Teenage stepbrother of 18-year-old who died on Carnival cruise now a suspect, say court papers

TITUSVILLE, Fla. (AP) — The 16-year-old stepbrother of the Florida high school senior who died this month on a Carnival cruise ship has been identified as a suspect in her death, according to sworn statements filed by his parents in court documents.

The disclosures — contained in affidavits and motions filed in an ongoing custody dispute — offer the clearest public indication that federal investigators are scrutinizing a member of the victim’s own blended family.

The documents show both parents acknowledging that their middle child, identified in court only by his initials “T.H.,” is under FBI investigation in connection with the death of Anna Kepner, a high school cheerleader from Florida’s Space Coast whose death aboard the ship has drawn international attention and remains shrouded in uncertainty. A memorial service for Kepner was scheduled for Thursday evening.

Neither the FBI nor Carnival has said publicly how Kepner died, whether a crime occurred, or what led agents to focus on the teen. A spokesperson for the FBI has declined to comment, saying the agency “does not provide operational updates about ongoing investigations.”

A final autopsy report detailing the cause and manner of death is still pending, according to the Miami-Dade County Medical Examiner’s office.

“T.H.” is "now a suspect in the death of the step child during the cruise,” Thomas Hudson, the boy's father, said in court papers seeking custody of the youngest of the three children he shares with his ex-wife.

Hudson's ex-wife, Shauntel Hudson, also acknowledged in family court filings that her middle child was a suspect in the death of Kepner aboard the Carnival Horizon ship. Shauntel Hudson married Kepner's father after her divorce from Thomas Hudson. Kepner was traveling aboard the ship with Shauntel Hudson and her minor children.

“It is true that there is an open investigation regarding the death of the biological daughter of the stepfather and T.H. is a suspect regarding this death which occurred recently on a cruise ship,” Shauntel Hudson's attorney wrote.

Shauntel Hudson wrote that since the death, the boy has been living with a relative “to ensure the safety of the youngest child of the parties." She also said that her ex-husband had hired an attorney for their son due to the probe into Kepner's death.

Earlier this week, Shauntel Hudson's attorney had asked for a delay in a court hearing scheduled next month because of the FBI investigation. The attorney argued that her client cannot be compelled to testify, as any testimony Shauntel Hudson may give “could be prejudicial to her or her adolescent child in this pending criminal investigation.”

Kepner's loved ones planned to honor her Thursday at a celebration of life service in Titusville, 40 miles (64 kilometers) east of Orlando. Her family encouraged attendees to wear colorful clothes instead of the traditional mourner’s black, “in honor of Anna’s bright and beautiful soul.”

Kepner’s obituary described her as someone who loved spending time on the water and said she was planning to graduate high school next year from Temple Christian School in Titusville.