UMVA has learned that a shocking twist has emerged in the case of 18-year-old Anna Kepner's death on a Carnival cruise ship, with federal investigators obtaining a DNA sample from a mystery juvenile male who allegedly had sex with Kepner shortly before her murder.
The revelation adds a new layer of complexity to the case as federal prosecutors move forward with their charges against Kepner's stepbrother, Timothy Hudson, who faces allegations of her sexual assault and murder. The details have been revealed in a recently unsealed 145-page detention hearing transcript.
Hudson, accused of killing Kepner inside their shared cabin aboard the Carnival Horizon in November 2025, could face a maximum penalty of life in prison if convicted. According to the transcript, prosecutors disclosed that Kepner had sexual intercourse during the cruise with an out-of-state minor, referred to in court as "minor witness two," who is not Hudson.
The DNA evidence collected after Kepner's body was found in cabin 8343, which she shared with Hudson and her 13-year-old brother, revealed male DNA from two vaginal swabs, including one that tested positive for sperm. Investigators collected DNA from the out-of-state minor who allegedly had sex with Kepner during the cruise, but the government says this individual was excluded as a contributor.
Prosecutors argue that the DNA instead strongly supports Hudson as the male contributor, with one swab 120 sextillion times more likely to include DNA from Kepner and Hudson than from Kepner and an unknown, unrelated person. A second swab, negative for sperm but positive for male DNA, was described as 1.2 septillion times more likely to include Hudson than an unknown, unrelated person.
The defense, however, signaled that the other sexual encounter and the timeline could become part of its strategy, arguing that prosecutors are making assumptions about the evidence. Hudson's attorney questioned whether the medical examiner could determine how long after intercourse Kepner died or whether the person involved in the intercourse was the same person who killed her.
Prosecutors maintained that the evidence points to Hudson, citing DNA, CCTV footage, phone-location data, and the cabin timeline. They said Kepner was last seen entering the cabin at 7:38 p.m. on Nov. 6, 2025, and was not seen leaving again. Hudson's case is expected to go to trial in September.
