NEW<\/span>You can now listen to Fox News articles!\n <\/p>\n<\/div>\n The stepbrother of a Florida teenager<\/a> who died aboard a Carnival cruise ship appeared in federal court in Miami on Friday, as investigators continue probing the circumstances surrounding her death.<\/p>\n His appearance in court comes three months after Anna Kepner, an 18-year-old from Titusville, was found dead aboard<\/a> the Carnival Horizon in November while on a family vacation.\u00a0<\/p>\n Kepner’s 16-year-old stepbrother was seen leaving juvenile court before entering adult federal court Friday, according to FOX 35<\/a>.<\/p>\n ANNA KEPNER\u2019S CRUISE SHIP DEATH: NEW FLORIDA SUBPOENAS COULD OFFER CLUES INTO HOMICIDE INVESTIGATION<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n A teen under investigation in Anna Kepner\u2019s death appeared in adult federal court in Miami on Feb. 6, 2026, accompanied by his attorney.<\/span> (FOX 25)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n The teenager walked into the courthouse in a camouflage hoodie, his face concealed beneath a low-pulled baseball cap and a hood wrapped tightly around it.<\/p>\n Anna Kepner, 18, was found dead aboard a Carnival cruise ship on Nov. 7, during a vacation with her family.\u00a0<\/span> (Anna Kepner\/Instagram | Eva Marie Uzcategui\/Bloomberg via Getty Images)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Although the FBI<\/a> has not publicly identified a suspect or filed charges, filings from a separate family court dispute indicated the 16-year-old was being investigated in Anna Kepner\u2019s death.<\/p>\n CHEERLEADER WHO DIED ABOARD CARNIVAL CRUISE SHIP CREMATED, DEATH CERTIFICATE REVEALS<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n Anna Kepner was seen dancing with fellow holidaymakers on a Carnival Cruise Line ship, eerie footage posted online before her death shows.<\/span> (TikTok\/@nickcapo609)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Kepner\u2019s mother, Heather Wright, told FOX 35 she feels a sense of relief that the case<\/a> appears to be moving forward and hopes it will finally bring answers.<\/p>\n “Everyday I get on my phone, and first thing in the morning I will look at updates on Anna Kepner\u2019s case,” Wright told FOX 35. “All I want is justice for my daughter.”<\/p>\n Kepner was discovered dead around 11:15 a.m. on Nov. 7 inside her cabin aboard the cruise ship. Authorities later ruled her death a homicide<\/a> caused by “mechanical asphyxiation,” according to a report.<\/p>\n ANNA KEPNER’S FATHER WANTS STEPSON TO ‘FACE THE CONSEQUENCES’ IN CRUISE SHIP DEATH CASE<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n Anna Kepner, 18, was found dead aboard a Carnival cruise ship on Nov. 7, during a vacation with her family.\u00a0<\/span> (Anna Kepner\/Instagram)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n According to investigators, Kepner was found under the bed in her cabin, wrapped in a blanket and covered with life jackets. The cabin was shared with her stepbrother.<\/p>\n The FBI is leading the investigation because Kepner\u2019s death occurred in international waters as the cruise ship was returning to Miami after the weeklong Caribbean trip, according to People Magazine<\/a>.<\/p>\n![\"Anna](\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/1200\/675\/stepbrother-court-florida-fox-news-001.jpg?ve=1&tl=1\")
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