Newly revealed court documents have shed light on the mysterious death of an 18-year-old woman aboard a Carnival cruise ship last month, indicating that her 16-year-old stepbrother, the primary suspect, claims to have no recollection of the events.
A Family Holiday Ends in Tragedy
The incident occurred on the Carnival Horizon, a ship that had set sail from Miami. The victim, Anna Kepner, was a high school cheerleader from Florida's Space Coast who was due to graduate next year. She was travelling with her father, grandparents, stepmother, and her stepmother's two children, which included the 16-year-old boy now under scrutiny.
Kepner's death was officially ruled a homicide. According to a copy of her death certificate obtained by ABC News, the cause was "mechanical asphyxia," meaning an object or physical force prevented her from breathing. The certificate explicitly stated the 18-year-old "was mechanically asphyxiated by other person(s)."
Suspect's Amnesia and a Custody Battle
The teen's status as a suspect emerged not from law enforcement announcements, but from a separate custody court case in Brevard County, Florida. His divorced parents, Thomas Hudson and Shauntel Hudson—who was also Kepner's stepmother—are engaged in a legal dispute over their youngest child.
Text message exchanges between the parents, filed in court and obtained by local media, reveal the boy's mother told his father that the teenager "kept repeating that he didn't remember anything" when questioned about his stepsister's death. This disclosure offers the clearest public indication that FBI investigators are focusing on a member of the victim's own blended family.
Following the cruise, the 16-year-old was sent to live with a relative of Shauntel Hudson. Attorneys for both parents did not respond to requests for comment on Wednesday.
An Ongoing Mystery and Media Frenzy
The case has remained shrouded in secrecy for weeks, with the FBI and the South Florida medical examiner's office refusing to disclose information. This silence has fuelled intense speculation and international media attention, with the story going viral on social media.
The court documents also show the boy's parents discussed this unwanted publicity via text, strategising on how to protect their son from public scrutiny. Despite the tragic circumstances, the boy's father, Thomas Hudson, expressed in the messages that he wanted his son to know he was still loved.
The investigation into Anna Kepner's death continues, with federal authorities yet to release further details or file any formal charges.
