Executive Summary
- An 18-year-old woman, Anna Kepner of Titusville, Florida, died while aboard the Carnival Horizon cruise ship.
- The FBI has confirmed it is actively investigating the circumstances surrounding her death.
- The official cause of death has not been released by the Miami-Dade Medical Examiner’s office.
- Community groups in her hometown have publicly mourned her passing, remembering her positively.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation is investigating the death of an 18-year-old woman from Titusville, Florida, who was found deceased aboard a Carnival cruise ship that returned to Port Miami over the weekend. The woman has been identified as Anna Kepner. The circumstances surrounding her death are currently under review, and an official cause has not been released.
Kepner was a passenger on the Carnival Horizon, which docked in Miami on Saturday morning. The Miami-Dade Medical Examiner’s office has not yet provided information regarding the cause of death. In response to the incident, a senior cruise director for Carnival posted a statement on social media thanking the ship’s medical and emergency response teams for their handling of the situation.
Community members and local organizations in Titusville have expressed their condolences. Excel Martial Arts, an academy Kepner attended, posted a tribute on Facebook, remembering her as an “amazing, super sweet, talented student that had such a big heart.” Staff at a local aquarium store where she reportedly worked declined to comment on the matter.
Investigation Ongoing
Federal authorities are leading the investigation into the incident. The FBI has confirmed its involvement but has not released further details at this time. It is important to note that an investigation does not imply criminal charges, and all individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.