TEEN'S DNA REVEALED IN ANNA KEPNER'S ASSAULT KIT

Summary

Crime Stories with Nancy Grace — Episode Summary Episode Title: TEEN'S DNA REVEALED IN ANNA KEPNER'S R*PE KIT
Date: June 5, 2026
Host: Nancy Grace
Podcast: Crime Stories with Nancy Grace

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Episode Overview

This emotionally charged episode centers around the tragic death of Anna Kepner, an 18-year-old high school cheerleader found dead aboard a Carnival cruise ship. Nancy Grace and an expert panel discuss the forensic evidence, especially the revelation of a teen stepbrother's DNA in Anna's rape kit, investigative missteps, the complexities of prosecuting crimes at sea, and the shocking legal, familial, and social fallout of the case. The episode is a raw, detailed, and heartbreaking look at the events leading up to Anna’s murder and the subsequent investigation.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Case Background and Initial Discovery

• Anna Kepner, 18, was sharing a cabin with her 16-year-old stepbrother, Timothy Hudson, on a family cruise.
• Only Timothy emerged from the cabin alive; Anna was later found dead, wrapped in a blanket, and stuffed under a twin bed with lifejackets piled on top.
• Maid discovered the body during routine cleaning ([11:59]).

2. Forensic Bombshell: DNA Evidence & The Rape Kit

• The FBI excluded a "mystery minor" as the source of DNA found in Anna’s rape kit, after tracking down and testing another young man from the cruise.
• The DNA matched her stepbrother, Timothy Hudson, solidifying the direction of the investigation ([01:19] Sidney Sumner, [04:01] Joe Scott Morgan).
• The rape kit and autopsy revealed mechanical asphyxiation as the cause of death, with Anna’s eardrums bilaterally burst—evidence of a violent struggle.

Notable Quote:

“The swab that was taken from within Anna came back with a sample that ties back to the stepbrother.”
– Joe Scott Morgan, Forensic Expert ([04:01])

3. Crime Scene Challenges on a Cruise Ship

• Immediate investigation hampered as the scene was not secured and 5,000+ passengers dispersed worldwide ([11:18] Robert Crispin).
• Timeline confusion: The date of death was initially misreported by 24 hours ([06:10] Nancy Grace).
• Cruise line investigators criticized for failing to secure evidence and for possible loss/destruction of crucial surveillance footage ([09:49] Spencer Ehrenfeld).

Notable Quote:

“These cruise lines are wired like casinos... and my question is, where’s the CCTV?”
– Spencer Ehrenfeld, Cruise Ship Lawyer ([09:49])

4. Family and Relationship Dynamics

• Anna’s relationship with her stepbrother was reportedly fraught. Testimony from Anna’s ex-boyfriend revealed that Anna felt unsafe around Timothy and that he attempted advances, even being observed trying to climb into her bed via FaceTime ([18:18] Joshua, [19:57] Shannon Butler).
• Ongoing divorce and custody disputes surfaced more information than official channels; family infighting added chaos to an already complex case ([27:14] Dr. Kendall Crowns).

Notable Quote:

"She just didn’t feel safe around him. She’s scared to tell anybody because she was scared that he would do something to her.”
– Joshua (Anna’s ex-boyfriend), ([18:18])

5. Chain of Custody and Possible Evidence Loss

• After the murder, Timothy was taken for psychiatric evaluation, which led to possible loss or destruction of valuable physical evidence (clothing, fingernail scrapings, etc.) ([22:53] Spencer Ehrenfeld, [23:27] Nancy Grace).
• Video evidence showed the movements of Anna, her stepbrother, and other family members around the time of death ([36:28] Nancy Grace).

6. Witness Testimony & Account of Events

• Claims emerged that family were notified of unusual behavior and violence, including reports that the youngest brother heard a violent argument and physical struggle in the cabin the night of Anna’s death ([29:06] Sidney Sumner, [29:17] Joshua).
• Anna's father ultimately found her body, and is devastated, refusing to attend court hearings related to the crime ([43:07] Robert Crispin).

7. Legal Developments & Frustration with Authorities

• Despite mounting evidence and family testimony, Timothy Hudson was not immediately arrested; he was reportedly living with relatives during the investigation ([28:13] Nancy Grace).
• The case’s complexity increased as juvenile records and ongoing custody hearings kept official details sealed, leaving Anna’s biological mother and the public confused about charges and progress ([38:19] Heather Wright, [40:35] Susan Hendricks).
• Confirmation by Susan Hendricks that Timothy Hudson is now being charged as an adult with first-degree murder and related sexual assault charges ([41:41]).

Notable Quote:

“Her punishment is, ‘ow, he has to go live with relatives.’ That’s the punishment?... You might as well just sit him in the corner.”
– Nancy Grace ([27:43])

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Forensic Evidence:

  “It’s like a petri dish of DNA and now it’s all gone.”
  – Nancy Grace ([16:36])

• On Family Warning Being Ignored:

  “Chris doesn’t realize it’s his fault. … If he would have taken the warnings … she would still be here.”
  – Heather Wright, Anna’s biological mother ([18:52])

• On Crime Scene Security:

  “Once that stuff is removed out of there, you lose all context for the rest of the investigation.”
  – Joe Scott Morgan ([07:57])

• On the Perpetrator’s Behavior:

  “He was an emotional mess. He couldn’t even speak. He couldn’t believe what had happened.”
  – Nancy Grace ([25:00])

• On Parental Grief:

  “Her dad did go up and accept her diploma on her behalf. It was a very emotional moment.”
  – Michelle Spitzer ([45:13])

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Key Timestamps & Segment Highlights

• [01:19]: Revelation of DNA testing and FBI investigative timeline
• [04:01]: Breakdown of the forensics; explanation of commingled DNA and mechanical asphyxiation
• [09:49]: Cruise ship security systems and evidence preservation issues
• [11:59]: Discovery of Anna’s body and timeline clarifications
• [16:17]: Details of Anna’s autopsy and cause of death
• [18:18]: First-hand account from Anna’s ex-boyfriend about prior incidents
• [27:43]: Legal handling of the stepbrother; outrage at lack of arrest
• [41:41]: Stepbrother officially charged as adult, facing both murder and rape charges
• [45:13]: Anna’s diploma awarded posthumously at her high school graduation

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Additional Key Themes

• Failures in supervision and warnings ignored: Despite repeated warnings and clear behavioral red flags, the family and cruise authorities failed to intervene.
• Parental and public outrage: The family’s frustration with both the cruise line’s actions and law enforcement’s communication—especially Anna's biological mother's lack of direct updates.
• Legal complexity: The process of charging a juvenile with such serious crimes and managing jurisdiction between federal and state authorities.

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Conclusion

This episode exemplifies Nancy Grace’s tenacity in exposing investigative failures and demanding justice for victims. It paints a vivid and deeply troubling portrait of the factors that led to Anna Kepner’s death and the struggle for accountability. The panel’s expert perspectives clarify the forensic and procedural realities of homicide at sea while underlying the long-lasting trauma for those left behind.

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If you have relevant information, contact Crime Stories with Nancy Grace at 7547-0320-0075.

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[End of Summary]

Transcript

[Nancy Grace]

This is an Iheart podcast. Guaranteed human.

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[Nancy Grace]

Sequences shortened and simulated crime stories with Nancy Grace.

[Cruise Ship Lawyer Spencer Ehrenfeld]

This dream vacation ended in such a nightmare.

[Private Investigator Robert Crispin]

Where's Anna? Everybody on that ship is a suspect.

[Mazda CX5 Commercial / Announcer]

How did she die? How did she literally slip through the cracks?

[Private Investigator Robert Crispin]

Family protects family.

[Nancy Grace]

Wrapped mummy style in a blanket and stuffed under a twin bed. It's a floating crime scene.

[Private Investigator Robert Crispin]

I want to know what are his demons?

[Nancy Grace]

Do not care about his feelings. I care about her dead body. Straight out to Crime Stories, investigative reporter Dave Mack. What's the latest?

[Investigative Reporter Sidney Sumner]

Nancy, We've got shocking news coming out on the Anna Kempner case. It is amazing to find out that through the investigation now there was a detention hearing last week and a 145 page transcript of this hearing has been made public. And oh my gosh. We found out that the FBI tracked down another person with D and looking for the DNA of another male on board that cruise ship. This is as shocking as it gets. We didn't see it coming. I didn't. Anyway, we have Anna Kepner, 18 years old, sharing a cabin with her stepbrother. They both go into the cabin, only one comes out and it's not Anna. Now the defense for Timothy Hudson is trying to prove that it could have been somebody else. And according to what came out of the detention hearing, there is a possibility that Anna Kepner was involved sexually with somebody on the ship. So much so that the FBI tracked this male miner calling. They're calling him a mystery miner, but they tracked down this guy and got his DNA so that they could compare the DNA from this miner against what was found in the rape kit. This was done before the arrest of Anna Kepner's stepbrother, Timothy Hudson. After the results came in, the FBI was convinced they knew where to go. And the arrest of Timothy Hudson occurred after the exclusion of the male minor. The mystery DNA. That's the big huge reveal. But there's more. At this hearing that took place, this detention hearing, a 145 page transcript that broke down other parts of a potential defense plan that will go all the way back to the mechanical asphyxiation, the death of Anna Kepner and how it was done. That's also going to be discussed at length at trial as the defense tries to prove some other dude did it. It's not a. Not difficult to understand because you have two individuals that go into the room about the same time, and only one ever comes back out alive. The defense has an uphill battle, but they're going to bring everything out of the woodwork to prove that it could have been somebody else.

[Nancy Grace]

Joe Scott Morgan, weigh in.

[Forensic Expert Joe Scott Morgan]

Nancy, I got to tell you, when I first heard about this new development, which I got to tell you, I'm gobsmacked, as my friends in Great Britain say, I did not see this coming. One of the things they're going to think about here or that I was thinking about is they're talking about somebody else. Are we dealing with what's referred to as commingled DNA? And so if you do a rape kit, and I know that over the course of your career, you've had cases that unfortunately involve gang rapes. And so with a gang rape, many times you will have. You will have commingled DNA, and it's a matter of separating these out. That's not what's going on because they're saying that the swab that was taken from within Anna came back with sample. And this is the FBI saying this came back with a sample that ties back to the stepbrother. I guess one of the big questions is, what other DNA did they find and where was it harvested from? You know, at autopsy and exam, when we do an external examination on a body, particularly in a violent sex attack, we're going to swab all over the body. Okay. We're going to take samples from various locations. And one of the primary locations, of course, here is going to be this idea along the neck, this specific area where they keep using the term arm bar.

[Investigative Reporter Sidney Sumner]

Armbar, arm bar.

[Forensic Expert Joe Scott Morgan]

So if somebody is putting direct pressure onto the neck, particularly if they're doing it with a bare, a bare arm, you can expect that you could probably find touch DNA along this area. You can find sweat that doesn't come from Anna. You can find hair that doesn't come from Anna. There's any number of these surfaces. We know that this was an intimate violent attack. So much so that even in this report, Nancy, they're talking that Anna's eardrums were bilaterally, bilaterally burst. That's a tremendous amount of pressure. It takes a lot of anger. We're going to find out at the end of the day how much evidence was collected. And also how it was treated after it was in fact collected.

[Nancy Grace]

This little girl was a high school cheerleading star. A star in so many ways. She had all A's. She was already set to go into the military, had already spoken to recruiters, had her mind made up to. To serve her country. Now she's dead on a cruise ship. You know, maybe I'm the crazy one here. Straight out to Susan Hendricks joining us. You know her well, investigative journalist. Isn't it true, Susan Hendricks, that at first we were all told this little girl died 11 8, but now we're learning they even had the date wrong by 24 hours? She died 11 7, around 11 17am Isn't that true?

[Mazda CX5 Commercial / Announcer]

Yeah. And the cruise ship docked back when it was supposed to on Saturday. So we're learning now. You're right. 11:17 on Friday. We're trying to piece together exactly what happened, but it seemed like she loved cruises. She was excited to go. They were looking forward to it. How did she end up dead and what happened to her?

[Nancy Grace]

Well, I tell you, the FBI on it now. That's never a good thing when you have the FBI picking through your trash and going over your movements straight out to death. Investigator professor of forensics at Jacksonville State University, Joe Scott. Thank you for being with us. It's a death investigator's nightmare. It's a floating crime scene. How did the little girl die? Who was with her? What time did she die? Not just the cod cause of death, the manner of death. Those guests, over 5,000 of them on this particular cruise ship have scattered to the four corners of the earth. They weren't all even from the U.S. so what do you do first?

[Forensic Expert Joe Scott Morgan]

Well, you try to get access to the area where she was actually living in that cabin, bits of evidence that are contained therein, all the stuff that was in her baggage. But here's one of the problems, Nancy. Once that stuff is removed out of there, you lose all context for the rest of the investigation. Here's another problem. We don't have an established timeline. You had mentioned earlier. Has she ingested anything? What kind of meals did she take on board? Who is she hanging out with on the ship? Was there anybody that could have slipped or something at some point in time? Did she have access to alcohol when she's in international waters? So all of this works out to be just an absolute nightmare scenario.

[Nancy Grace]

Joining us now, Spencer Ehrenfeld. He is the lawyer for the family of Dulcey White, another woman that dies at sea. He is known as the cruise ship lawyer and for a reason he takes on these seemingly impossible cases and actually wins them. Not on behalf of the cruise ship, on behalf of the families. Spencer I wouldn't trust a cruise ship investigator as far as I could throw them. Not that they're evil people. I mean, for Pete's sake, they don't even have the right day of death, much less time of death. We had to get a medical examiner in the States to give me a time of death. I mean really, if they can't even do that. Did you hear Joe Scott Morgan, he's the professor of forensics describing what all has been lost because of their ineptness. SPENCER this is so wrong. And people wonder why I'm so angry and upset. This is not, I'm not mad at the investigator who doesn't know what he she are doing. I'm mad because this is the only thing left that we can do for this little girl. This is it is to solve her case.

[Cruise Ship Lawyer Spencer Ehrenfeld]

Spencer well, probably Nancy and I agree with you. The most important evidence for me would be the surveillance video. These cruise lines are wired like casinos from bow to stern with high definition CCTV covering all the common areas, covering the elevators, covering the dining rooms, the pool, the nightclub. And my question is, where's the cctv? In my experience, and I've sued Carnival thousands of times, they will either not have all the CCTV or fail to preserve it. Which is why I think the FBI boarding the ship the minute it got to Port Miami was essential for the preservation of the cctv. They're going to get it off the ship and the FBI will take possession of it before Carnival destroys it, loses it tapes over it. I think the cameras are going to tell a lot of the story of

[Nancy Grace]

what happened to her. Straight out to Robert Crispin, private investigator joining us on location at Port of Miami where the cruise ships depart. Tell me how difficult it's going to be, Robert Crispin to put this case. It's like Humpty Dumpty. All the king's horses and all the king's men could never put Humpty together again. Why is it so difficult to put a case together when A, you have the wrong time of death and B, every passenger on that floating crime scene is gone?

[Private Investigator Robert Crispin]

Yeah, Nancy, forget about that. Soon as he came back here to the port of Miami, every single one of those passengers got off and they went to off corners of the world, out of the country, all around the US So as an investigator, the FBI is going to have an issue of trying to figure out who's with Anna, who was the last person with her who went to her cabin with her because it was already reported that she went back earlier in the night because she didn't feel good. That's a problem.

[Nancy Grace]

Sidney Sumner joining us, Crime Stories investigative reporter so the maid goes in and discovers the body stuffed under the bed. Could you describe how the maid found the body in what condition?

[Investigative Journalist Susan Hendricks]

That's right, Nancy. The maid coming to clean the room, coming to remake the bed is the one who notices this pile of life jackets and the sheets stuffed under the bed and that's when she discovers Anna's body. Now that's where things get unclear. So we know we have this time of death, 11:17am on November 7th. Witnesses say that the maid came in around 11. That's when security showed up at this cabin and guarded it for the rest of the cruise. So that's where there's this big discrepancy.

[Investigative Reporter Sidney Sumner]

Anna's father, stepmother and other family members join her for a six day Carnival cruise to the Western Caribbean. After their last day at port in Cozumel, Mexico, Anna heads back to her room early telling family members she isn't feeling well. During dinner the next morning, Anna Anna doesn't join her family for breakfast and isn't answering her door. Her family begins a frantic search for the teen on the fourteen deck four thousand passenger ship.

[Nancy Grace]

Sydney Sumner what is happening?

[Investigative Journalist Susan Hendricks]

Nancy We've learned through the court documents related to this custody disagreement that the feds are eyeing Anna's stepbrother as a suspect in her death. So Anna's dad, Christopher Kepner, just married Chantel Hudson who is divorced from Thomas, let's say. So Thomas and Chantel Chantel share three children, two of which are still minors. So the older of those two minor children, Anna's stepbrother, is alleged to have taken part in her death. Now the father is trying to get custody of their nine year old daughter and is also trying to figure out

[Nancy Grace]

what's going on with his son, Spencer Aaronfield joining us. He is the cruise ship lawyer and has handled a myriad of cruise related accidents and deaths. Spencer I want to talk about not just evidence from the body of this little girl, but digital forensic evidence. You have been on a million cruise ships investigating cases. It's like being in a Vegas casino for Pete's sake. More than NASA. Every square inch is covered like you're walking through LaGuardia for Pete's sake sake. Everything's covered with surveillance video and the keys to the room are digital. They're a key card. Nobody's using the old skeleton key anymore, which is valuable evidence. Explain.

[Cruise Ship Lawyer Spencer Ehrenfeld]

They have like a black box that's connected to the doors of these cruise lines that will show you who entered because each passenger has their own card. What time they entered and what time the door shut. They will also be able to tell what time the door opened. And all you have to do, Nancy, is sync that with the high definition CCTV that they have of that hallway and you'll be able to time precisely when she entered the cabin and when each and every other member of the family, as well as the cabin steward who apparently found her, entered the cabin. How long did it take him, once he was in the cabin to exit the cabin? All those things are very easily determined by cctv, assuming Carnival still has it. And this is why I'm thrilled that the FBI boarded the ship so quickly, because it prevented Carnival from getting rid of that CCTV footage that they often do in many of the cases that I'm investigating and prosecuting right now.

[Investigative Reporter Sidney Sumner]

Yes, you can.

[Private Investigator Robert Crispin]

A five minute quick and easy calorie burning workout. Give it a try.

[Nancy Grace]

Come join our sweat sesh on TikTok. Crime stories with Nancy Grace. In the last hours, Anna Kepner, the teen girl cheerleader going to that Titusville Christian school, already had her future mapped out, very organized. Planning to join the military and ultimately be a police officer in the K9 unit. That little girl, she's dead. Life jackets crammed on top of her to hide her body.

[Medical Examiner Dr. Kendall Crowns]

Listen, Anna Kepner's death on board a Carnival cruise ship now ruled a homicide. Her autopsy stating she was mechanically asphyxiated by another person or persons. The medical examiner finds two bruises on the side of Anna's neck. She may have been held in a bar hold, meaning her attacker held an arm across her neck.

[Nancy Grace]

It is a floating crime scene. And now Robert Crispin, that we learn it was a mechanical strangulation. I'm going to go to Dr. Kendall Crowns in just one moment. The crime scene. The crime scene. When you are living in close quarters with someone sharing a small, cramped space, the DNA processing of that scene becomes even more vital. I mean, it's like a petri dish of DNA and now it's all gone. Can you refresh everyone's recollection about the cruise ship investigators that first process that scene?

[Private Investigator Robert Crispin]

What's critical about this homicide is going to come down to DNA. It's going to come down to DNA and what the medical examiner says in the autopsy, the cause of death, et cetera, et cetera. More importantly, did the victim Fight DNA under her nails. Did she scratch the suspect? In all of these cases, Nancy, these victims fight for their life. They're clawing. DNA is under their nails of the suspect who's trying to kill them. This is going to be very, very, very important critical evidence. And if you go back and you listen to one of the statements that was made from Anna's ex boyfriend's father that the stepson had climbed on top of her one night when she was in bed.

[Nancy Grace]

You know I know that Project Innocence and the Poverty Law Institute and all the defense bars are going to get mad when I say this, but they can just chew on this when you don't know a horse. Look at his track record.

[Joshua (Anna's Ex-Boyfriend)]

Listen, she just didn't feel safe around him. She's scared to tell anybody because she was scared that he would do something to her.

[Medical Examiner Dr. Kendall Crowns]

Joshua too says Anna's close relationship with her stepbrother was one sided. The 16 year old is obsessed with Anna and made her uncomfortable with romantic advances. He once even caught him trying to climb into Anna's bed while the two were on FaceTime. Anna already asleep.

[Private Investigator Robert Crispin]

He said dad, I tried to tell the parents that this was happening and

[Nancy Grace]

they didn't want to believe me. He's like infatuated, attracted to her like crazy.

[Investigative Reporter Sidney Sumner]

He's always wanted to date her.

[Heather Wright (Anna's Biological Mother)]

Chris doesn't realize it's his fault. This whole thing is his fault. If he would have taken the warnings that Anna's ex boyfriend gave him then she would still be here. So keep that in mind. Christopher, I blame you.

[Nancy Grace]

That from Inside Edition and at just mom 1984 on tick tock. That's Anna's bio mom. So explain to me Shannon Butler, investigative reporter WFTV. According to what we're learning from her ex boyfriend Joshua 2 it's not just what she said happened. He was on FaceTime with her. They were FaceTiming late at night. Anna fell asleep but the FaceTime was still going. And he, according to reports saw the 16 year old stepbrother crawl on top of her. He saw it. It's not just her saying that happened to her. And then he goes on to state she did not feel safe around him. She was scared to tell anybody because she thought he would quote, do something to her.

[Investigative Reporter Shannon Butler]

That is what he said to reporters here. He also told his dad that and his dad told reporters that there was always this fear Anna had of her stepbrother. But it wasn't just something that she talked about. The boyfriend said he knew about it and then he saw that when it happened on FaceTime and even said, like, get off of.

[Joshua (Anna's Ex-Boyfriend)]

I was on FaceTime with her, and she was laying down and the brother tried to go on top of her. And you saw that? Yeah.

[Private Investigator Robert Crispin]

And how did she react to that?

[Joshua (Anna's Ex-Boyfriend)]

I was like, what the hell are you doing in the room? You know? Then he got scared and, like, ran away. And I heard his footsteps, like, running through the house, you know, because he got caught. That was my first love. She was the best that ever happened to me. And I'd even walked her to work to see her, you know, for, like, five, ten minutes. She complained about him being uncomfortable or her being uncomfortable around him because of the fact that he tried to go on top of her in the bed. And because of that, she tried to go and stay the night at her friend's house and to dodge the staying night at her house.

[Nancy Grace]

That is from the Space coast rocket Instagram. Shannon Butler joining us, wftv. You've got ongoing divorce custody proceedings. And in those, the mom of the teen stepbrother files an emergency hearing saying, I'm not answering any questions. Nobody's taking the stand because it could hurt my son's right to a fair trial. A fair trial on what? Obviously, the Anna Kepner murder. Yeah.

[Investigative Reporter Shannon Butler]

That was the first we had heard about the stepbrother being a suspect. We didn't get any of that from investigators. But then you go into this, you know, separate court case, and that's how that information was. Was revealed. And that's what kind of started everybody now asking these questions. And if you, you know, listen to the family members about that brother, they talk about how he was very, very distraught over this, how they had to. He had to be hospitalized, the behavior.

[Nancy Grace]

Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait. The teen stepbrother was distraught? Distraught, Correct.

[Investigative Reporter Shannon Butler]

That's what they say.

[Nancy Grace]

Okay. Was he distraught about Anna being dead or about him being a suspect?

[Investigative Reporter Shannon Butler]

That's still the question. The family was very, very clear that he was very, very upset after this happened and had to be hospitalized.

[Nancy Grace]

Spencer Ehrenfeld joining us, the cruise lawyer. He's handled so many cruise ship cases. Spencer, we were told that the teen brother was so distraught that he had to go in the hospital. Then he was miraculously released from the hospital. He wasn't wearing a band aid. He wasn't on crutches. Why was he in the hospital? Was that a delay tactic? Then we were told he was, quote, so upset he, quote, couldn't talk to FBI investigators. Sounds a lot to me like invoking your right to remain silent 100%.

[Cruise Ship Lawyer Spencer Ehrenfeld]

Nancy and it also a destruction of evidence because when he went to the hospital, I'm sure that he changed his clothes. I don't know what happened to his clothes. I'm sure he was cleaned and his fingers and what's under his nails and all sorts of things that would have been invaluable evidence to the investigators and prosecutors in this case were probably lost by that trip to the hospital. It really interrupted the chain of custody of a lot of evidence that would have been left on him, including potentially bodily fluids and things that may have been on his hands, on his clothes.

[Nancy Grace]

You know, Spencer Earnfield, you are my own personal chamber of horrors. I hadn't even thought of that yet. The fact that he goes straight into a hospital setting and his clothes could be God knows where. ROBERT crispin, that's important. I want to see his clothes. I want to look for microscopic evidence, I want to look for blood, I want to look for sperm, I want to look for her blood and yes, I want to see his underwear. For obvious reasons, it's probably all gone.

[Private Investigator Robert Crispin]

ROBERT it probably is. NANCY Hence the long delay before the ship got back to locking down the crime scene, locking down the people, their clothing, not letting anyone go anywhere, intermingle, talk to people, separating everybody. It's a recipe for disaster.

[Nancy Grace]

And of course, the cruise ship is vehemently denying that the teens had alcohol. Of course the family is stunned. They've got Anna dead, stuffed under a bed. They've got the 16 year old reportedly a target. Listen, he was a good student, played soccer. He played soccer, very quiet young man. He had demons, I think, in his past and he was trying to deal with those.

[Investigative Reporter Sidney Sumner]

Barbara and Jeffrey Kepner are shocked. Anna's 16 year old stepbrother is being eyed as the suspect in her murder, describing them as two peas in a pod and very close. She says the teen was distraught when he learned Anna's body was found and couldn't speak during an initial interview with FBI agents.

[Nancy Grace]

He was an emotional mess. He couldn't even speak. He couldn't believe what had happened. From our friends at ABC to Michelle Spitzer joining us, investigative reporter, USA Today. Now, when he was rushed for psychiatric evaluation, wasn't that the first time the FBI detectives tried to speak with him? He suddenly had to go to the hospital because he couldn't remember what happened.

[Investigative Reporter Michelle Spitzer]

We know that the FBI did meet the cruise ship when it docked important Miami and yes, according to court documents, he has told his mother he does not remember anything from what happened on the cruise ship?

[Medical Examiner Dr. Kendall Crowns]

Chantelle Hudson tells her ex over text that their son just keeps repeating over and over he can't remember anything. Chris Kepner's PAR say the same thing. The 16 year old claims he cannot remember anything and is clearly distraught.

[Nancy Grace]

Straight out to investigative journalist Susan Hendricks. Why am I having to learn all of this from a seemingly unrelated custody fight?

[Mazda CX5 Commercial / Announcer]

Absolutely. And the infighting, it's been going on a while and we're getting information from this through that, as you said. And where is the outrage? The suspect's older brother, it stood out to me that he said he was put in a chokehold. So is that where I'm guessing that the suspect learned to do that? But you're right, Nancy, we are only hearing details through this somewhat unrelated hearing. It's just very complicated. We heard this also at the emergency custody hearing and a stepmom, Chantel said that she went in her room at 7pm, that she was tired, she was there for the night, went to sleep, but again, we don't know what she was doing all day. She asked about gambling. She said that Anna was 18, so she assumed she was in the casino, but again, no supervision. And guess what, Nancy, she was asked during this Chantel on the stand, is it true that they stayed across the hall, all of them together, her stepbrother, her biological brother and her. And she said yes, it was recommended by the travel agent.

[Nancy Grace]

Oh yeah, yeah, yeah. I heard she tried to blame the travel agency. Okay, how are we finding out all of this information?

[Medical Examiner Dr. Kendall Crowns]

Listen, a family court hearing regarding Thomas Hudson's emergency petition for custody of the nine year old daughter he shares with Chantel Hudson reveals new details in Anna Kepner's murder. Hudson tells the court he's concerned for Brooke's safety under Chantel Hudson and Christopher Kepner's care due to their failure to supervise their children during the cruise Thomas didn't want the children to take. Chantel Hudson testifies her 16 year old son staying with relatives after his release from psychiatric observation.

[Nancy Grace]

Oh my goodness. Let me understand something. Wait a minute. Susan Hendricks, the judge in this hearing confirmed the teen stepbrother is the main suspect in Anna's chokehold asphyxiation. That's murder. There's no two ways around it. Chokehold asphyxiation, her neck covered in bruises, and his punishment is ow. He has to go live with relatives. That's the punishment?

[Mazda CX5 Commercial / Announcer]

Yeah. Even Chantel and the suspect's mom said that he was the only one seen in and out. It's like they're all in agreement that, yeah, he's the main suspect. Why isn't he arrested? He's staying with her relatives. Just staying there, chatting on the phone.

[Nancy Grace]

Okay, you know what? I don't know how to say this without my head exploding, but he's a suspect in a brutal murder of a little teen cheerleader who stuffed under the twin bed. And nobody knows she's missing for nearly a day. Nobody checks on her. There she is. He's a suspect and he is, quote, sent to live with relatives. That's his punishment. Might as well just sit him in the corner. I've got another issue. What we're talking about is no supervision of these teens. I want you to hear what the younger brother says happens. The night Anna is murdered, Anna's brother

[Investigative Reporter Sidney Sumner]

heard a heated argument between them in their cabin. The night before Anna was found dead. He heard the stepbrother yelling at Anna. The sounds of furniture overturning and screams from inside the room.

[Joshua (Anna's Ex-Boyfriend)]

He heard him yelling at her, like in a harmful way of like shut the hell up and stuff like that. Like something was like banging around and stuff. And like the chairs were getting thrown around in the room.

[Nancy Grace]

Now that is Anna Kettner's little ex boyfriend. And he learned that information obviously from the younger brother. That's from our friends at Inside Edition. Let me understand. Susan Hendricks. I'm trying to figure out when the stepbrother, the little, the Little brother, the 14 year old is hearing chairs being thrown around and the 16 year old yelling shut the hell up at Anna. When you hear a physical fight going on, the little 14 year old brother standing out in the hall listening, cowering. Afraid so. While Anna, we believe, is getting bar holed, asphyxiated in her own room, what, 10ft across the way? I mean, the hallways are about 4ft wide, max, and they're in the next room over. Where were they asleep? Why couldn't he just knock on the door? What really happened? Why didn't they just walk across the hall and put it into it?

[Mazda CX5 Commercial / Announcer]

Yeah, why didn't they hear that? And the 14 year old. You're right, Nancy. Why didn't he just knock on the door? By the way, the grandparents were one floor above. Could he run up there? Could he scream out for help? Nothing. Then he went back in and he didn't see Anna. Meanwhile, she's dead under the bed. How did she die? How did she literally slip through the cracks with her parents right across the hall? Even if they just heard that and didn't believe it from the ex boyfriend, that something went on. You knew that that was in the

[Investigative Reporter Michelle Spitzer]

back of your head.

[Mazda CX5 Commercial / Announcer]

And he put them in a room together. Unsupervised.

[Nancy Grace]

Crime stories with Nancy Grace. Joining me right now is the bio mom, the biological mother of Anna Kepner, the teen cheerleader, sister Crystal Wright. Thank you for being with us, Ms. Wright. How is the bio mom handling everything that she is learning about her daughter's death?

[Investigative Journalist Susan Hendricks]

I think she's trying to keep it together. She's trying to do right for Anna and make sure that those that are accountable are held accountable.

[Nancy Grace]

What does she make of the fact there is no arrest yet?

[Investigative Journalist Susan Hendricks]

She is beside herself, but at the same time, she's just trying to tell herself that it's because they want to make sure they get him properly charged and that his charge is able to uphold in court so that he does face the time.

[Nancy Grace]

To Heather's understanding, what has she been told? Certainly law enforcement has briefed Anna Kempner's biological mother about what happened.

[Investigative Journalist Susan Hendricks]

Yeah. No, Heather doesn't know anything. She finds out from the news. She just sits and waits for the news.

[Nancy Grace]

That is horrible. No one is speaking to her and telling her what happened to her daughter.

[Heather Wright (Anna's Biological Mother)]

He never once tried to call me, get a hold of me or anything. When she died, I found out through

[Nancy Grace]

Google from Wish too. That is heartbreaking. The biological mother, Heather Wright, has had nothing but trouble since her split with Christopher Kepner. Listen, Christopher

[Heather Wright (Anna's Biological Mother)]

made it next to impossible for me to have a relationship with my daughter. He made it extremely hard for me to see her. He would ignore my phone calls, not tell Anna that I called, and then call like a week and a half, two weeks later. And Anna be like, mom, I haven't called me. And I'm like, I've been calling you. You didn't get any of my voicemails. Your dad didn't like, listen to him. No, he said you haven't called.

[Nancy Grace]

Joining us in addition to an all star panel of experts is Nick Giddens. Was taking video on the cruise line of a big party the night before a dance. Party, party. There is Anna, so happy, so full of life, dancing in a line dance. It's hard to accept she would be dead, her body decomposing on a cruise trip. Anna Kettner, the last dance video. Now, that is from our new friend, Nick Capo. That's Nick Capo, 609 on TikTok, and he's with us tonight. Nick, what happened? How did you manage to take that video?

[Nick Giddens (TikTok Video Creator)]

That's the party to get the crew started when we start sailing away from port in Port of Miami. And, you know, just. My family's also in the video, too. I was recording them and just, you know, just going around and panning around saying, you know, showing everybody having a good time and stuff like that.

[Nancy Grace]

When you took the video, you had no idea that Anna Kempner would be murdered within hours. When did you realize the video that you took showed her as it's called Last Dance.

[Nick Giddens (TikTok Video Creator)]

I posted a video that day, November 2nd. But it was after, you know, everything happened. Somebody commented on a video, I mean, on the video, and they said that, like, oh, my God, that's the girl that, you know, that I killed. There's actually two videos. Was, you know, the two songs playing the YMC song, and then there's a Cupid Shuffle song. I can't remember which one the grandpa was in, but one of them. I don't know. I don't. I don't even know what the step brother looked like, honestly. So I don't know if he was in the video or not.

[Nancy Grace]

You know what, Nick Giddens, I am so glad that you took that video and realized what it was and posted it because it shows her, Anna Kepner, to me, in a different light. I mean, really just scrubbed in sunshine. There she is dancing with her grandparents. It just precious guys you were seeing video taken. His handle is Nick Capo. 609 on TikTok. Nick Giddens joining us tonight. Joseph Scott Morgan, joining me, professor of forensics. You as an expert. A forensic expert, a death investigator, has stated that the infantile way in which Anna's body was concealed could point directly to her killer. Explain yourself.

[Forensic Expert Joe Scott Morgan]

Yeah, of course. Because this is something that was done spontaneously. If you think about the body, covering this is a matter of convenience. What do I have in my. AT in arm's reach? In order to conceal the body and from the infantile perspective, you have deluded yourself, the perpetrator or whoever did this, the concealment that is. You have deluded yourself into thinking that, oh, yeah, well, if I put her here, no one will ever find her. This is an event where somebody is trying to shield the body so they can get distance from the body.

[Nancy Grace]

I agree with everything that you just said, Jo Scott Morgan, but still, I need clarification. We often see some of that video is from our friends at Mojo south on TikTok. When we were looking under the bed. When you say bunk, you may think of a bunk bed one on top of the other. It's more like this in that particular cruise room. We are also learning tonight that video does exist. It's only been talked about or speculated upon in the past. Video does exist of Anna Kepner going alone to her room. Her braces were bothering her that night at dinner. She goes alone to her room. Video then reveals other family members, the younger brother and the older stepbrother going into the room. Further video shows the little brother leaving the room alone and then wandering around the ship all by himself for the evening. But Anna doesn't leave the room and the stepbrother doesn't leave the room for hours. In fact, Anna never leaves the room. To Michelle Spitzer joining us out of Melbourne, Florida investigative reporter, USA Today, what can you tell us about the video

[Investigative Reporter Michelle Spitzer]

in these court hearings that the stepbrother's biological parents have had? They are the ones who have named their son as a suspect and his biological mother actually said in text messages that were revealed in court documents, she sent a text message to her ex husband saying once the autopsy results are revealed, we will see if he is charged, which I think is very telling.

[Nancy Grace]

The stepbrother is innocent until proven guilty.

[Heather Wright (Anna's Biological Mother)]

I got some news today on my daughter's case. They are going to charge her 16 year old stepbrother for first degree murder and there's going to be some other charges brought, but I'm not sure what they are yet. Until they tell me, I don't know. So that is one of the charges. And as soon as I know more, I will let you guys know. Thanks for support.

[Nancy Grace]

That is Anna Kettner's biological mother, Heather Wright. But then she posts this.

[Heather Wright (Anna's Biological Mother)]

So I guess I was wrong with my update the other day. Apparently they didn't charge with anything when he went to federal court. And so I'm not sure what that's all about. I also heard that he's being tried as a juvenile, not on his adult, which is up because that boy knew what he was doing when he did it. No, it's Andrew, but you know what I mean. So everybody just pray for me grateful. This my daughter. Thank you all for all the love and support. Bye.

[Nancy Grace]

That again was Anna Kempner's mother, Heather Wright, posting very, very upset. She can't quite seem to get to the bottom of what the charges are. Straight out to Sydney Sumner joining us. Crime Stories investigative reporter Sydney I think the confusion stems from the fact that it's all under wraps. It's sealed because it's juvenile records. But according to the stepfather, which is Anna's, Anna Kempner's Bio dad. And according to ABC and other outlets, charges have been filed against the stepbrother. What do we know? What do we really know, other than we saw him going from juvenile court. Let's see the video from juvenile court to federal court where he would be charged, if he's being charged as an. As a fed. This is from our friends at Fox 35 Orlando. By the way, that appears to be his public defender with him. So he's got his lawyer with him and he's going to federal court where the whole thing started. This could be a matter of. It's being handed over to state authorities to lodge charges. But what do we actually know, Sidney Sumner?

[Investigative Journalist Susan Hendricks]

Well, right, like you said, we know that Chris Kepner has commented that this teen stepbrother has been charged. We do not know what with. Kepner did not go that far. He mentioned charges, but did not get into the specifics of what those charges are. And we know that his relationship with Heather Wright and his mom is fraught with tension. They aren't on good terms. So the information that she's getting is not only secondhand, but also coming from the father. So whatever Chris Kepner is deciding to tell Heather Wright is what she's going off of. So, yes, keeping all of these records under seal is leaving a lot to question right now.

[Nancy Grace]

Bombshell tonight, the stepbrother of a teen girl, high school cheerleader killed on board a Carnival cruise ship last year has been officially charged with her murder, and he is being charged as an adult. Is it true, Sidney Sumner, that the documents reveal she was sex assaulted before she was strangled?

[Investigative Journalist Susan Hendricks]

That's correct. Timothy Hudson is accused of sexually assaulting his older stepsister and then choking her to death to cover up that crime.

[Nancy Grace]

Anna Kempner's stepbrother, now charged months and months after she was found dead on a cruise ship. He will be tried as an adult. Anna Kepner's dad says, I found her cold, naked body stuffed under a bunk. Her own dad pulls his daughter's dead body from under a bunk on the cruise line. Now, he vows he will not sit through testimony. His mind, his heart and his soul cannot go back to that room where his daughter was murdered. Robert Crispin joining us now, private investigator at Crispin Special Investigations. You hear what the dad is saying? He refuses to go back into that courtroom, to go into the courtroom and revisit that room again in his mind, his heart, his soul, where he found his daughter stuffed under a bed, cold to the touch and naked. Do you blame him?

[Private Investigator Robert Crispin]

Listen, I Being a father, I don't want to ever have to deal with something like that. I don't blame him. But unfortunately, this is the federal government, and this is a homicide investigation. And by hook or crook, he's going to have to testify, and the government's going to have to put him on the standard. He's the one who found Anna dead. He's the first person back to her body to find her naked, wrapped in the blanket and covered in life jackets, and finding her lifeless, cold, no pulse, body. You don't get to not testify. I completely understand, and I'm compassionate with him, but he is a major indicator of moving this case forward.

[Nancy Grace]

Robert, you've been there on location over and over and over, but this is what's happening right now. The perp is living in a residential home. He's not in jail. He's walking free. Now, this little girl, Anna Kepner, had been afraid of him for a really long time. Tonight, Crispin, we are learning that the little brother, the one that was banned from the room so Anna could be raped and killed, that little brother. We are now learning, Crispin, that there are reports the little brother went to the mom, the stepmom, and the dad and told them, something's happening, something's wrong. And nobody did anything, Crispin. Nothing.

[Private Investigator Robert Crispin]

So if it's true, Nancy, and there is some banter that that happened, and there is a superseding indictment that is potentially coming down the road, there were multiple indicators that we've learned through this story, Nancy, that this perpetrator, the killer, had a problem, and a lot of people knew that. You ever hear the term see something, say something? That goes right down the line of what happened here.

[Nancy Grace]

You know, it's amazing to me the way this is playing out. He is still out free. She's dead. Isn't it true, Michelle Spitzer, that her high school graduation just happened and the dad, the bio dad, had to accept her diploma? What happened?

[Investigative Reporter Michelle Spitzer]

That's right, Nancy. Her dad did go up and accept her diploma on her behalf. It was a very emotional moment. He wore butterflies on a shirt in honor of his daughter. It's a very small private school. There's only about 20 kids in the graduating class. The valedictorian spoke about Anna, spoke about what she meant to the class, how much she has missed. There was no mention about the suspect there. It was all focused on Anna and how much she has missed.

[Nancy Grace]

Michelle Spitzer, isn't it true that the siblings. Oh, this is from our friends at Good Morning America, Isn't it true that these siblings set up her little senior table with all of her pictures and memorabilia?

[Investigative Reporter Michelle Spitzer]

Family members did set up this table to reminisce about Anna and remember her in the good times. Her family has said they want her to be remembered by the way she lived, not the way she died. And so there were a lot of good memories.

[Nancy Grace]

Everyone in this case, including the defendant, including the parents, are innocent in the eyes of the law. Unless and until the state pierces the presumption of innocence with facts and evidence to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt, we wait as justice unfolds. But please know the state is building its case, as is the defense. If you know anything about this case, please dial 7547-0320-0075-4703, 2000. Nancy Grace signing off. Good.

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[Medical Examiner Dr. Kendall Crowns]

Sequences shortened and simulated.

[Nancy Grace]

This is an I heart podcast. Guaranteed human.