The 16-year-old boy who may be suspected in his stepsister’s death aboard a cruise ship was “an emotional mess” when her body was discovered, according to family members.
Anna Kepner, an 18-year-old high school cheerleader from Titusville, Fla., was on a family vacation when she was found dead under a bed on the Carnival Horizon cruise ship on Nov. 8.
The FBI is investigating the case, the agency has previously confirmed. Officials have not publicly named a suspect or person of interest.
Court filings in an unrelated child custody case, however, suggest Anna’s 16-year-old stepbrother may be a “suspect” in her death.
In a petition filed in that custody matter, Thomas Hudson, the biological father of the teen boy, stated that his son is a “suspect in the death of the step child during the cruise,” according to a court document.
Hudson’s ex-wife, Shauntel Hudson — the boy’s biological mother and Kepner’s stepmother — also made similar statements, saying the FBI informed her that her son could be facing a criminal case following Kepner’s death, according to another court document. (Shauntel’s last name is listed as “Kepner” in several media reports, but court documents identify her as Shauntel Hudson.)
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():focal(599x0:601x2):format(webp)/anna-kepner-2-111025-4e8104ffa4fe45e0b6512df94c2ac0d4.jpg)
Kepner’s grandparents recently said in an interview that Anna and her stepbrother were very close — like “two peas in a pod.”
After Kepner’s body was found, the stepbrother appeared devastated, her grandmother Barbara Kepner told ABC News in an exclusive interview.
“He was an emotional mess. He couldn’t even speak,” Barbara said. “He couldn’t believe what had happened.”
Security footage shows that the boy, who was sharing a room with Kepner, was the only person seen going in and out of the cabin, investigators told the family, according to Barbara.
He allegedly said he has no memory of what occurred.
“In his own words, he says he does not remember what happened,” Barbara told ABC News. “I believe, to him, that is his truth.”
She declined to comment on speculation about a potential criminal case against him.
“I can’t accuse him because I don’t know what happened in that room,” she said.
The teen was hospitalized for psychiatric observation after the cruise ship reached Miami, Barbara added, confirming previous statements by Hudson’s lawyer. He has since been released.
Information about the circumstances surrounding Anna’s death and the ongoing investigation remains limited more than two weeks later, as officials continue to keep details closely held.
A formal ruling regarding the cause and manner of her death has not been publicly announced. A source close to the investigation previously told ABC News that Kepner died by asphyxiation from a “bar hold” — meaning an arm held across the neck.
The medical examiner’s office has declined to publicly discuss the cause or manner of death and has referred inquiries to the FBI.
