Content warning: This article includes descriptions of sexual assault that some readers may find distressing.Federal investigators have obtained a DNA sample from a mystery juvenile male who allegedly had sex with 18-year-old Anna Kepner aboard a Carnival cruise ship shortly before her death.This development introduces a potential twist as federal prosecutors move forward with their case against Kepner’s stepbrother, Timothy Hudson, who faces charges for her alleged sexual assault and murder.The revelation is detailed in a recently unsealed 145-page detention hearing transcript.Hudson, previously identified in juvenile court documents by his initials, T.H., is accused of killing Kepner inside their shared cabin aboard the Carnival Horizon in November 2025 as the ship sailed from Cozumel, Mexico, back to Miami.
If convicted, the teenager could face a maximum penalty of life in prison.ANNA KEPNER DIES MYSTERIOUSLY DURING FAMILY VACATION ON CARNIVAL CRUISE SHIP: TIMELINE OF EVENTSProsecutors detail Anna Kepner's final moments after her killer strangles her to death in her cruise cabin.They described her murder as "a barbaric, intentional, thoughtful act." Timothy Hudson has been charged with first-degree murder and sexual assault.
(Matthew Symons for Fox News Digital | Anna Kepner/Instagram)According to the transcript, prosecutors disclosed that Kepner had sexual intercourse during the cruise with an out-of-state minor, referred to in court as "minor witness two." Investigators confirmed this individual is not Hudson, who was 16 at the time of the killing.The disclosure came as prosecutors laid out DNA evidence collected after Kepner’s body was found in cabin 8343, which she shared with Hudson and her 13-year-old brother.ANNA KEPNER'S STEPBROTHER CHARGED WITH HOMICIDE: COURT DOCSProsecutors said a rape kit collected during Kepner’s autopsy produced male DNA from two vaginal swabs, including one that tested positive for sperm.FOLLOW THE FOX TRUE CRIME TEAM ON XB...