A shocking new development has emerged in the ongoing investigation into the passing of 18-year-old cheerleader Anna Kepner aboard a cruise ship last year.
Investigators have reportedly identified DNA belonging to a second minor in connection with the case, adding a new layer of complexity to an already disturbing investigation.
Anna was found deceased inside her cruise-ship cabin on November 7, 2025, concealed beneath a bed and covered with a blanket and life vests during what was supposed to be a family vacation.
As Kepner’s 16-year-old stepbrother, Timothy Hudson, continues to face federal charges, the newly disclosed evidence has sparked fresh questions about the events leading up to the tragedy.
Prosecutors have confirmed the discovery of two male DNA samples in the investigation surrounding the passing of Anna Kepner
Image credits: anna.kepner16
Trigger Warning: This article contains sensitive content that may be distressing for some readers.
The horrifying tragedy unfolded last year aboard the Carnival Horizon cruise ship while the family was en route to Miami.
Anna Kepner’s body was discovered by a housekeeper after an extensive search of the vessel underneath her bed, and the ship returned to Miami shortly afterward so the FBI could begin its investigation.
Authorities listed the official cause of her passing as being “mechanically asphyxiated by other person(s),” according to her certificate.
During the forensic investigation, the FBI conducted a s*xual a**ault examination that yielded male DNA from two v*ginal swabs, according to a newly unsealed 145-page court transcript.
Image credits: Romain Maurice/Getty Images
The swabs were sent to the FBI laboratory in Quantico, Virginia, for expedited sequencing.
Documents reviewed by Fox News revealed that investigators determined an out-of-state teenage passenger, referred to as “Minor Witness 2,” had engaged in a consensual s*xual encounter with Kepner during the cruise.
The FBI obtained a search warrant and requested a DNA sample from the unidentified teenager, who complied with the request.
Following testing, he was formally “excluded as a contributor” to the crime-scene evidence. He was reportedly never considered a suspect and faces no criminal charges.
The 18-year-old tragically lost her life while on a family cruise vacation with her father, stepmother, and three stepsiblings
Image credits: Carnival
Prosecutors confirmed that Kepner’s encounter with the unidentified teenager occurred earlier and was entirely unrelated to the alleged attack.
A second male DNA sample reportedly tested positive for male bodily fluid, and investigators obtained DNA samples from Anna’s stepbrother, Timothy Hudson, in January of this year for further analysis.
According to court documents, laboratory results matched the remaining DNA profile to Hudson, finding it was “1.2 septillion times more likely” to belong to him than to an unrelated individual.
Following the forensic findings, the FBI arrested Timothy in February and initially charged him as a juvenile with delinquency-related offenses.
Image credits: ABC News
However, in April, a federal grand jury returned a superseding indictment transferring the case to adult court and approved prosecutors’ request to try him as an adult due to the severity of the allegations.
Hudson is currently charged as an adult with first-degree homicide and aggravated s*xual a*use in connection with the passing of his stepsister aboard the cruise ship.
Because Timothy is now being prosecuted as an adult, court documents containing details about the two male DNA samples were unsealed.
Anna reportedly had consensual intimate relations with an unidentified minor male on the cruise before the tragedy
Image credits: fox35
Amid the proceedings, Hudson’s defense team, led by federal public defenders, has argued that there is a critical lack of physical evidence directly linking him to the homicide.
According to unsealed court transcripts, the defense conducted a detailed cross-examination of the FBI’s lead case agent regarding the circumstances surrounding Anna’s passing.
Defense attorneys highlighted that investigators did not recover any of Hudson’s DNA from the “marks and bruises” on Anna’s neck, nor is there forensic evidence identifying “who may have strangled her.”
They argued that prosecutors are relying on assumptions by treating the alleged s*xual a*use and the homicide as a single event.
Image credits: markdohner
The defense also questioned whether the medical examiner could definitively determine how long after the alleged attack Anna passed away, or whether investigators could establish that the individual involved in the s*xual encounter was the same person responsible for her loss of life.
In response, the FBI agent testified, “I don’t think they made that determination.”
Despite facing adult charges, a federal judge ruled in May 2026 that Hudson could remain on house arrest with electronic monitoring while awaiting trial, which is currently scheduled for September 8.
If convicted, Timothy could face two life sentences, as he is charged with two separate federal felonies: one count of first-degree homicide and one count of aggravated s*xual a*use.
Kepner’s 16-year-old stepbrother, Timothy Hudson, has been charged as an adult in connection with her alleged homicide
Image credits: anna.kepner16
If a jury finds Hudson guilty on both counts during the September 2026 trial, a federal judge will determine whether the sentences are served concurrently, at the same time, or consecutively, one after the other.
The court documents also revealed that Anna’s biological father, Christopher Kepner, and Timothy’s biological mother, Shauntel Hudson, cut off all contact with the 16-year-old after the cruise ship returned to port last November.
Hudson was removed from the family home following the cruise and sent to live with a maternal uncle. According to the documents, neither parent has spoken to him since.
Christopher has also been vocal about his frustration with Timothy’s alleged actions following the incident, telling the Daily Mail that the teen had yet to apologize or show remorse.
He told the outlet, “We’re upset that he’s still out. We’re six months in, and he should already have been arrested, and yet he’s free to do whatever he wants right now… He’s been able to do whatever he wants and go where he wants, but the family’s been sitting here unable to do anything.”
“I want to see him in an orange jumpsuit and handcuffs. He does not need to be free. He does not need to be in the general public, around any kids, or women in general. He’s a danger to himself and a danger to others.”
“It’s disgusting that her stepbrother is still out living his life right now…” one social media user fumed online
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