Definitely was their rotten decision. I don't know if her father is backing him, the texts in this one are between her and her ex. They also want to keep his name from being known and that is said in them. Well good luck with that, everyone knows his name. The texts are of course from awhile back but they came up recently in the custody hearing I gather.
This one is federal or I guess the feds have to decide if they are keeping it or giving it to the local courts. Either way I'm sure he can be charged as an adult if they choose to.
Yeah it's a lot like Reiner. One family member kills another and they side with the killer. SMH.
abcnews.go.com
I don't believe for a moment this "kid" doesn't recall anything. Typical to say such.Suspect in stepsister's cruise death says he doesn't remember anything, documents say
A 16-year-old boy being investigated in the death of his stepsister on a Carnival cruise ship last month has no recollection of the incident
Suspect in stepsister's cruise death says he doesn't remember anything, documents say
A 16-year-old boy being investigated in the death of his stepsister on a Carnival cruise ship last month has no recollection of the incident
Shauntel tries to claim in the custody case that she was not interfering with the ex's visitation rights, etc. but here she refuses to let the ex talk to their 9 year old and that sure does seem like interfering with his rights. It also would seem she talked to him long enough to get him to agree to sign an agreement placing the boy with her relative and then she quits speaking to him again and shuts him out.This article has a lot of the texts between the 16 year old's parents. The headline indicates they are from court records.
Kepner case: Court records show family texts shared after teen's death
Texts between stepmother of Titusville teen found dead on cruise ship and the stepmom's ex-husband express concern for teen's stepbrother.www.floridatoday.com
Kepner case: Court records show family texts shared after teen's death
Recent court filings show a series of text messages between the stepmother of Anna Kepner and her ex-husband, discussing public speculation surrounding the 18-year-old Titusville cheerleader’s death aboard a six-day family cruise and how to shield their 16-year-old son from the media.
Shauntel Kepner, formerly Shauntel Hudson, and her ex-husband, Timothy Hudson, have been engaged in an acrimonious custodial proceeding involving their 16-year-old son and 10-year-old daughter. The text thread between the two, surfacing in court documents, provide some insight into the family’s already ruptured ties.
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Anna Kepner, Titusville teen who died aboard Carnival Horizon
Anna Kepner, a Titusville teen who died aboard Carnival Horizon. Her death is being investigated by the FBI.
Anna Kepner’s body was found 11:17 a.m. Nov. 7 in the Carnival Horizon cabin she shared with her 16-year-old stepbrother and a younger stepsibling.
The Horizon, which traveled to Jamaica, Grand Cayman and other stops, returned to Port Miami on Nov. 8, with authorities removing the Temple Christian senior's body from the ship, which carried at least 4,000 passengers. Her stepbrother was transferred to a facility for an evaluation before being released to another relative, court records show.
The FBI, which has maritime authority to investigate potential crimes on the high seas, has not filed any charges in the case.
Several news outlets, including ABC News and People.com, reported that the medical examiner determined Anna Kepner died as a result of mechanical asphyxiation. The Miami-Dade Medical Examiner’s office, however, as of Dec. 23, has not released any official or preliminary cause of death in the case, even though court records include detailed discussion of the 16-year-old’s possible involvement with his stepsister’s death.
Text messages speak of keeping things 'hush hush'
The first text came at 7:34 p.m. following the Nov. 7 discovery of Anna Kepner’s lifeless body in her cabin, which was located across the hallway from that of Shauntel Kepner and her husband, Chris Kepner.
“I need you to call me asap it’s an emergency,” Shauntel Kepner texted her former husband.
Timothy Hudson offered to take the couple’s daughter as media scrutiny of the case grew. Shauntel Kepner, however, shut down the suggestions, saying the girl was already traumatized and didn’t need to be moved.
“She doesn’t know anything about (her brother) The only thing I told her is that he was having a hard time coping with losing Anna so he’s getting checked out by the hospital,” Kepner wrote in a Nov. 8 text.
“I was able to talk with (the brother) last night for under two minutes briefly. He just keeps repeating over and over he can’t remember anything,” she told her former husband the next day.
Hudson responded: “I just want him to know that he isn’t just dead to everyone. Regardless of everything at the moment he needs his parents I know you know that. I just would like to have a chance to talk with him as soon as possible.”
Kepner then reassured Hudson that the Kepner family told the boy that he wasn’t (alone).”
Later, the pair talked about speculation swirling around the family on social media, as statements from other relatives surfaced saying that Anna had been “murdered.”
Shauntel Kepner, who had posted on Facebook asking for people to give the family privacy, tried to reassure her ex-husband as the case garnered increasing international attention. Speculation, however, continued to grow, as Anna Kepner’s face graced the cover of People magazine and as reporters crowded into the courtroom of the Moore Justice Center in Viera as details of the custody case were heard.
“Nobody knows anything about him. He is a minor and has been kept completely out of it. We have not said anything to anybody and we are to try our best to keep completely out,” Kepner texted.
“We’ll know exactly more when the autopsy is done. Once we get the autopsy today, depending on what it says, depend on whether he’s booked on these charges.”
Additionally, on Nov. 9, Shauntel Kepner texted her ex-husband that "OK, I know everything is supposed to be hush hush for now but ive seen that it is still getting out with post and comments between facebook tiktok and stuff … i just want to make sure until things are certain that he doesn’t get an unnecessary comments towards him.”
Anna Kepner of Titusville, 18, died while on a cruise on the Carnival Horizon, according to the FBI, the lead agency investigating the case.
Provided by Kepner family
Stepbrother's medication, more discussed in texts
Kepner, who was divorced from Hudson in 2023, said in court filings that she has been warned that the 16-year-old boy’s possible involvement in the death is being investigated and that charges could be pending.
On Nov. 11, the pair finalized an agreement to turn the boy over to the care and supervision of a family member on Florida’s west coast, after Kepner said the boy could not return to the Titusville home she shares with Anna Kepner’s father.
Both discussed the prescription medication the 16-year-old boy was on and gave the family member the power of attorney to allow him counseling and medical treatment where needed.
Hudson pleaded in the texts to talk with his young daughter, but Shauntel Kepner told him the child, who was also close to Anna Kepner, did not want to talk.
“I spoke with (her). At this time, she doesn’t want to talk. I let her know that you care about her and that you love her,” she wrote.
Hudson responded minutes later on the thread, expressing growing concern about his daughter’s emotional state following her stepsister's death.
“I want to hear it from her with everything going on Shaun … I need to hear her,” his text said.
The girl was later given counseling through the Florida Department of Children and Family Services, shortly after a Nov. 20 memorial service for Anna Kepner.
By Nov. 14, Shauntel Kepner told Hudson, who continued to text with questions and concerns, to direct his inquiries to her attorney.
J.D. Gallop is a criminal justice/breaking news reporter at FLORIDA TODAY. Contact Gallop at 321-917-4641 or jgallop@floridatoday.com. X: @JDGallop.
Yeah from the start and continuing. So much for heartbreak over Anna, was all about protecting him. And then she drops ex imo the minute she got what she needed from him, AND would not let him talk to his daughter.
If she truly cared about the little girl, she would say "come get her right now and shield her from this".
Yes, I feel the same. Everything that stepmother has done or said I seriously question. Not any more happy with dad (Anna's) but stepmom, oh yeah.
Agree. It was probably her stupid decision to put Anna in that room with the boys too.
Probably so. My worst thoughts is that she figured something would happen to Anna at her son's hands, just not murder. I try not to think that way most of the time but it crosses my mind. If she knew her son at all, or his obsession with Anna, she SHOULD have figured...
