A 16-year-old boy has been charged in connection with the killing of his stepsister, Florida cheerleader Anna Kepner, whose body was found aboard a Carnival cruise ship late last year, according to newly filed court documents. As reported by The New York Post.
Kepner, 18, died in November after being strangled in what was described as a bar hold while traveling aboard the Carnival Horizon.
Her body was later discovered by a cleaning crew under the bed in the cabin she was sharing with her stepbrother. She was found wrapped in a blanket and covered with life vests, according to previously reported details.
The stepbrother of cheerleader Anna Kepner has been charged with her murder after she was strangled aboard the Carnival Horizon cruise. Reports highlight his twisted obsession with his stepsister as family court documents confirm the homicide charge. https://t.co/CHaYJWowjV
— The Beacon (@hvbeacon) February 24, 2026
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The charging information surfaced in court filings connected to a custody dispute involving the teen’s biological father, Thomas Hudson, and his ex-wife, Shauntel Kepner.
The documents were first reported by WESH and reference a federal charge filed earlier this month.
The latest in the Anna Kepner cruise ship case — her juvenile stepbrother is now formally accused of killing her, according to a divorce court filing from his father. pic.twitter.com/AOlsGBFb60
— Michael Ruiz (@mikerreports) February 24, 2026
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“According to social media from the Kepner family, on Feb. 3, 2026, the petitioner/father’s son was charged by the United States Attorney in the Southern District for Florida for… and homicide of Anna Kepner,” the filing states.
The documents further allege that immediately after the cruise, Shauntel Kepner and her husband, Chris Kepner, expelled the teen from their household and that neither has seen him since.
The filings also reference social media posts attributed to family members expressing anger toward the boy.
“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 document says.
While the charge is referenced in the custody case, the Federal Bureau of Investigation has not formally named Kepner’s stepbrother as a suspect in public statements.
According to CBS News, the federal case involving the teen remains under seal.
Earlier this month, the boy appeared before a federal judge in Miami and was later processed for pre-trial release. He was seen wearing a camouflage zip-up as he was escorted between court buildings.
Additional details surrounding Kepner’s death have emerged through interviews and prior reporting. Her aunt, Krystal Wright, told Fox affiliate WOFL that Kepner “fought for her life” in her final moments.
Kepner’s younger biological brother reportedly heard yelling and the sound of chairs being thrown inside the cabin the night of the killing.
Kepner’s ex-boyfriend, Joshua Tew, told Inside Edition that the brother heard the stepbrother yelling “in a harmful way, of like ‘shut the hell up’ and stuff like that,” and realized something was wrong.
The younger brother later ended up sleeping only feet away from Kepner’s body before it was discovered.
Kepner was last seen alive on Nov. 6 at a family dinner aboard the ship. She reportedly returned to her cabin early because she was feeling unwell.
She was set to graduate from high school this year and had expressed interest in joining the Navy.
Carnival Cruise Line has previously said it is cooperating fully with law enforcement as the investigation continues.
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