The parents of a 16-year-old boy have publicly acknowledged for the first time that their son is considered a suspect in the mysterious death of his stepsister, 18-year-old Anna Kepner, aboard a packed Carnival cruise ship.
Tragedy at Sea: The Discovery
Anna was on a six-day Caribbean holiday with her father, stepmother, siblings and stepsiblings when she was declared dead in international waters between Mexico and Florida on November 7. The cheerleader's body was discovered wrapped in a blanket and concealed under a bed in her cabin, according to sources familiar with the investigation.
The grim discovery prompted FBI agents to swarm the Carnival Horizon when it returned to Miami port a day later. Court documents obtained exclusively by the Daily Mail confirm that Anna's stepbrother, who cannot be named for legal reasons, now faces potential criminal charges.
Family Turmoil and Custody Battle
The teenage suspect is currently in the care of an unnamed third party, according to a motion filed on Tuesday by the boy's anxious father, Thomas Hudson, who demanded urgent clarification about what is happening to his son. Hudson is also seeking immediate custody of their other minor child, a nine-year-old girl currently living in Titusville, Florida with Shauntel and Anna's father, Christopher Kepner.
"The respondent took the remaining minor children on a cruise with a stepchild of her paramour," the court filing states. "The sixteen-year-old child is now a suspect in the death of the stepchild during the cruise."
The documents further allege that "the sixteen-year-old's future has been put in jeopardy because of the choices made by the Respondent… the youngest child is at immediate risk of abuse, abandonment, or neglect in the care of the respondent."
Investigation Developments
Shauntel Hudson filed a response late Tuesday denying allegations that she "abused, neglected or abandoned" her children. She acknowledged that "it is true that there is an open investigation regarding the death of the biological daughter of the stepfather and [boy's initials] is a suspect regarding this death which occurred recently on a cruise ship."
In her filing, Shauntel stated the boy was staying with one of her relatives and she is providing counselling for all of her children. The FBI has advised her that one of her minor children faces potential criminal prosecution related to Anna's death.
Thus far, the FBI has refused to disclose how Anna died – or whether she was murdered – aboard the Carnival Horizon, which visited Jamaica, Grand Cayman and Cozumel before returning to Miami.
Sources revealed that Anna complained of feeling unwell on the evening of November 6 and returned to her cabin. When she didn't appear for breakfast the next day, family members began searching the sprawling $800 million mega-vessel, which carries up to 4,700 guests.
A cabin attendant eventually found the teenager's body wrapped in a blanket, covered with life jackets and stuffed under a bed, according to anonymous sources. The Miami Dade County Medical Examiner lists Anna's time of death at 11:17 am on November 7 but has not released its findings.
Remembering Anna 'Banana' Kepner
Heartbroken father Christopher Kepner insisted in a previous interview that investigators had shared barely any details with him. "We were there as a family. Everybody was questioned. Everybody came off that ship. I don't know who they are looking at or what their investigation is," he said.
Known by her nickname Anna Banana, the teenager was set to graduate in May and had plans to join the military. A gymnast and varsity cheerleader, she attended Temple Christian School in Titusville, where her Kia Forte remained parked this week, covered in flowers and tributes from heartbroken friends.
The school described her as a "bright, kind-hearted young woman whose presence brought warmth and energy into the classroom" in a touching Facebook post. Christopher said his daughter's ultimate career goal was to join the local police department to protect her friends and family.
Anna had been on previous cruises and raved about her love of travel on TikTok. One post showed her enjoying a cruise on the same vessel six months earlier. She danced in a white dress and captioned the haunting clip: "I wanna go back."
Carnival Cruise Line said in a statement: "Our focus is on supporting the family of our guest and cooperating with the FBI." An FBI spokesman added: "No further information is being released at this time."
