Murky past of Anna Kepner’s father becomes a question mark in her mysterious death on a cruise ship

Scrutiny has fallen on the legal history of Christopher Percell Kepner, father of 18-year-old Anna Kepner, after her tragic death aboard a Carnival cruise ship.

On November 19, 2025, retired FBI agent turned true crime content creator Anna Coffindaffer shared court documents on X. They showed a 2008 petition filed in Brevard County, Florida, naming Christopher Kepner in a request for an injunction for protection against sexual violence.

Coffindaffer’s post cited a December 18, 2008, court order dismissing the petition after a hearing. No criminal charges were filed.

In her post, Coffindaffer noted that the files are publicly accessible through Brevard County’s electronic court system, though much of the information, including the minor child’s identity, remains redacted.

The Kepner family history

After Coffindaffer shared the document, true crime creator Tony Brueski commented, providing context. In 2008, Brueski alleges, Christina Danette Donahue requested protection for a minor child against Christopher. This came after Christopher’s divorce from Anna’s biological mother, Heather Wright.

According to Brueski, around 2010, Christopher married Tabatha Donahue, Christina’s daughter. This makes Tabatha, Anna’s stepmother, the mother of two of her younger half-siblings. While court records seal the name of the minor, public marriage and divorce records confirm Christopher did later marry — and then divorce — Tabatha Donahue.

Brueski confirms that in 2008, authorities never found any wrongdoing in Christina’s claims and dismissed the case. Notably, a man named Martin Donohue, claiming to be Anna’s uncle, alleged on X that Anna’s stepbrother killed her on the cruise.

What happened to Anna Kepner?

This comes as the FBI continues investigating Anna’s death, which occurred during a family cruise aboard the Carnival Horizon. According to court filings in a separate custody dispute, Anna shared a cabin with her 16-year-old stepbrother, identified only by the initials T.H., who has now been named a suspect, per CBS News.

In court records related to that custody case, Shauntel — Anna’s stepmother — states that FBI investigators told her and her attorneys that “a criminal case may be initiated against one of the minor children.” In an emergency motion, Hudson invoked her Fifth Amendment rights. She stated that testifying in the custody case could prejudice her or her child in the ongoing criminal investigation.

Her ex-husband, Thomas Hudson, echoed that in his own filing, stating, “the sixteen-year-old child is now a suspect in the death of the stepchild during the cruise.”

Anna’s ex-boyfriend also now claims that months before her death, he witnessed her stepbrother “climbing on top” of her during a FaceTime call. He alleged felt forced to keep the secret. According to court documents, Kepner’s stepbrother is now living with a relative, and reports say he has legal counsel.

Investigators are reportedly analyzing surveillance footage from the ship, swipe card records, and Anna’s cellphone data. The Miami-Dade Medical Examiner has not yet determined a cause or manner of death. Court filings list the time of death as 11:17 a.m. on Nov. 7, 2025. Prosecutors have not filed any criminal charges at this stage.