A Florida judge has named Anna Kepner’s teen stepbrother a suspect in her murder.
On Friday, Brevard Judge Michelle Studstill announced the 16-year-old stepbrother as a suspect during a custody hearing, People Magazine reports.
The boy’s father, Thomas Hudson, is seeking emergency custody of his 9-year-old daughter. She is currently living in Titusville with her mother, Shauntel Hudson.
Thomas Hudson argued that his ex failed to properly supervise his children aboard the ship, adding that the 16-year-old shared a room with Kepner, 18, Florida Today reports.
He also argued that the 9-year-old is in imminent danger, but the judge subsequently disagreed, following testimonies from both parties.
“I’m hearing nothing to validate that (the child) is in imminent danger at this time,” Studstill said.
Studstill acknowledged that the 9-year-old wanted to meet her brother for Thanksgiving, and that Thomas Hudson had agreed to it, with supervision.
The teen suspect is not currently living in his mother’s home and is scheduled for a psychiatric evaluation, the court heard.
He won’t be coming back home anytime soon, Shauntel Hudson told the judge.
“At this time, no. Not with the FBI investigation…as of right now, he’s not coming back to the home,” she said.
As CrimeOnline previously reported, Anna died by asphyxiation after someone held an arm across her neck, known as a bar hold or choke hold.
A room steward reportedly discovered Anna’s body at around 11 a.m. while cleaning a cabin aboard the Carnival Horizon. The ship then detoured and stopped at Port Miami on November 8.
Anna Kepner died on November 7, according to the Miami-Dade County Medical Examiner. The vessel was in Cuba at the time, on the northwest coast.
The FBI, currently investigating the case, has not yet named a suspect in the case.
Meanwhile, the family is scheduled to appear for another court hearing on December 7.
Check back for updates.
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[Feature Photo: Anna Kepner/Instagram]
