The 16-year-old was charged with homicide as a minor in Kepner’s death, according to court documents obtained by PEOPLE that cite the family’s social media
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Anna Kepner.Credit : Anna Kepner/Instagram
Anna Kepner’s 16-year-old stepbrother has been charged with homicide in connection with her death, her family alleges in court documents obtained by PEOPLE.
In an emergency petition filed in Brevard County, Fla., on Feb. 20, Thomas Hudson petitioned for custody of his nine-year-old daughter, by his ex-wife, Shauntel Hudson. The 9-year-old currently primarily resides with Shauntel and her husband, Chris Kepner, Anna’s father.
“There has been a significant and unanticipated change in circumstances that requires the immediate transfer of sole time sharing and parental responsibility,” the petition reads.
The document goes on to state that Anna’s teenage stepbrother was charged with homicide on Feb. 3 by the U.S. Attorney in the Southern District of Florida, citing “social media from the Kepner family.” CBS News was the first to report on the petition.
Anna, an 18-year-old from Titusville, Fla., was found dead under a bed in her room on the Carnival Horizon on Nov. 7, 2025, during a vacation with her family. She died from asphyxiation from a bar hold, according to court filings submitted in the same case.
“Information has been obtained that will potentially call into question the judgment and parenting” of Shauntel and Chris, the Feb. 20 petition obtained by PEOPLE alleges.
Anna’s 16-year-old stepbrother appeared in a federal court in Miami on Feb. 6, a law enforcement source told PEOPLE.
Shauntel and Chris released a statement after the proceedings, confirming that the stepbrother had been granted release, and the couple voiced their anger about this decision.
“At this time, it is deeply painful and disturbing to our family that the person responsible is able to walk freely. This reality adds to our grief and outrage,” the statement read in part. “It is devastating to know that while we live every day with the loss of our child, the individual responsible has not yet been fully held accountable.”
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A law enforcement source told PEOPLE that U.S. Marshals escorted the 16-year-old to the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida, where he and his public defender appeared before a magistrate in a closed-door hearing.
The case is being tried in federal court because Anna died on open water while the cruise ship was returning to Miami following a weeklong Caribbean cruise.
PEOPLE reached out to federal prosecutors and the FBI, which is handling the investigation, for comment. They previously declined to comment.
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