Troubling allegations have surfaced in the case of 18-year-old Anna Marie Kepner, whose body was found aboard the Carnival Horizon during a family cruise.
Amid silence from law enforcement, two anonymous sources speaking with the Daily Mail said Anna’s body was discovered wrapped in a blanket, covered with life jackets, and stuffed under a bed. Meanwhile, a man identifying himself as her uncle, Martin Donohue, has taken to X to make his own explosive claims.
What happened to Anna Kepner?
According to the official story, Kepner was traveling with her father, stepmother, and other relatives when tragedy struck, and someone found Anna dead on the ship. According to law enforcement and publicly available records, Anna was identified after her death on November 7, 2025, and her time of death was officially recorded at 11:17 a.m. by the Miami-Dade Medical Examiner’s Office.
Since the incident occurred at sea, the FBI is conducting the investigation. Kepner’s family has expressed frustration at the limited information being shared: her father, Christopher Kepner, has said he knows “as little as anybody else” about what really happened.
Amid the uncertainty and grief, a Facebook post from Anna’s stepmother, Shauntel Kepner, said, “This is something I never imagined I’d have to post. Anna Marie, I love you so much. This world will never be the same without you.”
“Guilty of a cover up”
The most incendiary moment in the Kepner investigation, however, came via a November 17, 2025, post by Martin Donohue on X, in which he claims to be Anna’s uncle. “I need everyone’s help on this,” Donohue’s post read, before explaining Anna was his niece. “I can not stay silent about this matter any longer,” he said, adding, “The step-mom’s son killed her,” before stuffing Kepner’s naked, beaten body in a sheet and hiding it under a bed, covered with life jackets. Anna’s stepbrother then slept on the bed like nothing happened, Donohue alleged.
According to Donohue, he told his stepmother after Anna was reported missing. “So yes, they know who did this, and it sickens me that [Anna’s father, Chris] remains silent about it. Please pass this on till maybe it gets to someone that can do something about it.”
Donohue then said, “It will all come out on the 20th,” the date of Kepner’s memorial. Donohue then alleged that Kepner’s family had threatened to ban them from Anna’s service if they spoke out before then.
Donohue’s post concluded, “Please pass this so my family can get closure,” and for the people who did this, “and lied and failed to tell the rest of us what happened when it did. Now you just look all guilty of a cover up.”
No public authority has verified Donohue’s account, and the FBI has not publicly revealed details of how Kepner died, how or her body was found, or confirmed arrests or named suspects. So, for now, the question remains: what really happened to Anna on that cruise — and will justice be served?
Published: Nov 18, 2025 04:09 pm