A 16-year-old boy, identified as the stepbrother of Anna Kepner, is facing federal charges related to her death aboard a Carnival cruise ship.
The teenager emerged as the primary suspect following the tragic event on November 7, which involved the death of the Florida cheerleader. Anna Kepner’s body was discovered concealed beneath a bed in her cabin on the Carnival Horizon as it made its way back to Florida from a trip to Mexico.
Authorities have indicated that the 18-year-old’s cause of death was asphyxiation, believed to have been inflicted through a bar hold, a technique that involves pressure applied around the neck.
The boy’s father, Thomas Hudson, is currently seeking custody of his son, who is presently with his mother, Shauntel, and Anna’s father, Christopher. Court filings reveal that the teenager stands accused of Anna’s murder.
An emergency filing, shared by the Kepner family via social media, disclosed that on February 3, 2026, “the petitioner/father’s son, TH, was charged by the United States Attorney in the Southern District of Florida for the [redacted] and homicide of Anna Kepner,” as reported by WESH.
The document further alleges that “immediately after the cruise, the respondent/mother and Chris Kepner expelled [the minor] from their household and have not seen [the minor] since then.”
‘Social media from the Kepner family has indicated that they want the “nails in the coffin” of [the minor] and that both the Kepner family and the respondent “want him buried,”‘ the emergency filing alleged.
An ongoing case against the stepbrother is now under seal and is being overseen by Miami federal judge Beth Bloom, CBS News reported.
Anna Kepner, 18, of Titusville, Florida, was found dead on board the Carnival Horizon on November 7 as it was returning to the Sunshine State from Mexico
Her 16-year-old stepbrother is now facing felony charges for her murder
Federal charges against minors are typically sealed due to the vast protections for youngsters under federal law, former Palm Beach prosecutor Dave Aronberg told the outlet.
But the indictment could be unsealed if the minor is later charged as an adult.
The filings come just weeks after the Daily Mail saw the teenager arriving at Miami’s James Lawrence King Federal Justice Centre flanked by his dad.
The boy, who was wearing a cap, sneakers, black pants and a camouflage hoodie, stared ahead and said nothing as the pair headed inside for a closed-door hearing with a federal judge.
He was then fitted with an electronic ankle tag and released into the care of an unidentified relative.
The teenager had already been removed from the Kepners’ blended household in Titusville and placed with a relative while the FBI investigation played out.
The Daily Mail was the first outlet to report that Anna’s body was found stuffed under a bed in the cabin she was sharing with her stepbrother and 14-year-old half-brother.
She had been wrapped in a blanket and covered with life preservers, according to our sources.
The teenage suspect arriving at federal court in Florida earlier this month
Exclusive Daily Mail images show him arriving at Miami’s James Lawrence King Federal Justice Centre flanked by his father, Thomas Hudson, who is now seeking custody of the boy
Anna had gone to bed early the night before, telling her family during dinner that she was feeling unwell.
While her half-brother wandered around the ship taking photos, she was left alone with her stepbrother, who takes medication for ADHD and insomnia.
When the younger boy returned, he did not see Anna but assumed she was staying up late with her mother or father, or grandparents, Jeffrey and Barbara Kepner.
He climbed into his bunk and went to sleep – unaware, sources say, that his sister’s body was concealed just feet away.
It was not until the next day, when the boys headed to breakfast, that the family realized Anna was missing.
A medical emergency was announced over the ship’s public address system, prompting Christopher to rush to her Deck 8 cabin, where a cleaning crew had just discovered the body.
Anna and her blended family. Her father, Christopher, split from his ex-wife in 2023, but soon found love with Shauntel, who divorced her ex-husband, Thomas, last year and moved to Titusville with her two youngest children
FBI investigators then swarmed the ship, interviewed the family and scoured CCTV cameras when the Horizon returned to Miami on November 8.
At the time, Anna’s stepbrother insisted he could not remember what took place in the cabin, well-placed sources told the Daily Mail.
In the aftermath, Hudson sought emergency custody of his and Shauntel’s young daughter, claiming she took the kids on the ill-fated cruise without his permission – and even let the older children drink alcohol, an accusation she denied.
A Brevard County judge ruled that the girl was not in any danger and could remain with Shauntel and Christopher so long as the stepbrother was living elsewhere.
Christopher has since expressed his frustration that the teenage suspect was allowed to walk freely following the court hearing earlier this month.
The Daily Mail previously reported that Anna had returned to the cruise ship cabin she was sharing with her younger brother and stepbrother after dinner on November 6, and never left the room again
‘At this time, it is deeply painful and disturbing to our family that the person responsible is able to walk freely,’ he said in a joint statement with Shauntel.
‘This reality adds to our grief and outrage. It is devastating to know that while we live every day with the loss of our child, the individual responsible has not yet been fully held accountable.
‘This only strengthens our resolve to continue seeking justice for our daughter.’
Christopher and Shauntel said they had been asked by the FBI to remain silent throughout the investigation.
‘The loss of our daughter is a pain that will never fully heal,’ the pair added.
‘She was taken from us in a violent and senseless way, and our family has been permanently changed.’
