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BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. – A recent court filing has revealed that the stepmother of 18-year-old Anna Kepner is asking a Brevard County judge to seal records and close upcoming hearings to the public. The request is tied to the federal criminal investigation into Anna’s death aboard a Carnival cruise ship earlier this month.
The new motion, filed in a separate family custody case, cites the highly sensitive nature of the FBI’s investigation and seeks a Non-Dissemination Order that would block public access to new filings and prohibit the parties from discussing the matter.
The filing contains the strongest language used in any official document to date regarding Anna’s death. It states:
“An extremely sensitive and severe circumstance has arisen wherein there is an investigation being conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigations, arising out of the suspected murder of the Respondent/Mother’s stepdaughter.”
The stepmother also argues that sealing the documents and closing the hearing is necessary to protect the minor child involved in the custody case, who is also the same 16-year-old stepbrother named as a suspect in the initial law enforcement notifications surrounding Anna’s death. The motion notes:
“The minor child is currently the subject of the active F.B.I. criminal investigation. There is good cause for the need to protect the privacy, sensitivity, and well-being of not only the minor child, but also the other individual family members involved.”
If granted, the order would prevent any filings referencing the minor or the family from being publicly viewable and would restrict either party from discussing or posting information related to the case until federal authorities conclude the investigation.
On November 7, 2025, 18-year-old Anna Kepner of Titusville was found dead aboard the Carnival Horizon during a family cruise. Early information provided to investigators stated she was discovered under a bed, wrapped in a blanket and covered with life vests. The case was immediately turned over to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, which handles suspicious or violent deaths in international waters.
A source later briefed on the investigation told investigators and media outlets that Anna died from asphyxiation caused by a “bar hold,” a maneuver described as an arm placed across the neck. Early findings reportedly showed bruising on the side of her neck. Preliminary information also indicated no signs of sexual assault and no presence of drugs or alcohol, although the medical examiner’s full reports have not yet been released.
Days after her death, documents in the ongoing family custody case confirmed that Anna’s 16-year-old stepbrother was considered a suspect in the FBI’s investigation. The court filing referenced an “active criminal investigation” and noted that the minor was directly involved.
The latest motion marks the first time the words “suspected murder” have appeared in any official document tied to the family.
A judge will review the stepmother’s request to seal the case and close the hearing. If the motion is approved, documents that would normally be public under Florida’s open court system would be shielded from public access, and future hearings would take place behind closed doors.
The FBI has not released any public updates on the status of its investigation, and the Miami-Dade Medical Examiner has not yet issued autopsy or toxicology reports.
This remains an active and developing case. Further updates will be released as soon as they become available.
