Crime
Stepbrother of Teen Who Died on Cruise Ship Was Briefly Taken Into Custody: His ‘Future Is ‘In Jeopardy’
The 16-year-old stepbrother of Anna Kepner — the 18-year-old high school senior who was found dead on a Carnival Horizon cruise ship on Friday, November 7 — was briefly taken into custody, according to court documents obtained by Globe.
The revelation was made via an emergency motion regarding child custody filed on Monday, November 17 by Thomas Hudson, the estranged husband of Shauntel Hudson, whose partner is Anna’s father, Chris Kepner.
“The parties’ sixteen-year-old child has been residing with [Shauntel],” the filing reads, adding that she took the boy, identified as T.H. on a cruise with their 9-year-old daughter, identified as B.H., “with a step child of her paramour.”
“The sixteen year old child is now a suspect in the death of the step child during the cruise,” the filing continues.
“While released from custody, the sixteen-year-old child is residing with a third party. The sixteen-year old’s future has been put in jeopardy because of the choices made by the Respondent.”
In a response filed on Tuesday, November 18, Shauntel acknowledged that T.H. is a suspect, but also insisted that Thomas agreed to let him live with a relative of hers. In addition the filing reads that T.H.’s father “is believed to have hired counsel for the minor child, T.H. due to the alleged incident.”
“The family is grieving,” the filing continues, and “it is certainly not in the best interests of T.H. that any statements regarding the matter that is the subject of the open investigation be discussed at a civil court proceeding.”
As Globe previously reported, the FBI has been investigating Shauntel’s son in the death of Anna, whose body was found under a bed in a cabin aboard the ship while in international waters.
