Anna Kepner Murder Bombshell: New Questions Raised After DNA From Unknown Male Minor Who Allegedly 'Was Intimate' With Cheerleader, 18, 'Before Her Death' Is Found
A second 'mystery minor' has had his DNA tested in the murder case of Anna Kepner.
June 3 2026, Published 6:20 p.m. ET
There's been a shocking twist in the investigation into the death of Carnival cruise ship passenger Anna Kepner, who was allegedly raped and murdered by her stepbrother, Timothy Hudson, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
Newly unsealed court documents indicate authorities requested DNA samples from another teen on the cruise, who was allegedly intimate with Kepner before her gruesome death.
'Minor Witness Two'
Anna Kepner's stepbrother, Timothy Hudson, has been charged with her murder.
Kepner was found dead aboard the Carnival Horizon during a family vacation in November, and the stepbrother was immediately identified as a prime suspect. But in a recently unsealed 145-page detention hearing transcript, federal investigators revealed they asked for a DNA sample from a mystery juvenile male referred to in court as "minor witness two."
That teenager reportedly complied with the request, and was subsequently cleared of any crime. Paperwork showed "witness two" was never considered a suspect, accused of any wrongdoing or charged with any crime related to Kepner's death.
However, while the second teen was seemingly cleared, defense attorneys plan to bring up the sexual encounter and timeline during Hudson's upcoming trial.
Anna Kepner's Final Moments
The mystery man also allegedly has relations with Anna Kepner, but was cleared of any criminal charges.
As Radar has reported, Kepner, 18, was found asphyxiated under a bed in the room she shared on the ship with her stepbrother, who suffers from ADHD and insomnia, and hadn't taken his medication for two nights on the cruise, including the night before her body was found.
Five months after her death, the teen, initially identified in court documents only as T.H., was indicted on charges of murder and aggravated sexual abuse. Hudson will now be tried as an adult in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida, and could be sentenced to life in prison.
According to court records, "T.H. was traveling aboard Carnival Cruise Line’s Horizon with Anna and other family members on or about Nov. 6-7, 2025. During that time, while the ship was in international waters en route to Miami, T.H. allegedly sexually assaulted and intentionally killed Kepner."
Timothy Hudson's Defense Previews Their Strategy
Timothy Hudson's defense team plans to bring up the second minor during his trial.
The Miami-Dade Medical Examiner’s Office later determined the cause of death to be mechanical asphyxiation.
"Our hearts go out to the victim’s family during this unimaginable loss," said U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones for the Southern District of Florida. "A federal grand jury has returned an indictment charging serious offenses that allegedly occurred aboard a vessel in international waters.
"We will present the evidence in court and pursue this case with professionalism and care. As in every case, the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt."
A Family Vacation Turned Tragic
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Timothy Hudson was said to be infatuated with his stepsister.
Kepner was a high school cheerleader from Florida's Space Coast who was preparing to graduate. She had been traveling on the Carnival Horizon ship with her father, stepmother, her stepmother's two minor children, and her grandparents when she went missing.
Her ex-boyfriend has claimed her stepbrother was "infatuated" with her, and she said she didn't feel safe around him in the months before her death.
Hudson was originally charged as a juvenile in February, and the case remained sealed. However, in a separate emergency filing, attorneys for Thomas Hudson, Timothy's father, revealed: "According to social media from the Kepner family, on February 3, 2026, the Petitioner/Father's son, TH, was charged by the United States Attorney in the Southern District of Florida for the [redacted] and homicide of Anna Kepner."
It goes on to claim that, "immediately after the cruise, the respondent/mother and Chris Kepner expelled [Timothy] from their household and neither has seen [Timothy] since then."
