'Want him buried': Family's explosive words surface after cheerleader's stepbrother reportedly charged in her death on cruise



Anna Kepner — a "bubbly, funny, outgoing" 18-year-old Florida high school cheerleader — was found dead in her cabin on a cruise ship in November. Now, court documents reportedly indicate that her 16-year-old stepbrother has been charged with homicide in connection with her death — and Anna's family wants justice.

CBS News reported that attorneys for Thomas Hudson, the biological father of the 16-year-old stepbrother, wrote in a Feb. 20 emergency filing: "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."

'I know Anna fought. I know she fought for her life, so it's rough. It's rough.'

The filing is part of a custody dispute between Hudson and Shauntel Kepner, the parents of the 16-year-old stepbrother, CBS News said. Hudson petitioned for custody of his 9-year-old daughter, whom he shares with Shauntel, his ex-wife; Hudson's daughter primarily resides with Shauntel and Christopher Kepner — the biological father of Anna, the victim.

"There has been a significant and unanticipated change in circumstances that requires the immediate transfer of sole time sharing and parental responsibility," the petition said, according to Gray News.

The reported homicide case against the 16-year-old male and custody battle for the 9-year-old girl are happening simultaneously.

Here is how the family members are connected:

  • Anna Kepner — 18-year-old high school cheerleader found dead aboard the Carnival Horizon cruise ship in November.
  • TH — Anna’s 16-year-old stepbrother, reportedly charged with homicide in federal court in connection with her death. He is listed as "TH" in court documents because, as a minor, he has not been publicly named.
  • Christopher Kepner — Anna's biological father. He is married to Shauntel Hudson. He also is TH's stepfather.
  • Shauntel Kepner — Biological mother of TH. She shares a 9-year-old daughter with her ex-husband, Thomas Hudson. She is now married to Christopher Kepner.
  • Thomas Hudson — TH's biological father. He is seeking emergency custody of his 9-year-old daughter, whom he shares with Shauntel.

On Tuesday, WESH-TV said it obtained a court document noting that the Kepner family wants Anna's 16-year-old stepbrother "buried."

"Immediately after the cruise, the respondent/mother and Chris Kepner expelled [the minor] from their household, and neither has seen [the minor] since then," the court document stated.

The court document added, "Social media from the Kepner family has indicated that they want the 'nails in the coffin' of [the minor], and that both the Kepner family and the respondent 'want him buried.'"

CBS News reported that there is an ongoing case against Anna's stepbrother "currently under seal" and that Miami federal Judge Beth Bloom is presiding over it.

The 16-year-old stepbrother appeared at a Feb. 6 hearing in Miami federal court, according to CBS News.

Neither the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Florida nor the FBI have responded to Blaze News' requests for comment.

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As Blaze News previously reported, Anna Kepner went on a trip aboard the Carnival Horizon cruise ship, which departed Nov. 2 from Miami for a six-day Caribbean vacation.

According to ABC News, Anna went on the cruise with her grandparents, father, stepmother, siblings, and step-siblings.

Anna's grandmother, Barbara Kepner, told ABC News, "The two younger girls stayed with the parents, and then the three teenagers, they decided amongst themselves they wanted to stay in the room together."

The grandmother noted, "But we had a larger room, and we made it very clear that at any time if they weren't getting along, they didn't want to be together, we had an extra bed in our room that they could come to."

On Nov. 7, Anna was found dead, wrapped in a blanket and covered with life vests.

NBC News previously reported that the Miami-Dade Medical Examiner’s Office determined Anna's time of death was 11:17 a.m. Nov. 7.

The Carnival Horizon cruise ship, which has a maximum capacity of nearly 4,000 passengers, returned to Port Miami on Nov. 8.

A source informed ABC News in November that Anna's death may have been caused by asphyxiation from a bar hold — a chokehold maneuver in which the arm is pressed across the neck. The source noted that there were two bruises on the side of Anna's neck.

WTVJ-TV reported that a court document filed in early December stated, "The 18-year-old daughter was found asphyxiated under the bed in the room which she shared with TH. The actions of the unsupervised TH are currently under investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation."

Krystal Wright, Anna's aunt, told WOFL-TV in November, "I know Anna fought. I know she fought for her life, so it's rough. It's rough."

Christopher Kepner cryptically told People magazine in November that he wanted his stepson to face consequences but did not appear to directly blame him for Anna's death.

"I do not stand behind what my stepson has done," Christopher stated.

He declared, "I want him to face the consequences. ... I will be fighting to make sure that does happen." But Christopher also indicated, "I cannot say that he is responsible, but I can’t decline."

However, Christopher pointed out, "He was the only one ... in the room, and the FBI has an ongoing investigation in which they will have to provide the evidence to say that he did do it or did not do this."

Anna was set to graduate from high school this year and had aspirations of joining the U.S. Navy after graduation and later becoming a K-9 police officer, according to her obituary.

Anna's obituary describes her as a Christian whose "faith blossomed as beautifully as her smile."

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'Agitated' cruise passenger was served 33 drinks in hours, subdued by security, injected with sedative, later died: Lawsuit



What was supposed to be a fun family cruise to Mexico ended in panic, a physical confrontation with security, a death that officially was ruled a homicide — and now a lawsuit.

The wrongful death suit claims a passenger on a cruise a year ago was served 33 alcoholic drinks in a "matter of hours," and crew members used pepper spray when the California father reportedly became unruly. Ship security detained the passenger who was later given an injection as a sedative before he died, according to the suit.

'The next phone call she gets, he's dead.'

Michael Virgil, 35, went on a vacation with his family aboard the Royal Caribbean Navigator of the Seas cruise ship in December 2024.

On Dec. 13, 2024, Virgil boarded the ship in San Pedro, California, with his fiancée Connie Aguilar, their young son, and relatives for a three-day cruise to Ensenada, Mexico, according to USA Today.

Kevin Haynes, an attorney for the family, told the Daily Mail that Virgil's cabin was not ready when he boarded the cruise ship, so he went to one of the ship's bars.

The lawsuit claims Virgil was served 33 alcoholic beverages — but it's unclear if he consumed all of the drinks.

CBS News reported that that lawsuit said Royal Caribbean crew members "negligently" overserved alcohol to Virgil "in a matter of hours" while he showed signs of intoxication.

Virgil "became agitated" when he couldn't locate his cabin, according to the suit, which was filed Friday in federal court in Miami, where Royal Caribbean is headquartered.

Christifer Mikhail, a passenger aboard the Navigator of the Seas, recorded cellphone video of Virgil violently kicking a door on the cruise ship.

RELATED: College football player raped girl on family cruise, feds say — and allegedly asked her appalling 2-word question afterward

Mikhail told KTTV-TV in December 2024, "The gentleman, that was drunk, said he was going to kill us. He started chasing us down the hallway."

KTTV added that "passengers say he attacked two crew members. And attempted to kick down a door to try to get to one of the crew members."

Several security members are seen in the video surrounding Virgil before confronting him.

The lawsuit adds, "Royal Caribbean crew members, including security personnel, then tackled decedent to the ground, stood on decedent’s body with their full weight, and compressed decedent’s body, causing decedent to stop moving."

Haynes added to the Daily Mail that "the first domino that fell in terms of causing his death was mechanical asphyxiation, and that is where approximately five, maybe more, Royal Caribbean employees were trying to restrain him by putting their full body weight on him. And they did that for three minutes."

The ship's security members detained Virgil by using zip ties, handcuffs, and pepper spray.

'They put Michael in a refrigerator and continued the cruise for multiple days.'

Aguilar claimed she found out about the incident when her name was called over the ship's intercom.

Aguilar was brought to Virgil, where she said she saw her fiancée on a gurney with zip ties on his wrists.

Haynes told the Daily Mail, "They assured her, 'Everything's going to be fine. We’re going to give him a sedating injection, just go back to your cabin.' The next phone call she gets, he's dead."

The lawsuit alleges that the ship's medical staff injected Virgil with haloperidol as a sedative.

According to the National Alliance on Mental Health: "Haloperidol is a medication that works in the brain to treat schizophrenia. It is also known as a first-generation antipsychotic (FGA) or typical antipsychotic. Haloperidol rebalances dopamine to improve thinking, mood, and behavior."

Virgil was pronounced dead at 8:32 p.m. on the first day of the cruise when the ship was more than three miles offshore, according to the Daily Mail.

Haynes said, "They put Michael in a refrigerator and continued the cruise for multiple days."

Virgil’s body remained aboard the ship until the Navigator of the Seas returned to California on Dec. 16, 2024, three days after the cruise commenced.

RELATED: Mother and her adult son allegedly beat up 65-year-old woman on cruise ship amid argument

The County of Los Angeles Medical Examiner ruled Virgil's death a homicide that was caused by "combined effects of mechanical asphyxia, obesity, cardiomegaly, and ethanol intoxication."

Fox News noted, "The report also said the injury occurred from 'body compression during restraint by multiple ship security personnel' and 'ingestion of ethanol.'" The cable network included a copy of the medical examiner's report, which was filed in April.

Virgil’s blood alcohol concentration measured between 0.182% and 0.186%, roughly twice the legal driving limit in California.

"While not lethal on its own, this level of intoxication can depress respiratory drive, impair coordination, and diminish the individual's ability to respond to distress during restraint," the autopsy report said, according to the Daily Mail.

Haynes told the Daily Mail, "His behavior was out of character for him. He was scared and acting out of fear. Whatever Michael may have done during that stressful time, fueled by alcohol, it shouldn't have given him a death sentence."

A spokesperson for Royal Caribbean, the world’s second-largest cruise company, told Blaze News, "We were saddened by the passing of one of our guests, worked with authorities on their investigation, and will refrain from commenting any further on pending litigation."

Citing the lawsuit, NBC News noted that maritime common law requires cruise ship companies to "supervise and assist passengers likely to engage in behavior dangerous to themselves or others."

Haynes stated, "We are seeing an incredibly alarming number of serious injuries and fatalities on cruise ships. This should never happen again."

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FBI investigating death of 12-year-old boy who fell from balcony of cruise ship



A 12-year-old boy has died after falling from the balcony of a Royal Caribbean cruise ship.

Royal Caribbean’s Harmony of the Seas was on a seven-day cruise in the western Caribbean with stops in Honduras and Mexico.

'We are deeply saddened to confirm the death of one of our guests.'

On Saturday, the ship was en route to Galveston, Texas.

On the last night of the cruise, a 12-year-old boy plummeted to his death after falling from a balcony.

According to People magazine, the boy fell from the ship's "Central Park" neighborhood — an open area in the ship's interior on the 8th deck — which includes bars, restaurants, shops, and more than 10,000 plants and flowers.

The FBI confirmed that it was investigating the incident, according to the Washington Post, noting that it's “the primary federal agency authorized to investigate potential crimes on the high seas,” and was coordinating with the U.S. Coast Guard and Customs and Border Protection.

Royal Caribbean released a statement on the boy's death: “We are deeply saddened to confirm the death of one of our guests. Our Care Team is providing support and assistance to the guest’s family during this difficult time. For the privacy of the guest and their family, we have no additional details to share.”

The FBI and Royal Caribbean did not reveal the circumstances of how the boy fell from the balcony.

The Harmony of the Seas cruise ship docked in Galveston at 7 a.m. Sunday, according to cruise tracking site CruiseMapper.

In 2019, a 16-year-old boy fell to his death while attempting to climb into his room from the balcony of the Harmony of the Seas ship. The teen was on the eighth floor, according to the Broward Medical Examiner’s Office. The teen reportedly fell and landed on a pier after attempting to climb into his room from a nearby balcony because he forgot his room key.

Under the Cruise Vessel Security and Safety Act that was passed in 2010, railings on cruise ships must be at least 42 inches tall.

Harmony of the Seas was first launched in 2016 and has 18 decks and a maximum capacity of 6,687.

Between 1995 and 2024, there were 416 people who went overboard while on cruise ships, according to data compiled by cruise industry researcher Ross Klein.

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YouTube DJ feared dead from jumping off cruise ship after fight with love interest, allegedly said he wanted to kill her



A Brazilian YouTube DJ is feared to be dead after he reportedly jumped from a cruise ship after getting into a fight with his love interest.

Carlos Alberto Mota Candreva, 32, was on a two-day New Year’s cruise from São Paulo to Rio de Janeiro aboard the MSC Preziosa ship. Joining Candreva on the voyage was his 27-year-old love interest, Vitoria Barbara Momenso.

Just hours before his disappearance, Candreva was filming himself in exuberant travel videos and sharing them on social media.

However, Candreva and Momenso got into a heated argument about their relationship status during the cruise.

Momenso said, "While I was in the bathroom, Carlos took my cell phone. I didn't even know he had the password. He saw my conversations with other men and sent screenshots to friends saying he was thinking about killing me. He intended to kill me."

Metrópoles reported, "The sending of the messages was confirmed by people close to Carlos."

Momenso said she was not Candreva's girlfriend, and that their relationship was casual.

"He always said that I didn't care about him, that I didn't recognize the things he did for me. I made a point of throwing it in the face," Momenso said. "The moment he fell, just before the Alexandre Pires show, he wanted to resume this discussion. I said: 'Please, let's enjoy the cruise.'"

However, Candreva allegedly jumped off the cruise ship early Saturday morning.

"There were people on the side, there was even someone to hold them back, but no one reacted. I was close to the stairs, there was no way I could run after him. It was very quick," Momenso noted of Candreva leaping off the cruise ship.

According to Momenso, Candreva's last words before jumping off the cruise ship were: "Do you doubt it?"

Candreva reportedly jumped off the cruise ship approximately 25 miles off the coast of São Sebastião, on the north coast of São Paulo.

The Brazilian Navy launched a search mission to find Candreva, which has fruitless thus far.

MSC said in a statement, "A thorough search was carried out on board and it was confirmed that the guest intentionally jumped overboard. The incident was immediately reported to the competent authorities and the Coast Guard released the ship to continue its journey."

Momenso reportedly required medical attention following Candreva’s jump. She disembarked the cruise the next day after speaking to police.

"Carlos was a person full of light, happy. But, over time, his shine faded," Momenso said. "He said that everything in his life was fine, except the love part, because he wanted to win me over. His goal in life was for me to be his girlfriend. He did what he could and what he couldn’t in pursuit of that."

Candreva's family blames Momenso for the tragic incident.

"Carlos was practically bankrupt. She consumed him financially. He paid for the trip, because it was her dream. He freaked out. She will never admit it, but she is responsible for what happened. She didn’t play him, but she was the one who made him get to that point”, said Christiane Mota – Candreva's sister.

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Carlos Mota Candreva: Tragic Journey's End - YouTuber DJ's Heart-Wrenching Leap from Cruise Ship www.youtube.com

Deceased man was left to rot on a cruise because staff stored dead body in drink cooler, widow's lawsuit says



A Florida woman is accusing staff with Celebrity Cruises of mishandling her husband's dead body, which allegedly caused it to severely decompose, according to a new lawsuit.

Two days after the Celebrity Equinox cruise ship departed Fort Lauderdale for an eight-day voyage to ports in the Caribbean, a 79-year-old passenger died. Robert Jones died of a heart attack while on the cruise ship on Aug. 15, 2022.

The lawsuit claims that cruise staff stored the dead body of Jones inside a walk-in drink cooler. The lawsuit alleges that cruise personnel informed Jones' wife that her husband of 55 years would be maintained in the ship's morgue for the next six days until the ship docked in Fort Lauderdale.

The wife, Marilyn Jones, says that cruise staff dissuaded her from taking her husband's body off the ship when it docked in San Juan, Puerto Rico. The suit claims cruise staff warned the widow that there was a "50/50 chance" the coroner's office would take possession of the body to perform an autopsy before releasing it to a funeral home, according to NBC News. They also allegedly told her that she would need to find transportation back to the United States if she stepped off the ship.

"This was especially distressing to Ms. Jones, who is elderly and was traveling alone with her husband," the lawsuit claims.

The federal lawsuit says Jones' body was not in the ship's morgue, but was instead "laying in a bag on a pallet on the floor."

The lawsuit alleges that the drink cooler was not cold enough to preserve the dead body and caused physical indignities to Jones' body.

The suit claims that Jones' body was in "advanced stages of decomposition" because of the conditions in the beverage cooler.

The Associated Press reported, "That left the body bloated and green, and the family was unable to have an open-coffin funeral 'which was a long-standing family custom and was what his family had desired,' the lawsuit says."

"By allowing Mr. Jones’ body to decompose while on the ship to such a state that his family was unable to have open casket funeral and wake services, denying his wife of 55 years, children, grandchildren, friends, and community the closure their family and community deserved, a practice which was a part of his family’s culture," the lawsuit states.

The Celebrity Equinox docked in Fort Lauderdale nearly a week after Jones died from a heart attack. The body was reportedly recovered by a funeral home worker and a Broward County sheriff's deputy.

The lawsuit alleges that the family suffered "extreme trauma by visualizing Mr. Jones’ body horrifically decomposed, and knowing their husband and father was callously and casually left in a beverage cooler, stripping him of his dignity."

Marilyn Jones, her two daughters, and three grandchildren are seeking $1 million in damages.

Celebrity Cruises said, "Due to the sensitivity of the alleged facts and out of respect for the family, we decline to comment on the matter."

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