As the FBI continues to dig into the mysterious death of 12-year-old Anna Kepner aboard a cruise ship, there has been an update regarding her family.
Her teenage stepbrother has quietly been sent to live with relatives.
His exact location is known only to a select few.
Custody battle erupts after cruise ship tragedy
Shauntel Kepner, Anna’s stepmother and the mother of the 16-year-old boy, appeared in court on Friday, Dec. 5, for a custody hearing triggered by Anna’s shocking death.
According to Shauntel’s attorney, Millicent Athanason, the teen was sent away by his parents “removing any risk of any danger to any of the other children in the home.”
The court session revealed more details about the family’s cruise aboard the Carnival Horizon, which sailed from Nov. 2 to Nov. 9. Shauntel testified that Anna, her 14-year-old half-brother, and her stepbrother were extremely close — even sharing a room during the voyage.
But that vacation ended in horror.
Anna was found dead on the morning of Nov. 7, just as the ship was returning to Miami.
Her death certificate states she had been “mechanically asphyxiated by other person(s).” The cause of death has been ruled a homicide.
No one has been arrested, and no charges have been filed.
Anna Kepner. Credit: Anna Kepner/TikTok
Legal fight grows between Anna’s parents
The custody battle stems from an emergency motion filed by Anna’s father and Shauntel’s ex-husband, Thomas Hudson.
According to court documents obtained by PEOPLE, Anna “was found asphyxiated under the bed in the room which she shared with [his teenage son].”
Thomas, who shares three children with Shauntel, asked the court for custody of their youngest daughter in light of the tragic incident.
While the judge ultimately denied his emergency request, the legal fight is far from over.
He is set to return to court on Dec. 17 for a contempt hearing related to the cruise itself.
Thomas claims Shauntel didn’t have his permission to take their children out of the country for the trip, and further alleged that he hasn’t seen his two younger children in 18 months.
In one filing, he described a heated incident just weeks ago where Christopher Kepner — Shauntel’s husband — and his parents allegedly interfered with a custody exchange, sparking a verbal altercation.
However, Thomas did get a glimmer of connection when he was finally able to see his youngest daughter on Thanksgiving — the first time in over a year.
FBI detectives are investigating after the death of a teen on board a Carnival cruise ship. Credit: Instagram
Teen’s whereabouts kept under wraps as FBI weighs charges
While no suspect has been publicly named, Athanason told the court that the teen boy was considered a suspect.
“My clients were informed [the teenager] was a suspect, and since his release from the hospital after his return to the United States he was placed with a relative of the mother,” she said.
She also added that both Shauntel and Thomas had worked together regarding where the boy should stay.
PEOPLE reviewed legal documents confirming that the teen is with a third party who holds power of attorney and cannot be relocated without agreement from both parents.
Only Shauntel, Thomas, and law enforcement are aware of the boy’s exact location.
Athanason hinted that charges may be imminent and noted the FBI is still deciding whether to pass the case on to state or local officials.