Anna Kepner Update: Father Called To Testify as Death Cer...

By Robert Alexander

Senior Crime & Court Reporter

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New developments continue in the death of 18-year-old Florida cheerleader Anna Kepner, as her father has been ordered to testify in an ongoing custody dispute while federal investigators examine the circumstances surrounding her death.

Newly filed court documents and the release of her public death certificate provide additional details but leave major questions unresolved.

Newsweek contacted the FBI Miami Field Office and Miami-Dade Medical Examiner’s Office for comment via email outside of normal office hours on Wednesday.

The Context

Anna’s death occurred during a six-day Caribbean family cruise vacation with her father, stepmother, grandparents and siblings aboard the Carnival Horizon.

She was found deceased in her cabin shortly before the ship returned to Miami.

The latest filings in the death of 18-year-old Anna Kepner reveal how a federal homicide investigation has become intertwined with a volatile family-court battle, with court filings confirming that a juvenile relative is the subject of the FBI’s probe.

A newly issued subpoena ordering Anna’s father to testify, along with motions seeking to seal records and restrict public disclosures, underscores how the criminal inquiry is now shaping custody decisions and due-process concerns for the minor involved.

At the same time, the release of Kepner’s public death certificate and related filings offers rare insight into an otherwise opaque investigation, raising broader questions about transparency, juvenile justice, and the handling of suspicious deaths aboard cruise ships.

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What To Know

Subpoena Orders Father To Testify

A subpoena filed in Brevard County, Florida, on November 25 directs Christopher Kepner to appear at a December 5 hearing in the divorce and custody case between his wife, Shauntel Hudson, and her ex-husband, Thomas Hudson.

The Notice of Issuance of Subpoena states that “the Petitioner has issued a subpoena to… CHRISTOPHER KEPNER” and confirms it was issued on November 25, 2025.

A related subpoena for a hearing, also filed the same day, orders Kepner to testify at 9:00 a.m. before Judge Michelle P. Studstill, warning that failure to appear may result in contempt of court.

The call for testimony comes as the family continues to seek clarity about Anna’s death.

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Death Certificate Offers Limited Public Details

The public version of her death certificate—issued November 25 by the Florida Bureau of Vital Statistics—confirms that she died on November 7 aboard a cruise ship and that her remains were to be cremated at the Brevard County Crematory in Titusville, Florida.

The document lists her occupation as “student” and her father, Christopher Kepner, as the informant. It does not include a cause or manner of death, which Florida law restricts to immediate family members.

Federal authorities have released few details beyond acknowledging an active investigation.

The family told ABC News that officials informed them the case has been classified as a homicide caused by mechanical asphyxiation.

Miami-Dade County authorities have not publicly confirmed that information, and no charges have been filed.

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Family Court Filings Reveal FBI Focus On Minor

Court filings connected to the custody case indicate that Anna’s 16-year-old stepbrother is the subject of the FBI investigation into her death.

In a motion filed November 20, Shauntel Hudson’s attorney wrote that the FBI is conducting an inquiry “arising out of the suspected murder of the Respondent/Mother’s stepdaughter” and that the minor child “is currently the subject of the active F.B.I. criminal investigation.”

The motion seeks a non-dissemination order preventing either party from publicly discussing the case.

It argues that disclosure of information “may jeopardize the integrity of this ongoing investigation and may expose minor child, T.H., and the other grieving family members, to significant and possible irreversible harm.”

The filing also requests that future filings referencing the minor be submitted under seal and that sensitive information be redacted from public records.

As investigators await full autopsy and toxicology results, family-court proceedings have increasingly intersected with the criminal inquiry.

The FBI continues to review surveillance footage, key-card data, and electronic devices, according to statements shared with media outlets.

Because a juvenile may be involved, any future charging decisions could remain confidential under federal law.

For now, the pending testimony of Anna’s father and the sealed portions of the custody case may play a significant role in determining what information becomes public—and when.

What People Are Saying

Barbara Kepner, Anna’s grandmother who, with her grandfather Jeffrey, were on the cruise, when she found out about her granddaughter’s death said: “I just screamed. I couldn't stop. Screaming,” and when asked about Anna’s stepbrother being a suspect, said: “I don’t think he had anything to do with it, but he was the only one seen coming and going. So I can’t accuse him, because I don’t know what happened in that room — but the summation would be that he did something.”

What Happens Next

The case will now move into a critical phase as Anna Kepner’s father testifies at a December 5 custody hearing, where the judge will also consider a request to restrict public disclosure of information tied to the FBI’s homicide investigation.

Federal authorities continue reviewing evidence—autopsy results, surveillance video, key-card data, and digital devices—while determining whether any charges will be filed, a process that may remain confidential because a juvenile is involved.

If the court grants the non-dissemination order or seals additional records, public insight into both the custody dispute and the federal probe will likely diminish, leaving future updates dependent on official findings or potential criminal action.

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