Anna Kepner’s cruise ship death: New Florida subpoenas could offer clues into homicide investigation

As national investigators attack six weeks with nary nationalist updates successful the homicide probe of 18-year-old cheerleader Anna Kepner, a caller circular of subpoenas successful Florida household tribunal whitethorn connection a glimpse into the case.

The subpoenas, filed by attorneys for Anna’s stepmother, Shauntel Kepner, bespeak that witnesses from some the Florida Department of Children and Families (DCF) and Temple Christian School, wherever Anna was a student, person been ordered to look astatine a Wednesday day custody proceeding successful Viera, Florida.

According to the filings, those subpoenaed see DCF researcher Glora Thomas, on with Temple Christian School unit members Gabi Brunner, Karen Ross and Rich Brunner, who were each directed to nutrient records involving respective of the Hudson and Kepner children.

The latest enactment comes arsenic national authorities proceed to analyse Anna’s decease aboard the Carnival Horizon connected Nov. 7, aft she was recovered nether the furniture successful her stateroom she shared with her 14-year-old member and 16-year-old stepbrother. Her decease has been ruled a homicide by mechanical asphyxia.

Anna Kepner was identified by her household arsenic the rider who died onboard the Carnival Horizon. (Instagram/Anna Kepner)

CARNIVAL CRUISE SHIP DEATH: FAMILY DYNAMICS MAY EXPLAIN INVESTIGATORS’ SILENCE, LEGAL EXPERT SAYS

Criminal defence lawyer and Fox News Contributor Donna Rotunno antecedently told Fox News Digital that the soundlessness from investigators whitethorn bespeak the complexity of a lawsuit if the imaginable perpetrator’s household unrecorded nether the aforesaid roof.

"It is unusual we haven’t heard anything," Rotunno said. "But I deliberation there’s a crushed for it. When you’re dealing with fundamentally 1 family, authorities person to beryllium cautious astir what they enactment retired there. You don’t privation to extremity disconnected what’s going connected erstwhile your victim’s household and your perpetrator’s household are successful the aforesaid house."

Rotunno said Anna’s origin of decease whitethorn besides beryllium contributing to the silence.

"They whitethorn not cognize if they tin beryllium what happened yet," she said. "Mechanical asphyxia could beryllium argued arsenic accidental oregon thing that went excessively far. Investigators whitethorn inactive beryllium sorting retired what the grounds supports."

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Despite the antithetic posture, an exigency custody proceeding connected Dec. 5 yielded the astir substantive developments since the cruise-ship death.

During that hearing, Shauntel’s attorney, Millicent Athanason, noted that Anna's 16-year-old stepbrother whitethorn soon look authorities oregon national charges.

"We’re not definite what the FBI is going to do," Athanason said. "Whether he’s going to beryllium charged federally oregon whether they’re going to crook it implicit to the state."

Shauntel and Anna’s father, Christopher Kepner, person referred to the 16-year-old successful tribunal filings arsenic a "suspect" and the taxable of an FBI investigation. Federal authorities person not announced a fishy oregon charges.

Athanason told the tribunal the teen is presently staying with a comparative arsenic investigators await "psychological and psychiatric" trial results, saying that "they don’t cognize astatine this clip however agelong that kid is going to beryllium astatine her relative’s house."

The FBI declined to remark connected Athanason’s remarks.

(L-R) Chris Kepner, Shauntel Kepner and Jeffrey Kepner get astatine tribunal successful Melbourne, Florida, Friday, Dec. 5, 2025. The trio headed to an exigency custody proceeding successful an ongoing quality betwixt Shauntel and her ex-husband, Thomas Hudson. (Mark Sims for Fox News Digital)

CRUISE TRAGEDY: ‘I AM NOT OKAY,’ SAYS MOTHER OF 18-YEAR-OLD FOUND DEAD ABOARD CARNIVAL SHIP

During the erstwhile household tribunal hearing, Shauntel testified that the 16-year-old had been diagnosed with ADHD and was taking medicine for insomnia, which she said helium had skipped for 2 nights connected the cruise.

Testimony from Anna’s older stepbrother, 18-year-old Andrew Hudson, introduced caller allegations of volatility successful the household. Andrew said that helium was placed successful a chokehold and restrained successful a conveyance by Shauntel and Christopher.

Thomas Hudson, Shauntel’s ex-husband and the begetter of her youngest daughter, besides testified, arguing that his 9-year-old kid whitethorn beryllium astatine hazard nether Shauntel’s supervision successful the aftermath of Anna’s death. He accused Christopher of interfering with custody exchanges.

The justice recovered nary exigency requiring a alteration successful custody but noted imaginable contempt issues that volition beryllium addressed astatine Wednesday’s hearing.

Anna Kepner, her father, stepmother and respective siblings successful a household photo. (Shauntel Kepner/Facebook)

DCF was ordered to nutrient years of intake notes, aesculapian records and investigative files related to the family, dating backmost to 2007, up of Wednesday afternoon’s hearing.

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Temple Christian School unit were asked to nutrient attendance records, behaviour reports and world documentation for 2 of the Hudson children.

The proceeding is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. Wednesday astatine the Moore Justice Center.