The police are investigating a 16-year-old boy in the death of his stepsister, Anna Kepner, on a Carnival cruise ship last month. However, he claims he has no recollection of what happened. That’s the update according to text message exchanges between his parents. The court got access to the texts after they were included in a custody court case in Florida.
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What Happened To The Stepsister Anna Kepner?
Anna Kepner‘s death was ruled a homicide. But her passing has drawn international attention and sparked intense speculation on social media. Kepner’s cause of death was “mechanical asphyxia,” according to a copy of her death certificate obtained by ABC News. The report said the 18-year-old “was mechanically asphyxiated by other person(s).” For context, mechanical asphyxia is when an object or physical force stops someone from breathing.
Anna was a high school cheerleader from Florida’s Space Coast, set to graduate next year. She had been traveling on the Carnival Horizon ship with her father, grandparents, stepmother, Shauntel Hudson, and her stepmother’s two children, including the 16-year-old teen suspect.
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Kepner’s death aboard the Carnival ship that sailed from Miami has remained covered in mystery as the FBI and medical examiner’s office in South Florida refused to disclose any information about the case for weeks.
What The Text Messages Say About Girl’s Cruise Ship Death
Anna Kepner’s 16-year-old stepbrother has been identified as a suspect in her death. The suspect’s mother, Shauntel, texted her ex-husband, Thomas Hudson, that the teenager kept repeating that he didn’t remember anything when asked. These revelations came from court documents, which local media in central Florida obtained this week, per the Associated Press.
Those court documents were filed in Brevard County by the teen suspect’s divorced parents, the Hudsons. They’re going head to head for custody of their youngest child. The disclosures offer the clearest public indication that federal investigators are scrutinizing a member of the victim’s own blended family.
Suspect’s Parents Dodge Questions As Case Heats Up
An attorney for the 16-year-old’s mother, Shauntel Hudson, also Kepner’s stepmother, didn’t respond to an emailed inquiry on Wednesday. Additionally, an attorney for the boy’s father, Thomas Hudson also didn’t respond.
The Hudsons’ youngest child currently lives with Shauntel. Thomas Hudson has accused his ex-wife of violating time-sharing agreements. After returning from the cruise, the 16-year-old suspect went to live with a relative of Shauntel Hudson.
In the most recent court documents, the ex-spouses discussed via text the news of Kepner’s death going viral on social media. Also, they talked about how to protect their 16-year-old son from public scrutiny. Thomas Hudson also said he wanted his son to know that his parents love him despite what had happened.
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Associated Press contributed to this report via AP Newsroom.
