The father of a teenage boy at the centre of an FBI investigation into the death of his stepsister on a Carnival cruise ship has filed court documents accusing his ex-wife of failing to properly supervise their son during the ill-fated voyage.
Court Documents Reveal Father's Concerns
In papers submitted to a family court on Thursday, 5 December 2025, Thomas Hudson stated he never gave permission for his 16-year-old son to travel on the Carnival Horizon cruise last month. He is seeking greater visitation rights with the two children he shares with his ex-wife, alleging her supervision was inadequate.
The teenage boy and his 18-year-old stepsister, Anna Kepner, were permitted to share a cabin aboard the ship. Hudson's legal motion contends the boy's mother "failed to properly supervise" the teen during the trip, which departed from Miami.
A Tragic Death Shrouded in Mystery
The case, which has attracted global attention, revolves around the death of Anna Kepner. The 18-year-old high school cheerleader from Florida's Space Coast was found asphyxiated beneath a bed in the cabin she shared with her teenage stepbrother, according to Hudson's court filing.
Her death certificate, obtained by ABC News, rules the manner of death as a homicide. Kepner had been travelling with her father, stepmother, her stepmother's two children, and her grandparents. She was due to graduate next year.
Ongoing Investigation and Family Dispute
For several weeks, the FBI and the South Florida medical examiner's office have declined to release any information, leaving the circumstances of Kepner's death aboard the Carnival Horizon shrouded in mystery.
The family court motion intertwines the tragic criminal investigation with an ongoing parental dispute, highlighting questions of responsibility and supervision that are now under scrutiny by both law enforcement and the judiciary.
