The 16-year-old stepbrother of Anna Kepner, the Florida teen found strangled on a Carnival Cruise ship last month, is living with a relative after being named a suspect in the case.
Kepner, 18, was travelling aboard the Carnival Horizon from Miami to the Caribbean with her father, stepmother, stepbrother, and other relatives. She was found asphyxiated under a bed in the cabin she shared with the teen suspect and her 14-year-old biological brother.
In a family court motion, the teen suspect's father, Thomas Hudson, stated that his ex-wife, Shauntel Hudson, failed to properly supervise their son on the trip, which he had not approved. Shauntel Hudson wrote that the teen suspect had been staying with a relative since returning from the cruise to ensure the safety of the youngest child.
During a hearing on Friday, Shauntel Hudson's attorney said it is unclear how long the suspect will stay with relatives, as authorities await toxicology results and psychological evaluations before considering possible charges. The judge ruled that the Hudson's youngest child is not in immediate danger while living with her father.
No one has been charged in Kepner's death, as authorities determine whether to pursue federal or state charges. The case involves international waters, making it typically federal, though juvenile federal prosecutions are rare.
