cruise Line.

As the investigation unfolds, the Hudson-Kepner family is fracturing further. Hudson has requested a postponement of an upcoming December custody hearing, citing the “devastating impact” of Anna’s death on everyone involved. Thomas Hudson, speaking to reporters outside his home Thursday, called the allegations against his son “baseless” and demanded a full accounting from the cruise line. “My boy is a good kid caught in a bad situation,” he said. “Pray for Anna – she didn’t deserve this.”

Child welfare experts warn that such blended-family cruises can amplify underlying stresses. “Vacations are pressure cookers for unresolved conflicts,” said Dr. Lisa Damour, a clinical psychologist and author. “When abuse allegations are flying and kids are involved, the stakes skyrocket. This case underscores the need for better pre-trip family counseling.”

Online, #JusticeForAnna has trended with over 2 million posts, blending grief with outrage. Vigils are planned at Anna’s high school, where cheer teammates are raising funds for a scholarship in her name. As the FBI digs deeper, one question looms: In a family torn by secrets, who pulls the trigger on board a floating paradise?

The medical examiner’s report is expected within weeks, but for now, a once-bright future floats adrift in the Caribbean’s wake.