FBI Probe Looms as Judge Denies Emergency Custody in Anna Kepner Cruise Ship Death Case

Judge Michelle Studstill Says Emergency Custody Standard Not Met in Cruise Death Case

BREVARD COUNTY • VIERA, FLORIDA — A Brevard County family court judge on Friday denied an emergency request from a father seeking to remove his 9-year-old daughter from her mother’s home following the mysterious death of the child’s 18-year-old stepsister aboard a Carnival cruise ship.

Eighteenth Circuit Judge Michelle Studstill ruled there was not enough evidence to show the girl was in immediate danger, despite concerns raised by her father, Timothy Hudson, during a hearing at the Moore Justice Center in Viera.

Hudson filed the motion after the death of Anna Kepner, a Titusville teenager who was found dead aboard the Carnival Horizon during a family cruise.

In his filing, Hudson alleged his daughter was in “imminent jeopardy” because her 16-year-old brother had been named in court documents as a possible suspect in the teen’s death.

But during Friday’s hearing, Judge Studstill said the facts presented did not support emergency removal of the child from her mother’s care.

Central to the judge’s decision was testimony confirming the 16-year-old boy is no longer living in the family’s Titusville home and is currently staying with a third party.

The court also heard he is undergoing a psychiatric evaluation as the death investigation continues.

The boy’s mother, Shauntel Kepner — Anna’s stepmother — testified that her son would not be returning home.

The FBI is investigating the death but has not publicly identified the stepbrother as a suspect. In earlier court filings, Kepner said she was informed her son’s possible involvement remains under investigation and that charges could be pending.

The Miami-Dade Medical Examiner’s Office has not officially released a cause or manner of death; reports indicate Anna Kepner may have died from mechanical asphyxiation, and authorities have not confirmed whether the death is considered a homicide.

During the hearing, Judge Studstill referenced testimony indicating the 9-year-old girl had asked to see her brother around Thanksgiving, despite her father’s claims she was in danger.

On the witness stand, Shauntel Kepner described the family dynamic leading up to the trip and the days before Anna’s death. She said her stepdaughter had shared a cabin across the hall with her two stepbrothers during the cruise.

Hudson and Kepner have been engaged in a prolonged custody battle since their divorce. Kepner retained custody of the couple’s younger children following their split.

Another hearing in the custody case is scheduled for Dec. 17.

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