The twisted dynamics of Anna Kepner’s family are coming to light, as investigators search for answers related to the teenager’s passing on a cruise ship.
Anna’s 16-year-old stepbrother is currently being treated as a suspect in the case.
As the mystery unravels, unverified online claims accuse Anna’s biological father of having an affair with a 15-year-old babysitter.
The twisted dynamics of deceased Anna Kepner’s family are coming to light
The sinister events unfolded while Anna Kepner was vacationing aboard the Carnival Horizon cruise ship with her father, Christopher Kepner, her stepmother, Shauntel Hudson, and her stepsiblings.
Her family last saw her alive while the six-day Caribbean cruise ship was on its way back to Miami.
The 18-year-old cheerleader joined the family for dinner on the night of November 6, but she told them she wasn’t feeling too well and returned to her room.
The next day, the Titusville, Florida, high schooler didn’t show up for breakfast, prompting a frantic search aboard the ship.
Eventually, a housekeeper found the teenager’s body wrapped up in a blanket, covered in life jackets, and stuffed underneath her bed.
A housekeeper found Anna’s body wrapped up in a blanket, covered in life jackets, and stuffed underneath a bed aboard the cruise ship
Following the grisly discovery of Anna’s body, court filings revealed that Anna’s 16-year-old stepbrother may face charges in connection with her passing.
Anna’s stepmother, Shauntel Hudson, who had recently married Christopher Kepner, had filed an emergency motion on Monday, November 17, in Brevard County asking to reschedule a hearing tied to her 2024 divorce from ex-husband Thomas Hudson.
“A criminal case may be initiated” against one of Shauntel’s minor children, the filing said.
The same week, Thomas filed a motion demanding urgent clarification about the circumstances surrounding his teenage son, now a suspect in Anna’s passing.
The father also asked for immediate custody of the other minor child he shares with Shauntel.
Thomas Hudson, the biological father of the suspect, blamed his son’s legal troubles on Shauntel’s decision to keep him away from his dad
“The sixteen-year-old child is now a suspect in the de*th of the stepchild during the cruise. While released from custody, the sixteen-year-old child is residing with a third party,” said Thomas’ filing.
The document also claimed that the 16-year-old son’s future “has been put in jeopardy” because of Shauntel’s “choices.”
Moreover, “the youngest child is at immediate risk of ab*se, abandonment, or neglect in the care of [Shauntel],” the filing added.
Thomas claimed that Shauntel’s decision to keep their 16-year-old son away from him was the reason behind his current legal troubles.
He further said Shauntel failed to provide a “stable environment” for their children after she moved in with her now-husband, Christopher.
The filing also mentions an alleged incident where one of Thomas and Shauntel’s children was involved in an altercation with the mother and Christopher.
The child “attempted to jump out of a moving vehicle” during the confrontation, the filing said.
One of Thomas and Shauntel’s children allegedly “attempted to jump out of a moving vehicle” during an altercation
On Tuesday, Shauntel filed her own response and denied allegations of her children being neglected or abandoned.
The mother accused Thomas of physically mistreating their children and said their two minor kids refused to visit him because of “issues of domestic violence on the Father’s part.”
She also accused Thomas of using the current circumstances to fast-track their custody battle, which has been ongoing since 2024.
Thomas and Shauntel welcomed three children before their divorce
Amid details about Anna’s stepmother and siblings coming to light, netizens have shared chilling claims about her own biological father as well.
One tweet claimed that a woman, Christina Donohue, sought a s**ual-violence injunction against Christopher in a 2008 case, but no charges were filed against him at the time.
Some tweets also claimed Christopher had an illicit and inappropriate relationship with a 15-year-old babysitter.
These claims, however, have not been verified.
Claims online have made netizens question Christopher Kepner’s character as well
In a statement shortly after his daughter’s passing, Christopher claimed the FBI hadn’t shared any information with him.
“We were there as a family. Everybody was questioned. Everybody came off that ship. I don’t know who they are looking at or what their investigation is,” he told the Daily Mail.
“I know as little as everybody else,” he added. “I have no idea what is going on right now. We are just trying to sit still and wait for answers.”
The 16-year-old suspect in Anna’s passing is currently staying with a relative, reports said.
Netizens expressed concern after the latest string of allegations came to light.
“Poor Anna. She was apparently living in a house of horror with no one to protect her,” one said, while another wrote, “Man this family is a mess.”
“Wow no wonder he is allowing the mother of the m**derer to advocate for the m**derer while he stays silent,” said another.
One wrote, “What a dysfunctional family. Poor Anna.”
“This whole thing just keeps getting worse and worse,” read one comment online
