Video captured on Carnival Horizon shows last moments of teen cheerleader before death

A passenger aboard the Carnival Horizon captured video on Nov. 2 that shows 18-year-old Anna Kepner dancing on the pool deck during the ship’s Sail Away Party, five days before her body was found in a cabin she shared with her brother and a stepsibling. The footage, filmed on the Miami-to-caribbean voyage, has since drawn national attention as investigators untangle what happened during the six-day trip that stopped in Jamaica, Grand Cayman and Cozumel, Mexico.

The clip was recorded by fellow passenger Nicholas Giddens, who later posted it to his TikTok account after Kepner’s death became a national story. In the original video, Kepner wears a white top and black shorts as part of a crowd that participates in a synchronized routine to the Cupid Shuffle. Giddens said a commenter alerted him that Kepner was in the dancing crowd, prompting him to rewatch the clip and post a memorial caption when the tragedy came to light. The video has drawn hundreds of thousands of views, reflecting the attention Kepner’s death has drawn on social media.

Kepner, a former high school cheerleader from Central Florida, was traveling with her father, Shauntel Hudson, and a large extended family that included her stepmother, siblings and grandparents. The six-day voyage began in Miami and included calls in Jamaica, Grand Cayman and Cozumel. On Nov. 7, while the ship was in international waters between Mexico and Florida, her body was found in the cabin she shared with her brother, who is 14, and a 16-year-old stepbrother. She was wrapped in a blanket and covered with life vests, according to authorities.

Investigators have not publicly detailed a cause of death beyond the death certificate, which listed Kepner’s manner of death as mechanical asphyxia caused by another person or persons, marking the case as a homicide. Federal investigators with the FBI boarded the ship in Miami after it docked on Nov. 8 and conducted interviews with family members and reviewed CCTV footage as part of the inquiry. Authorities have not announced whether the case will move to federal prosecution or be handled at the state level, and no charges have been publicly filed.

Courts and prosecutors have also disclosed developments outside the shipboard investigation. Reports, including court filings in a custody case, have indicated Kepner’s stepbrother—a minor whose identity has been withheld—was identified as a person of interest, with the status of suspect described in those documents as part of ongoing investigations. The family has described a complex domestic-legal matter surrounding the boy’s custody arrangement, while prosecutors have cautioned that testing and other investigative steps could take time. The Daily Mail reported that the stepbrother was living with relatives in rural Florida and had declined to comment when approached. Officials have not publicly confirmed charges related to the boy, and authorities have emphasized that the investigation remains active.

As the FBI and other authorities pursue leads, Kepner’s family and community have remembered her as a bright student who planned to graduate in May and pursue a career in the U.S. Navy. The investigation continues to unfold as officials review witness statements, digital footage and other evidence collected aboard and after the ship’s return to port. The information released so far has been drawn from public statements and court filings, with authorities reiterating that no definitive timeline for a decision on prosecution has been announced.

In the broader cultural moment, Kepner’s death has spurred renewed attention to how such tragedies unfold at sea and the intersection of social media with real-time reporting. The pool-deck video remains a stark, pre-dawn snapshot of a moment on a cruise that became the backdrop for a complex homicide investigation, drawing renewed interest in the people aboard and the mechanisms by which investigators piece together timelines from video, witness testimony and physical evidence. As authorities proceed, loved ones ask for patience and justice, while fans reflect on the memories Kepner left behind as a student-athlete and aspiring naval service member.