Anna Kepner’s cellphone has been identified as significant evidence in the investigation of her murder, with her stepbrother, Timothy Hudson, being the primary suspect. Kepner was found deceased on November 7, 2025, in a cabin aboard the Carnival Horizon cruise ship, where she was staying with Hudson and another relative. Hudson is facing charges of sexual assault and murder.
Prosecutors noted that surveillance footage did not show Kepner leaving the cabin after returning the previous evening. Initially, investigators could not locate her cellphone, which family members reported she always carried. The phone was later discovered in the ship's lost and found, having been retrieved from a trash bin by a crew member.
The phone was reportedly damaged, with a broken screen. Investigators analyzed surveillance video and Wi-Fi records from the ship to trace the phone's movements. They found that the phone connected to various routers in the ship, aligning with Hudson's movements on the morning of Kepner's death. Hudson left the cabin around 9:26 a.m., and the phone began connecting to routers along a similar path shortly thereafter.
Prosecutors argued that this evidence suggests Hudson discarded the phone after taking it from the cabin. During cross-examination, Hudson's defense attorney questioned the strength of the prosecution's conclusions, suggesting alternative scenarios. The investigation also included search warrants for both Hudson and Kepner’s phones, which did not yield information regarding the circumstances of Kepner's death.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Edwin G. Torres found probable cause based on the circumstantial evidence, including the timeline of movements and the phone's location data. If convicted, Hudson could face a maximum sentence of life in prison, with the trial expected to begin in September 2026.