The stepbrother of 18-year-old Anna Kepner, who was discovered deceased in her cruise ship cabin last November, is now facing homicide charges, as revealed in legal documents tied to an ongoing family case.

Thomas Hudson, in a petition filed on February 20th for an emergency divorce court hearing, has sought full custody of his 9-year-old daughter. The request comes in light of the current custody arrangement, where his ex-wife, Shauntel Hudson, and her husband, Christopher Kepner, who is Anna’s father, hold primary custody of the child.

Anna Kepner’s tragic death occurred on November 7 aboard a Carnival cruise ship during a family vacation. Her death has now taken a new twist with the involvement of her stepbrother.

According to the petition, which references “social media from the Kepner family,” Anna’s teenage stepbrother was formally charged with homicide by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Southern District of Florida on February 3. The petition, however, does not disclose the stepbrother’s name.

This development follows the stepbrother’s appearance at a Miami federal court on February 6. He was reportedly seen transitioning from a juvenile court to the federal courthouse, dressed in a camouflage hoodie, with a baseball cap and hood obscuring his identity.

A photograph captured outside the Miami federal courthouse on February 6, 2026, shows Anna Kepner’s 16-year-old stepbrother accompanied by his attorney. Court documents confirm he has been charged in connection to his stepsister’s death.

The petition further justifies the need for the custody transfer by describing a “significant and unanticipated change of circumstances,” an apparent reference to the homicide charges. 

Anna Kepner’s 16 year-old stepbrother with his attorney in Miami. (Fox News)

Kepner was found dead in her cabin on a Carnival cruise ship on Nov. 7. She was under the bed, wrapped in a blanket and covered in life jackets. The Miami-Dade County Medical Examiner’s Office listed Anna’s time of death as 11:17 a.m.

The next day, the ship, Carnival Horizon, returned to the Port of Miami, having completed a six-night Caribbean voyage, where the FBI began investigating. 

Anna Kepner died while on board the Carnival Horizon. (Instagram/Anna Kepner)

Shortly after the alleged killing, Christopher Kepner said in a cryptic interview that he wanted his stepson to face consequences, but did not directly say that his stepson was responsible for Kepner’s death. 

“I want him to face the consequences… I will be fighting to make sure that does happen,” Kepner told People. “I do not stand behind what my stepson has done. I cannot say that he is responsible, but I can’t decline.”

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