During a December 2025 family court hearing in Brevard County, Florida, murdered Anna Kepner‘s 18-year-old stepbrother, Andrew Hudson, delivered startling testimony about past violence in his household, alleging that both his mother, Shauntel Hudson, and his stepfather, Christopher Kepner, physically restrained him on more than one occasion.
In his testimony, Hudson described one incident in which he said the couple restrained him in a vehicle, pinning him against the seat and applying pressure to his neck. “They had held me against the seat, and he put his arm around the back of my neck,” and then, he said held him against the front seat. “She held me there as well,” Andrew added of his mother, Shauntel, according to Florida news outlet WESH.
When asked whether his head was against the seat, he said, “Yes, sir.” Asked if he stayed conscious, Hudson said, “I believe I blacked out once or twice on the way over there.”
Andrew’s testimony is part of ongoing custody litigation between Shauntel Hudson and her ex-husband, Thomas Hudson, Andrew’s father, unrelated to Anna’s death. Christopher Kepner, Anna’s father, had been subpoenaed to testify in that hearing amid disputes over parenting time and the placement of his younger children following Anna’s death.
The judge overseeing the custody matter refused to discuss Anna’s death in court, focusing strictly on custody issues.
Who was Anna Kepner?
Anna Kepner: An 11/17 court filing from Thomas Hudson, Kepner's stepmother's ex, paints a disturbing picture of a troubled family life after the cruise ship death of 18-year-old Anna Kepner. In the sworn motion, he says his 16-year-old child, who was on the cruise with mother… pic.twitter.com/kEZyF9PChP
— Lauren Conlin (@conlin_lauren) November 20, 2025
Anna, a high school senior and cheerleader from Titusville, Florida, was found dead in her cruise ship cabin on November 7, 2025, during a family vacation. Her death has been ruled a homicide by mechanical asphyxia by medical examiners.
Court disclosures in the custody case revealed that Anna’s 16-year-old stepbrother — who had been sharing the cabin with her — is being investigated as a suspect in her death, though federal authorities have not publicly confirmed charges.
At a December 5 hearing, the teenager’s attorney acknowledged that the FBI is considering whether to pursue state or federal charges against him, per Fox News. “We’re not sure what the FBI is going to do — whether he’s going to be charged federally or whether they’re going to turn it over to the state,” the lawyer said in court.
ADHD meds and insomnia
Though not part of official court filings, commentary circulating on social media — including from true crime creator Matt Thibodeau — highlights that the 16-year-old had been diagnosed with ADHD and insomnia. According to publicly shared transcripts and summaries of court discussions, he skipped his insomnia medication for at least two nights while aboard the Carnival Horizon.
Criminal defense attorneys have suggested that the case’s complexity — especially involving family relationships and the way mechanical asphyxia can be interpreted legally — means authorities must proceed cautiously and build a prosecutable case before making any public announcements or arrests.
Federal authorities, including the FBI, continue to investigate Anna’s death. Meanwhile, civil custody hearings are ongoing, and new subpoenas have been issued to gather more family records and testimony. The blended family’s legal battles are unfolding in public courtrooms even as the criminal investigation remains largely confidential.
