A 16-year-old boy who is now a suspect in the death of his 18-year-old stepsister on a Carnival cruise ship says he has no recollection of what happened, according to text exchanges filed in a Florida custody case.
Court Documents Reveal Suspect
Court filings from a Brevard County custody dispute show that Anna Kepner’s mother, Shauntel Hudson, told her ex-husband that the teenager repeatedly said he didn’t remember anything when asked. The mother’s text reads: “the teenager kept repeating that he didn’t remember anything when asked.”
Hudson’s attorney and Thomas Hudson’s attorney did not respond to inquiries, while the 16-year-old was sent to live with a relative of Shauntel Hudson after returning from the cruise.
Death Details and Investigation
Kepner’s death was ruled a homicide and the death certificate lists the cause as “mechanical asphyxia,” stating she was mechanically asphyxiated by other person(s). The 18-year-old, a high-school cheerleader from Florida’s Space Coast who was set to graduate next year, was traveling aboard the Carnival Horizon with her father, grandparents, stepmother and her stepmother’s two children, including the suspect.
The FBI and the South Florida medical examiner’s office have not released information about the case for weeks, leaving the circumstances of the death shrouded in mystery.
Family Legal Battle
The parents’ custody case also highlighted their efforts to protect the boy from public scrutiny. Thomas Hudson said he wanted his son to know that he was loved despite what had happened. The ex-spouses discussed the news of Kepner’s death going viral on social media and how to shield their son from public attention.
Key Takeaways
- 16-year-old boy is a suspect in the death of his stepsister on a Carnival cruise.
- The boy claims he has no memory of the incident, as shown in court texts.
- Kepner’s death was ruled a homicide caused by mechanical asphyxia.
The case continues to unfold as investigators probe the circumstances surrounding Anna Kepner’s tragic death on the Carnival Horizon.
