Federal prosecutors have identified a damaged cellphone belonging to Anna Kepner as a key piece of evidence in the case against her stepbrother, Timothy Hudson, who is accused in connection with the 18-year-old’s death aboard a Carnival Cruise Line ship, as reported by Fox News.

Newly released court filings and hearing transcripts show investigators relied on surveillance footage, ship Wi-Fi records, and the eventual recovery of Kepner’s phone to build part of their probable-cause case against Hudson.

Kepner, an 18-year-old from Florida, was found dead on Nov. 7, 2025, inside cabin 8343 aboard the Carnival Horizon. She had been sharing the cabin with Hudson, who was 16 at the time, and another relative.

Anna Kepner Murder Case: What We Know About Stepbrother Timothy Hudson and His Trial https://t.co/JFOGb3Twpw

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Federal prosecutors allege Hudson sexually assaulted and murdered Kepner. Hudson has been charged as an adult and faces federal prosecution.

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According to court records, surveillance footage showed Kepner returning to the cabin on the evening before her death. Prosecutors stated investigators found no evidence indicating she left the cabin afterward.

When authorities searched the room, however, one item was missing.

Family members told investigators that Kepner was rarely separated from her cellphone. Despite extensive searches, the device could not initially be located inside the cabin.

According to federal filings, cruise ship personnel informed investigators they had neither removed the phone nor seen it during their response to the incident.

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The device was later recovered from the ship’s lost-and-found department. Prosecutors said a crew member had discovered it inside a trash bin near the rear starboard side of the vessel. Investigators reported that the phone had sustained significant damage, including a shattered screen.

Federal authorities then sought to determine how the phone traveled from the cabin to the location where it was recovered.

According to prosecutors, the Carnival Horizon’s onboard wireless network automatically recorded connections between passengers’ devices and routers positioned throughout the ship. Those records allowed investigators to reconstruct the phone’s movement on the morning Kepner was found dead.

Court documents indicate Hudson left cabin 8343 at approximately 9:26 a.m. on Nov. 7. Prosecutors said Kepner’s phone began connecting to routers along a path that generally mirrored Hudson’s movements throughout the ship.

The records allegedly showed the phone connecting near the Lido Marketplace on Deck 10 at approximately 9:29 a.m. A few minutes later, the device connected near a smoking area on Deck 11, where surveillance footage reportedly showed Hudson smoking.

At approximately 9:39 a.m., the phone connected near Deck 12, where surveillance video captured Hudson walking on the jogging track.

Hudson returned to the cabin around 9:48 a.m., according to prosecutors. Roughly two minutes later, investigators said surveillance footage showed him leaving again while holding an unidentified object in his left hand and appearing to reach into the front pocket of his sweatshirt.

Video then showed Hudson walking toward the rear of the ship. At approximately 9:52 a.m., prosecutors said he was observed near the area where the trash bin was located.

While the bin itself was not visible on camera, investigators stated Hudson remained in that location for about 22 seconds before returning toward the cabin.

According to the government, router records later placed Kepner’s phone near the trash-bin location at approximately 9:55 a.m.

Prosecutors argue the timeline supports their conclusion that Hudson removed the phone from the cabin and discarded it.

Defense attorney Eric Cohen challenged that interpretation during court proceedings. Cohen argued that the data merely showed a similar route between Hudson and the phone and questioned whether the phone could have been disposed of elsewhere.

During testimony, FBI Special Agent Andrew Delvalle acknowledged that Hudson could have thrown the device into the water but stated that investigators found no evidence indicating that had occurred.

Court records indicate search warrants were executed for both Hudson’s and Kepner’s phones. Prosecutors said the devices did not reveal information directly explaining Kepner’s death or detailing the nature of their relationship.

The cellphone evidence forms only part of the government’s broader case, which also includes forensic findings, DNA evidence, and the timeline of activity surrounding the cabin.

U.S. Magistrate Judge Edwin G. Torres found probable cause to proceed, citing the combination of evidence presented by prosecutors. However, Torres also noted that the overall strength of the evidence was “a much closer call.”

Hudson is scheduled to stand trial in September. If convicted, he could face a maximum sentence of life in prison.

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