Additional Coverage:
Titusville, FL – A tragic maritime mystery continues to deepen as the stepmother of an 18-year-old cheerleader who died on a Carnival cruise ship has filed an emergency motion to postpone a court hearing. Shauntel Kepner, formerly Shauntel Hudson, claims she cannot testify in a proceeding with her ex-husband without potentially incriminating herself or one of their minor children in the ongoing criminal investigation into the death of Anna Kepner.
The emergency motion, filed in Brevard County, seeks to delay a December hearing, citing the active FBI investigation into Anna Kepner’s death on November 7th. “The Respondent has been advised through discussions with FBI investigators and her attorneys, that a criminal case may be initiated against one of the minor children of this instant action,” wrote Shauntel’s attorney, Millicent Athanason, to a Brevard County judge.
Anna Kepner’s step-grandfather, Christopher Donohue, expressed his family’s heartbreak and confusion. “All I know is that she went on that boat, and she never came back,” he told Fox News Digital.
Donohue also revealed he learned from a news article that Anna was staying in a room with her stepbrother, stating, “I don’t know why Anna was staying in a room with her stepbrother.” He added, “The FBI has kept us in the dark, never contacted us.
The Kepners haven’t told us anything. We’ve learned from Facebook posts that the stepson is a suspect.”
A law enforcement source indicated that authorities have obtained surveillance video from the cruise ship showing Anna Kepner with a “suspect,” and the FBI is currently reviewing extensive additional footage from the time leading up to her death. Records of room key swipes aboard the vessel are also being examined.
Further complicating the familial dynamics, Shauntel’s ex-husband, Thomas Hudson, filed an emergency motion for temporary relief, alleging that their 16-year-old son “is now a suspect in the death of the stepchild during the cruise.” Hudson’s filing also claims that their 18-year-old son moved in with him after a purported “violent altercation” involving himself, Shauntel, and her current husband, Christopher Kepner (Anna’s father). The 16-year-old’s current whereabouts are unclear, though he has reportedly been released from custody and is staying with an unnamed third party.
Shauntel’s lawyer, in response, denied the eldest child’s involvement in a violent altercation and refuted claims that Shauntel denied Hudson time-sharing with their children. Neither Shauntel nor Athanason provided further comment, with the lawyer asserting her client’s right against self-incrimination, arguing that testifying in the divorce proceeding could “be prejudicial to her or her adolescent child” in the criminal investigation.
The FBI’s Miami office is leading the investigation, and the Miami-Dade County medical examiner’s office is conducting the autopsy. As of Wednesday morning, no cause or manner of death has been determined. Previous reports, citing unnamed sources, indicated Anna Kepner’s remains were found hidden under a bed in her cabin, wrapped in a blanket and covered with life jackets.
Carnival Cruise Line has stated its full cooperation with the FBI. The FBI has not responded to requests for comment.