New questions raised over Anna Kepners Carnival cruise murder after DNA from unknown male minor found
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.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.Prosecutors said a rape kit collected during Kepner’s autopsy produced male DNA from two vaginal swabs, including one that tested positive for sperm.Based on those preliminary results, the FBI obtained a search warrant for Hudson’s DNA.Investigators also collected DNA from the out-of-state minor who allegedly had sex with Kepner during the cruise.Prosecutors said the FBI lab compared DNA standards from Hudson and “minor witness two” to the male DNA profile found in the vaginal swabs.
According to the government, the other minor was excluded as a contributor.Prosecutors said the DNA instead strongly supported Hudson as the male c...