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VIERA, Fla. – As federal investigators approach six weeks with no public updates in the homicide investigation of 18-year-old cheerleader Anna Kepner, a new round of subpoenas in Florida family court may offer a glimpse into the case.
The subpoenas, filed by attorneys for Anna’s stepmother, Shauntel Kepner, indicate that witnesses from both the Florida Department of Children and Families (DCF) and Temple Christian School, where Anna was a student, were ordered to appear at a Wednesday afternoon custody hearing in Viera, Florida.
The hearing began at 2:24 p.m. and finished at 3:38 p.m., ending without any major developments. Opening statements ran long, leaving time for testimony only from Shauntel’s ex-husband, Thomas Hudson, and their 18-year-old son, Andrew Hudson.
Inside the courtroom, tensions briefly flared as the custody dispute resumed. Thomas Hudson sat stiffly while his attorney revisited an alleged April 22, 2024, “kidnapping” incident involving Andrew — a flashpoint in Hudson’s contempt allegations against Shauntel and her husband, Christopher Kepner. His attorney argued that problems in the family emerged “when Chris Kepner came into the dynamic,” and asked the court to award Hudson 140 days of make-up time for missed exchanges.
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Shauntel’s attorney, Millicent Athanason, pushed back forcefully, prompting visible reactions from Hudson, who shook his head and stroked his beard as she accused him of failing to appear for scheduled child handoffs.
When Andrew Hudson took the stand, his testimony remained largely unchanged from the previous hearing. Soft-spoken and cautious, he repeated his claims that his father never abused him or the younger children and that he never resisted court-ordered visitation.
When asked about a 2025 confrontation involving Shauntel and Christopher, Andrew again said he “blacked out,” offering little new detail. The judge blocked an attempt to introduce photos tied to abuse allegations, deeming them irrelevant.
Andrew added that recent visits with his younger siblings were uneventful, and under cross-examination, acknowledged he has had almost no contact with Shauntel since 2023 aside from a few brief calls.
No testimony Wednesday touched on the day of the cruise, the stateroom where Anna was found, or the FBI’s ongoing homicide investigation. With no resolution reached, the court indicated another hearing would be scheduled at a later date.
The latest activity comes as federal authorities continue to investigate Anna’s death aboard the Carnival Horizon on Nov. 7, after she was found under the bed in her stateroom she shared with her 14-year-old brother and 16-year-old stepbrother. Her death has been ruled a homicide by mechanical asphyxia.
Criminal defense attorney and Fox News Contributor Donna Rotunno previously told Fox News Digital that the silence from investigators may reflect the complexity of a case if the potential perpetrator’s family live under the same roof.
“It is odd we haven’t heard anything,” Rotunno said. “But I think there’s a reason for it. When you’re dealing with essentially one family, authorities have to be careful about what they put out there. You don’t want to tip off what’s going on when your victim’s family and your perpetrator’s family are in the same house.”
Rotunno said Anna’s cause of death may also be contributing to the silence.
“They may not know if they can prove what happened yet,” she said. “Mechanical asphyxia could be argued as accidental or something that went too far. Investigators may still be sorting out what the evidence supports.”
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Despite the unusual posture, an emergency custody hearing on Dec. 5 yielded the most substantive developments since the cruise ship death.
Athanason noted during that hearing that Anna’s 16-year-old stepbrother may soon face state or federal charges.
“We’re not sure what the FBI is going to do,” Athanason said. “Whether he’s going to be charged federally or whether they’re going to turn it over to the state.”
Shauntel and Christopher Kepner have referred to the 16-year-old in court filings as a “suspect” and the subject of an FBI investigation. Federal authorities have not announced a suspect or charges.
Athanason told the court the teen is currently staying with a relative as investigators await “psychological and psychiatric” test results, saying that “they don’t know at this time how long that child is going to be at her relative’s house.”
The FBI declined to comment on Athanason’s remarks.
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During the previous family court hearing, Shauntel testified that the 16-year-old had been diagnosed with ADHD and was taking medication for insomnia, which she said he had skipped for two nights on the cruise.
Testimony from Andrew Hudson introduced new allegations of volatility in the household. Andrew said that he was placed in a chokehold and restrained in a vehicle by Shauntel and Christopher.
Thomas Hudson also testified, arguing that his 9-year-old child may be at risk under Shauntel’s supervision in the wake of Anna’s death. He accused Christopher of interfering with custody exchanges.
The judge ultimately found no emergency requiring a change in custody but flagged potential contempt issues, prompting today’s hearing and the court’s sweeping subpoenas.
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DCF was ordered to produce years of intake notes, medical records and investigative files dating back to 2007.
Temple Christian School personnel were instructed to turn over attendance, behavior and academic records for two of the Hudson children.
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