Weeks after the Anna Kepner cruise ship death shocked her Florida community, a family court in Brevard County has become the latest arena where the consequences are playing out. At a hearing on Friday, a judge heard arguments over whether a younger child should be removed from the home of Anna’s stepmother, even as court filings refer to the teen stepbrother as a “suspect” in the 18-year-old’s death.
Kepner, a high school cheerleader from Florida, died in November aboard the Carnival Horizon while on a Caribbean holiday with her grandparents, father, stepmother, siblings and stepsiblings. A copy of her death certificate, obtained by media from the family, states that she “was mechanically asphyxiated by other person(s),” a form of death where physical force or an object prevents someone from breathing.
An autopsy report and full toxicology results have not yet been released, and neither the FBI nor the medical examiner’s office has publicly commented on whether they consider the case a homicide or on any potential suspects.
Parents’ filings label stepbrother a “suspect”
Within that vacuum, the family’s internal disputes have spilled into court. Anna’s stepbrother is a minor, and his divorced parents — Thomas Hudson and Shauntel Hudson — are now fighting over custody of their younger child. In documents filed in the case, both have referred to the teenage boy as a “suspect” in connection with the Anna Kepner cruise ship death.
Court records and media reports say Anna had been sharing a cabin on the Carnival Horizon with the stepbrother and another younger sibling when she died. She was later found under a bed, concealed with bedding and life vests, according to several outlets that have cited investigators or the family.
The teen stepbrother has not been charged with a crime and has not been publicly named by authorities. However, in earlier proceedings, a judge noted from the bench that he is considered a suspect, according to reporting by People and local media, and his parents’ own wording in the custody case has reinforced that impression.
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Judge declines to find “imminent danger”
At Friday’s hearing in Brevard County, the judge had to decide whether the Hudsons’ youngest child was in immediate danger by continuing to live with Shauntel Hudson and her current husband, Chris Kepner — Anna’s father. After hearing arguments from both sides, the court did not find the child to be in imminent danger and allowed the current living arrangements to remain in place.
The teenage stepbrother described as a “suspect” is not currently in that household. He has been living with relatives since the family returned from the cruise, a move his mother’s lawyer has previously linked to concerns about the emotional impact of the investigation and the desire to keep other children safe while facts are still emerging.
Shauntel Hudson’s attorney told the court she does not know how long the boy will remain with relatives because the family does not yet know the outcome of the FBI’s inquiry into the Anna Kepner cruise ship death. According to media, Hudson said she has been informed it is possible investigators could charge her son, depending on toxicology findings and other evidence.
The lawyer also noted that they are awaiting “psychological and psychiatric testing” for the teen, adding another layer of uncertainty to the family’s situation.
Investigation continues with few public answers
While the family court wrestles with custody, the criminal investigation into what happened aboard the Carnival Horizon remains largely behind closed doors. The FBI is leading the probe, and the Miami-Dade medical examiner’s office has declined to comment beyond the information on the death certificate.
That document alone has fuelled intense public interest in the Anna Kepner cruise ship death. It lists her cause of death as mechanical asphyxia and notes she “was mechanically asphyxiated by other person(s),” language that outside forensic experts say is consistent with a homicide finding, even if investigators have yet to publicly outline a theory of the case.
Relatives have described Anna as a “happy, bubbly, straight-A student” and have spoken of a close relationship between her and the stepbrother now under scrutiny, deepening the shock and confusion for those who knew them.
For now, the family is left in limbo: a death certificate that points to another person’s actions, a federal investigation with no charges announced, and a custody battle in which parents are using the word “suspect” even as the teenager at the centre of it all has not been formally accused in court.
Sources:
ABC7 / ABC News – “Teen’s cruise ship death: Stepmom fights to keep custody of her younger child”
People – “Anna Kepner’s Death on Carnival Cruise Ship Ruled a Homicide: Report”
