The 16-year-old stepbrother of 18-year-old Anna Kepner appeared in a closed federal court hearing in Miami on February 6, 2026, amid an FBI probe into her death aboard the Carnival Horizon cruise ship.​
Case Background
Kepner, a Titusville, Florida high school cheerleader, was found dead under a bed in her stateroom on November 7, 2025, during a family Caribbean cruise returning to Miami; the FBI leads due to international waters jurisdiction. Her death was ruled mechanical asphyxia from a “bar hold,” per court filings in a related custody dispute between her father Christopher Kepner and stepmother Shauntel Hudson.
Stepbrother’s Role
U.S. Marshals escorted the minor—identified as a potential suspect in Hudson family custody papers—to the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida, accompanied by his public defender and father Thomas Hudson. Filings note both parents acknowledged his involvement in the criminal investigation; no formal charges or complaint released yet, but pretrial/probation office visit followed.
Family Response
Christopher Kepner described his daughter as vibrant and called the stepbrother “a normal kid” before demanding accountability: “I want him to face the consequences.” The family learned of her death after she missed breakfast, following reports of feeling unwell; no drugs, alcohol, or sexual assault indicated initially.
