Teen in custody dispute linked to cruise ship homicide appears in closed federal court in Miami

Closed federal proceeding follows cruise ship death of Titusville teen

A 16-year-old boy identified in court records as a potential suspect in the death of his 18-year-old stepsister, Anna Kepner, appeared Friday, Feb. 6, 2026, in a closed session in federal court in Miami. The hearing took place months after Kepner was found dead aboard the Carnival Horizon during a family cruise that departed from Miami and returned there after the incident.

Because the matter involves a minor, key portions of the federal docket and any potential charging documents were not publicly available Friday afternoon. No formal public charging announcement was made in court, and no public complaint was released.

What is publicly known about the death on the Carnival Horizon

Kepner, a student from Titusville on Florida’s Space Coast, was traveling with relatives on the Carnival Horizon when she was discovered dead in her stateroom. Court filings and reporting tied to related family proceedings have described her body as being found under a bed in the cabin.

A copy of Kepner’s death certificate that has circulated in court-related reporting lists the cause of death as mechanical asphyxia and classifies the manner of death as homicide. Mechanical asphyxia generally refers to breathing being prevented by physical force or obstruction.

How the stepbrother became publicly connected to the investigation

Public attention on the 16-year-old intensified after disclosures emerged in a separate family court case involving his divorced parents. In those filings, the teenager was described as being under investigation by federal authorities and identified as a suspect, even as federal investigators have not publicly named any suspect or provided operational details about the case.

Text-message exchanges and attorney statements described in those filings indicate the teenager repeatedly said he did not remember what occurred. The records also reflect that he was placed with relatives after returning from the cruise, amid concerns about household safety and the intense public scrutiny surrounding the case.

Why the case is in federal jurisdiction and what may happen next

The death occurred during a voyage that included time in international waters, a factor that commonly brings federal jurisdiction into play for serious incidents aboard ships connected to U.S. ports. The investigation has involved federal authorities in South Florida, and the Miami appearance suggests continued federal court activity even as public documents remain limited due to juvenile protections and sealed filings.

In prior court-related accounts, attorneys indicated authorities were evaluating whether the matter would proceed federally or be referred to state or local prosecutors. As of Friday, no arrest announcement or publicly filed criminal charge was available for confirmation in the federal record.

Key facts remain constrained by sealed juvenile proceedings and the absence of publicly released charging documents.

Unresolved questions

• Whether federal prosecutors have filed charges under seal, or whether the appearance was connected to pre-complaint proceedings.
• What forensic findings beyond the death certificate have been finalized, including any autopsy or toxicology results.
• Whether any case will move forward in federal court, be referred to state prosecutors, or both.

The investigation remains active, and the legal process is expected to continue largely out of public view while the suspect is a minor.