Anna Kepner, age 18.

By Joe Lombardi From Daily Voice

Family and fellow passengers are shaken and searching for answers three weeks after a Carnival cruise turned tragic after an 18-year-old high school cheerleader was found dead under a bed.

Anna Kepner, of Titusville, Florida, was found dead on Friday, Nov. 7, aboard the Carnival Horizon. Her body was discovered wrapped in a blanket and hidden under a bed in a cabin she reportedly shared with her 16-year-old stepbrother. Investigators have ruled her death a homicide, citing mechanical asphyxiation as the cause.

Passenger Tina Altman, who was aboard the ship, described the chaotic moments after the tragedy in an interview with Fox 35 Orlando. An emergency call went out around 11 a.m., summoning personnel to the eighth floor where Kepner’s body was found. Cabin security later blocked off the area.

“There’s still a lot of unknowns, and I don’t think we will know everything for a very long time,” Altman told the outlet. As a frequent cruiser and mother, she said the tragedy left her shaken. “I can’t imagine it. I have a 21-year-old daughter and a 19-year-old son, and my heart breaks for the entire family.”

Kepner’s family is devastated and frustrated by the lack of clarity surrounding her death. 

“We don’t understand why, if the boy is a suspect, why has he not been charged yet? What’s happening there?” her aunt, Krystal Wright, told Fox 35. 

Wright also believes Kepner fought back. 

“I know Anna fought," Wright said. "I know she fought for her life, so it’s rough. It’s rough.”

Court documents revealed that Kepner’s stepbrother is considered a suspect in the case, though no charges have been filed. The FBI, which handles deaths in international waters, continues to investigate. The boy has since been released from custody and is reportedly staying with a third party.

The tragedy occurred during a family vacation with Kepner’s father, stepmother, and siblings. The cruise ship docked in Miami as scheduled the day after her body was found.

Kepner, a straight-A student and cheerleader, was remembered fondly by her family and friends. For her grieving relatives, the holiday season underscores the loss. They are now calling for justice and answers as the investigation continues.