New details have emerged in the murder case involving 18-year-old Anna Kepner, whose death aboard a Carnival Cruise Line ship shocked the nation last year.
According to testimony presented in federal court, investigators believe Anna’s 16-year-old stepbrother, Timothy Hudson, attempted to destroy crucial evidence after allegedly killing and sexually assaulting the teenager during a family cruise in November 2025.
FBI Agent Andrew del Valle testified that one of the most important pieces of evidence — Anna’s cell phone — was initially missing when agents boarded the Carnival Horizon in Miami on Nov. 8 to begin their investigation.
Family members reportedly told investigators that Anna was rarely ever separated from her phone, making its disappearance immediately suspicious.
After an extensive search of the ship, agents eventually discovered the device in the vessel’s lost and found after a crew member located it inside a trash can. According to testimony, the phone appeared heavily damaged, with investigators believing it had been intentionally smashed before being discarded.
Despite the damage, FBI technicians were reportedly able to recover data from the device and trace its movements across the ship in the hours following Anna’s death.
Using router connection logs and surveillance footage, investigators determined the phone traveled through four separate areas of the ship over roughly 20 minutes during the morning of Nov. 7, 2025. Prosecutors say surveillance footage showed Timothy Hudson present in each of those same locations.
According to testimony, Hudson was also seen lingering for approximately 22 seconds near the trash can where the phone was ultimately recovered before returning to his cabin. After that point, investigators said Anna’s phone stopped connecting to the ship’s network entirely.
Authorities also revealed that another potentially critical piece of evidence — Anna’s Apple Watch — has never been recovered.
However, investigators determined the smartwatch stopped recording Anna’s vital signs sometime between 7:50 p.m. and 10 p.m. on Nov. 6, the night prosecutors believe she was killed.
Hudson, whose mother married Anna’s father, Christopher Kepner, has been charged with murder and aggravated sexual abuse. Federal prosecutors allege the teen deliberately killed Anna during the commission of a sexual assault.
A federal grand jury later upgraded the case, allowing Hudson to be prosecuted as an adult despite being 16 at the time of the alleged crimes.
If convicted on both charges, Hudson could face two life sentences.
Court documents state prosecutors believe the killing was “willful, deliberate, malicious and premeditated.”
Hudson has denied wrongdoing. Following a detention hearing in May, a judge rejected prosecutors’ request to place him in custody while awaiting trial. He is currently living with a maternal uncle under court supervision.
