Nearly two months after 18-year-old Anna Kepner was found lifeless beneath a bunk bed on the Carnival Horizon cruise ship, the first court hearing in Brevard County, Florida, on December 5, 2025, offered the public its clearest glimpse yet into the last day of her life. In a packed courtroom that overflowed with family, friends, and reporters, investigators presented a painstaking reconstruction of the 24 hours leading up to the discovery of Anna’s body on November 8—yet no charges were filed, no arrest warrant issued, and the case was sent back to the FBI for a complete restart of the investigation. The stepbrother, now 16, remains the primary person of interest, but he walks free under court-ordered supervision, leaving Anna’s devastated family and a grieving community to ask the same haunting question: What really happened in the final hours before a bright young woman who dreamed of serving in the Navy was hidden under a bed, wrapped in a blanket and life vests?

The cruise had begun as a celebration. Anna, a varsity cheerleader and soon-to-be Navy recruit, boarded the Horizon with her blended family on November 2 for a seven-night Western Caribbean itinerary. The trip was a gift from her paternal grandparents, Jeffrey and Barbara Kepner, who hoped the sun, sea, and shared staterooms would knit together the newly merged Kepner-Hudson clan. By the morning of November 7, the ship was anchored off Roatán, Honduras, and Anna appeared outwardly cheerful—posting a Snapchat story of herself zip-lining through the jungle canopy with her 14-year-old half-brother and smiling in group photos. Yet those who knew her best sensed a growing unease. Friends later told investigators that Anna had repeatedly asked her father and stepmother to move her out of the cabin she shared with her 16-year-old stepbrother and her half-brother, saying she “didn’t feel safe” around him. Each time, the request was denied for logistical reasons and a desire to keep the teenagers together “as siblings.”

The timeline that prosecutors laid out in court began in earnest on the afternoon of November 7:

2:00–4:00 p.m.: Anna participated in a family excursion to Gumbalimba Park on Roatán, riding zip lines and feeding monkeys. Photos from the day show her laughing and hugging her grandparents, but several relatives noted she seemed quieter than usual.
5:30 p.m.: The group returned to the ship. Anna showered and changed for the evening’s “Tropical Luau” theme party on the Lido Deck. Security footage captured her walking through the buffet line at 6:45 p.m., wearing a floral sundress and chatting with her mother, Shauntel Hudson.
8:00–10:00 p.m.: The family attended the luau together. Witnesses described Anna dancing with her half-brother and posing for photos, but she repeatedly glanced toward the shadows where her stepbrother stood, nursing a non-alcoholic drink. One family member later told investigators that Anna whispered to her biological brother, “I just want to go back to the room and be alone.”
10:15 p.m.: The three teenagers—Anna, her biological brother, and the stepbrother—left the party and returned to their shared stateroom on Deck 7. Security cameras recorded them entering the corridor at 10:22 p.m.
11:05 p.m.: Anna’s biological brother left the cabin carrying a small overnight bag. He later told investigators he “felt something was off” and decided to sleep in his parents’ room next door. The stepbrother remained in the cabin with Anna.
11:45 p.m.: The most chilling image of the night appeared on hallway cameras. Anna entered the corridor alone, her posture slumped, face pale, and eyes wide. She paused outside the cabin door for several seconds, then stepped inside. The door closed behind her. No one else was seen entering or leaving the room until the next morning.
12:00–2:00 a.m. (approximate): The ship’s log shows no emergency calls or noise complaints from the surrounding cabins. The engines hummed steadily as the Horizon sailed toward Cozumel, Mexico.
7:00–8:00 a.m. on November 8: Housekeeping knocked on the door for routine cleaning. No answer. A second attempt at 9:15 a.m. also went unanswered. At 11:17 a.m., a supervisor used a master key to enter. Inside, they found Anna’s body concealed beneath the lower bunk, wrapped in a comforter and piled high with orange life vests. She was pronounced dead at the scene.

The medical examiner’s preliminary report, read aloud in court, ruled the death a homicide caused by mechanical asphyxiation—most likely by an arm or bar applied across the throat. Bruises consistent with manual strangulation were visible on her neck, and her body showed signs of a struggle. The blanket and life vests, investigators said, appeared to have been deliberately used to hide her.

The stepbrother was found in the adjoining bathroom, sitting on the floor in a state of apparent shock. He was taken to a local hospital in Costa Maya for evaluation and later flown back to Florida with the family. During initial interviews, he told investigators he “didn’t remember” anything after going to bed and claimed to have slept through the night. He has not been charged, and his legal team insists he is cooperating fully.

In the December 5 hearing, Judge Lisa Davidson listened to the timeline and the evidence presented by the state attorney’s office. She then issued a stern ruling: “The investigation is incomplete. There are significant gaps in witness statements, digital forensics, and physical evidence. The case is being returned to the FBI for a comprehensive reinvestigation from the beginning.” No arrest warrant was issued, and the stepbrother was placed under strict court supervision, including electronic monitoring and a no-contact order with other minors in the family.

The decision stunned Anna’s father, Christopher Kepner, who sat in the front row clutching a photo of his daughter in her cheer uniform. “We waited for justice, and they told us to wait longer,” he told reporters outside the courthouse, his voice shaking. “My little girl is gone, and the person who was in that room with her is still walking around.” Anna’s grandparents, Jeffrey and Barbara, who paid for the cruise, wept openly. Barbara told local media, “We thought we were giving her a vacation. Instead, we gave her a coffin.”

The FBI has since seized the stepbrother’s phone, tablet, and gaming console, along with Anna’s devices. Investigators are also reviewing the ship’s full CCTV archive, passenger interviews, and forensic samples from the cabin. Carnival Cruise Line has cooperated fully, providing raw footage and crew statements, but the company has declined to comment on the ongoing case.

Meanwhile, the blended family has fractured under the strain. Shauntel Hudson, Anna’s stepmother, filed for divorce from her husband Thomas Hudson in November, citing “irreconcilable differences” and referencing the open investigation. Thomas has sought emergency custody of his biological sons, including the 16-year-old, arguing that the family home is no longer safe. Shauntel has countered that her son is innocent and is being unfairly targeted.

Anna’s friends and classmates at Titusville High have turned their grief into action. A memorial scholarship fund has raised over $40,000, and students have launched a campaign called #ListenLikeAnna, urging parents to take teenage safety concerns seriously. At her memorial service on November 20, hundreds filled the church, wearing teal ribbons—the color of the Navy and Anna’s cheer squad—and releasing balloons into the Florida sky.

As the Horizon continues its regular sailings, the cabin where Anna died has been sealed and removed from service. For her family, the ship that promised renewal has become a floating tomb. The final 24 hours of Anna Kepner’s life—captured in fragments of video, witness recollections, and unanswered questions—remain a puzzle with no solution yet. The FBI’s reinvestigation is expected to take months, perhaps longer. Until then, the last image of Anna walking back into that cabin, pale and distressed, lingers in the minds of those who loved her—a silent plea that justice, when it finally arrives, will speak for the girl who could no longer speak for herself.