Content warning: This article includes references to sexual assault that may be upsetting to some readers.
Federal investigators have obtained a DNA sample from an unidentified juvenile who allegedly had sexual contact with 18-year-old Anna Kepner shortly before her tragic death on a Carnival cruise ship.
This information emerges as federal prosecutors continue their case against Ms. Kepner’s brother-in-law, Timothy Hudson, who faces charges of sexual assault and murder.
Details can be found in 145 pages of recently unsealed records from a detention hearing. Hudson, previously referenced in juvenile court documents as TH, is alleged to have killed Kepner in November 2025 in the shared cabin of the Carnival Horizon while returning to Miami from Cozumel, Mexico. If found guilty, he could receive a life sentence.
A timeline of events surrounding Anna Kepner’s mysterious death on a Carnival cruise ship.
Prosecutors indicated that Kepner had a sexual encounter with a minor, referred to during the hearing as “two minor witnesses,” while on the cruise. They confirmed that this individual was not Hudson, who was 16 at the time of the incident.
This information surfaced when prosecutors disclosed DNA evidence retrieved after Kepner’s body was discovered in Cabin 8343, which she shared with Hudson and her 13-year-old brother.
Details following murder charges against Anna Kepner’s brother-in-law.
Prosecutors mentioned that a rape kit gathered during Kepner’s autopsy revealed male DNA, including two vaginal swabs that tested positive for sperm.
Based on early findings, the FBI obtained a warrant for Hudson’s DNA, as well as DNA from the juvenile who is said to have had sexual interactions with Kepner during the cruise.
Prosecutors explained that the FBI laboratory compared DNA signatures from Hudson and the “two minor witnesses” against DNA profiles found on a vaginal swab, ultimately ruling out one of the minors as a contributor.
Interestingly, the DNA evidence strongly favored Hudson as the male source.
The government noted that one swab was 120 sextillion times more likely to contain the DNA of Kepner and Hudson rather than an unknown individual unrelated to her.
The findings suggested that another swab was negative for sperm but showed positive male DNA, making it 1.2 septillion times more likely to belong to Hudson compared to an unrelated individual.
However, the defense suggested that there might be different sexual encounters and timelines they could explore as part of their strategy.
During the hearing, Hudson’s lawyers pushed back against prosecutors’ conclusions regarding the connection between the sexual contact, the alleged sexual assault, and the murder.
They questioned if the medical examiner could ascertain how long after intercourse Kepner died or whether the person involved in the sexual encounter was also her killer. The FBI agent responded that they hadn’t made that determination yet.
Prosecutors maintained that the evidence pointed primarily to Hudson, referencing DNA, surveillance footage, phone location data, and timelines during the flight.
They stated that Kepner was last seen boarding a plane at 7:38 p.m. on November 6, 2025, and was never seen leaving the premises again.
Prosecutors noted that Hudson was with her during that time, and Kepner’s cellphone was later found damaged in a trash can.
Although the judge acknowledged probable cause, he expressed that the government’s case wasn’t particularly robust, mentioning that “a variety of defenses” could potentially arise.
Mr. Hudson’s trial is set for September, and efforts to reach his attorney for comments are ongoing.
