Surveillance footage sheds light on cheerleader Anna Kepner’s final hours before cruise ship death

Surveillance footage recovered by federal agents has shed light on Florida teen Anna Kepner’s final hours, revealing she likely died inside the cramped cruise ship cabin she was sharing with her younger brother and a stepbrother, who is now considered a ‘suspect’ in her mysterious death, the Daily Mail can reveal.

The 18-year-old high school cheerleader was on a six-day Caribbean getaway with her family when she was found dead in international waters between Mexico and Florida on November 7.

Earlier this week sources revealed her body was found wrapped in a blanket and stuffed under her bed, the grim discovery prompting FBI agents to swarm the Carnival Horizon when it returned to Miami a day later.

The Daily Mail has now learned that onboard security footage captured doomed Anna’s final steps as she headed back to her room on the evening of November 6 after complaining during dinner that she felt unwell.

She was sharing the cabin with her 14-year-old brother, and 16-year-old stepbrother –with the two boys sleeping in bunk beds and Anna in her own bed, according to a well-placed source.

The boys headed back to the room later that evening but the younger brother changed his clothes and went out again to take snapshots of the $800 million ship to post on social media.

When he got back he noticed Anna wasn’t in bed but presumed she was staying up late with the grown-ups and went to sleep, according to the source.

It wasn’t until the next day when the brother and stepbrother got up and headed to breakfast that the family realized the bubbly teen from Titusville, Florida, was missing.

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Anna Kepner returned to the cabin she was sharing aboard the Carnival Horizon with her younger brother and stepbrother after dinner on November 6, and never left the room again, the Daily Mail has learned

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Anna Kepner went on the cruise with her 16-year-old stepbrother and other family members. Court filings obtained by the Daily Mail confirm the stepbrother is now a ‘suspect’ in her death

As Christopher Kepner, 41, began searching the Horizon for his daughter, it’s believed that a medical emergency was announced over the public address system.

Sources say that prompted the dad to race to his daughter’s cabin where he walked inside to find that a cleaning crew had just discovered her dead body crammed under her bed.

The fresh clues emerged Wednesday just hours after explosive court filings revealed for the first time that Anna’s 16-year-old stepbrother is considered a ‘suspect’ in her death.

In an emergency motion obtained by the Daily Mail, the boy’s father Thomas Hudson demands clarity on what has happened to his son, who he says is now in the care of a ‘third party’.

He accuses his ex-wife Shauntel Hudson, 36 – now Christopher Kepner’s partner and Anna’s stepmom – of putting his son’s future ‘in jeopardy’.

‘The respondent took the remaining minor children on a cruise with a stepchild of her paramour,’ the filing states.

‘The sixteen-year-old child is now a suspect in the death of the stepchild during the cruise.’

Thomas Hudson is also seeking immediate custody of their other minor child, a nine-year—old girl currently living in Titusville with Shauntel and the Kepners.

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Anna’s stepmother, Shauntel Hudson, who recently married Chris Kepner  has been locked in a custody battle with her ex-husband which saw her file a recent court response acknowledging there’s an open investigation’ into her stepdaughter’s death

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Anna’s father Chris divorced her stepmother and married fellow divorcee Shauntel, who moved to Titusville, Florida with her two youngest children

Anna grew up on Florida’s sundrenched Space Coast with Christopher, his ex-wife Tabitha Kepner, 33, and her two siblings, a boy aged 14 and a girl of nine.

Christopher and Tabitha split in 2023 but the crane operator soon found love again with Shauntel, who divorced last year and relocated to Titusville with her two youngest kids.

Late last year Thomas Hudson accused his ex-wife of ‘willfully violating’ court orders and ‘denying his parenting time’ in a motion for contempt filed in Brevard County.

They were due to square off in court next month but Shauntel filed for a continuance Tuesday, requesting more time to respond due to an ‘extremely sensitive and severe circumstance.’

She said the FBI had advised her that one of her minor children faced a potential criminal prosecution related to Anna’s death.

‘Any testimony the Respondent may give, either written or oral, could be prejudicial to her or her adolescent child in this pending criminal investigation,’ wrote Shauntel’s lawyer.

She also denied Hudson’s claims that she has refused him parenting time under their current custody plan, alleging that he hasn’t ‘come nor made any arrangements to come for timesharing with the two remaining minor children’, besides the day they moved to their current home.

Thus far the FBI has refused to say how Anna died – or whether she was murdered – on board the Carnival Horizon which visited Jamaica, Grand Cayman and Cozumel before sailing back to Miami.

The Daily Mail has learned Anna was sharing a cabin on the cruise with her 14-year-old brother and 16-year-old stepbrother. File photo of a Carnival stateroom

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A maid aboard the Carnival cruise was the one to find Anna’s body wrapped in a blanket, covered over with life jackets and stuffed under a bed, according to our sources, who spoke under condition of anonymity

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Thomas Hudson is also seeking emergency custody of their nine-year-old daughter, who lives in Titusville, Florida, with Shauntel and Anna’s father, Christopher Kepner

The Miami Dade County Medical Examiner says she died at 11.17am on November 7 – the time her body was discovered rather than an exact time of death.

Heartbroken Christopher insisted in a previous interview with the Daily Mail that investigators had shared barely any details with him.

‘We were there as a family. Everybody was questioned. Everybody came off that ship.

‘I don’t know who they are looking at or what their investigation is,’ he said.

‘The FBI hasn’t shared anything with me yet. I would imagine they’re going to be in contact with me about it – but I know as little as everybody else.

‘I have no idea what is going on right now. We are just trying to sit still and wait for answers.’

Known by her nickname Anna Banana, Anna was set to graduate in May and had plans on joining the military.

A gymnast and varsity cheerleader, she attended Temple Christian School in Titusville, where her Kia Forte remained parked up this week, covered in flowers and tributes from heartbroken pals.

Christopher said his daughter’s ultimate goal was to join the local police department so she could protect her friends and family.

‘The whole family is lost for words. We miss her and love her more than anything,’ he added.