Anna Kepner’s ex accuses her stepbrother of assaulting her, just as the 16yo is named a suspect in the death investigation

Anna Kepner died on a Carnival Cruises ship in early November 2025, and her ex-boyfriend has now said he witnessed a disturbing incident on a FaceTime call with Kepner involving her stepbrother. Reports say her stepbrother has now been named a suspect in the case.

At the same time, reports have emerged that Kepner’s stepbrother, identified in court documents as 16-year-old T.H., entered the hospital for an undisclosed reason after the cruise arrived back in Florida. He is now living with a relative, and his family said in court that he has a psychiatric appointment in the coming weeks.

This news comes not as part of Kepner’s death investigation, but in unrelated custody hearing documents from Kepner’s stepmom — Shauntel Kepner— who is T.H.’s mother. Shauntel is identified in legal documents as Shauntel Hudson.

Meanwhile, a source told ABC News that preliminary autopsy findings determined Kepner died from asphyxiation caused by a “bar hold,” or an arm pressed against her neck. The source said investigators found no sign of sexual assault and no signs of drugs or alcohol in Kepner’s system. The source stressed these findings are preliminary, and further autopsy and toxicology investigations were ongoing.

The FaceTime call allegations

Speaking on camera, Kepner’s ex, Josh Tew, said he witnessed Kepner’s stepbrother enter her room during a late-night FaceTime call, after Anna had fallen asleep. Tew said T.H. tried to climb on top of her. Speaking to Inside Edition, Tew’s father, Steven Westin, said Tew told him what happened and said Anna expressed discomfort around her stepbrother, whom she saw as obsessive.

The FBI, which has jurisdiction because Kepner’s death occurred in international waters, has not publicly confirmed that the 16-year-old is under criminal indictment, though multiple court documents refer to him as a “suspect.” According to sources cited by CBS News, officials are examining surveillance footage from the ship and access-card logs to understand who entered her cabin, along with her cellphone records.

What happened to Anna Kepner?

After her family reported her missing on the cruise ship, a crew member discovered Kepner under the bed in her cabin on November 7. Sources describe her body wrapped in a blanket and covered with life jackets. Carnival Cruise Line has said it’s cooperating fully with authorities.

Kepner’s stepbrother’s father, Thomas Hudson, argued that because the cruise was in international waters, the teenager may have had access to alcohol, a claim Shauntel’s camp denied, citing surveillance footage from the ship, which they said showed no sign of drinking.

At the oral custody hearing, the court set a longer four-hour session for early December to explore custody issues and potentially call witnesses, though it’s unclear whether the teenager will testify, and his father’s attorney suggested he may invoke his Fifth Amendment right. Shauntel has also invoked her right to remain silent, voicing concern that any testimony she gives could jeopardize her child in the ongoing investigation.