Executive Summary
- The FBI is investigating the death of an 18-year-old passenger, identified as Anna Kepner, on the Carnival Horizon cruise ship.
- The ship returned to its homeport of Miami on November 8 after a six-day Caribbean voyage.
- Carnival Cruise Line confirmed the death and stated that FBI reviews of on-board fatalities are standard procedure to ensure transparency.
MIAMI – The Federal Bureau of Investigation is conducting an investigation into the death of an 18-year-old passenger aboard a Carnival Cruise Line ship that returned to Miami on November 8. The passenger was identified by her family as Anna Kepner, according to media reports.
The vessel, the Carnival Horizon, had just completed a six-day cruise in the Caribbean when the death was reported. In a statement, Carnival Cruise Line confirmed the death and noted its cooperation with law enforcement. “Our focus is on supporting the family of our guest,” the company stated, directing further inquiries to the FBI’s Miami public affairs office.
FBI Special Agent Willie Creech confirmed the agency “responded to the scene” but declined to provide additional details, citing the active and ongoing nature of the investigation. No further information regarding the circumstances of Kepner’s death has been released by authorities.
Carnival has previously stated that it is standard protocol for the FBI to review deaths that occur on cruise ships. Following a separate incident in July, a company spokesperson remarked that this routine procedure is in place to ensure transparency and “does not automatically imply suspicious circumstances.”