Stepmother in cruise ship death mystery fears child could be incriminated: court docs

The stepmother of a Florida cheerleader who died mysteriously connected a cruise vessel has filed an exigency question to postpone a proceeding successful a proceeding with her ex-husband, claiming she cannot attest due to the fact that it could beryllium incriminating to herself oregon 1 of their insignificant children successful the transgression probe into her stepdaughter's death.

In an exigency question filed successful Brevard County, Shauntel Kepner, formerly Shauntel Hudson, asked the justice to postpone a December proceeding owed to the FBI probe into the decease of Anna Kepner, who was recovered dormant connected a Carnival cruise vessel connected Nov. 7.

"The Respondent has been advised done discussions with FBI investigators and her attorneys, that a transgression lawsuit whitethorn beryllium initiated against 1 of the insignificant children of this instant action," Shauntel's lawyer, Millicent Athanason, wrote to a Brevard County judge.

NO CAUSE OF DEATH FOR CHEERLEADER FOUND DEAD ON CRUISE SHIP AS REPORT REVEALS REMAINS FOUND HIDDEN UNDER BED

Anna Kepner, her father, stepmother and respective siblings successful a household photo. (Shauntel Kepner/Facebook)

A instrumentality enforcement root told Fox News Digital Wednesday that authorities person recovered surveillance video from the cruise vessel showing Kepner with a "suspect" and that the FBI is reviewing hours of further footage from the cruise earlier her death.

In an exigency question for impermanent alleviation filed Monday, Shauntel's ex-husband, Thomas Hudson, revealed that the couple's oldest child, 18, had moved successful with him aft an alleged "violent altercation" betwixt himself, Shauntel, and her caller husband, Christopher Kepner, who is the precocious cheerleader's father.

Read the father's exigency motion:

Further, Hudson's filing alleges their 2nd son, a 16-year-old, "is present a fishy successful the decease of the stepchild during the cruise."

"The [16-year-old]'s aboriginal has been enactment successful jeopardy due to the fact that of the choices made by [Shauntel]," according to Hudson's filing.

The teen's existent whereabouts are unclear. According to the filing, helium has been released from custody and is staying with an unnamed 3rd party.

FBI INVESTIGATES CARNIVAL CRUISE SHIP DEATH IN MARITIME MYSTERY THAT CAN BE ‘VERY COMPLEX,’ FORMER AGENT SAYS

Anna Kepner was identified by her household arsenic the rider who died onboard the Carnival Horizon. (Instagram/Anna Kepner)

Hudson is accusing his ex-wife of alienating him from their 2 youngest children and arguing that his deficiency of engagement successful their beingness is negatively impacting them.

In a abstracted response, Shauntel's lawyer denied that their eldest kid had been progressive successful a convulsive altercation and denied that she refused to let Hudson time-sharing nether the presumption of their custody plan.

Neither Shauntel nor Athanason responded to requests for comment. In the motion, the lawyer noted that her lawsuit has a close against self-incrimination, and she argued that testifying successful the divorcement proceeding could "be prejudicial to her oregon her teen child" successful the transgression investigation.

"An highly delicate and terrible condition has arisen wherein the Respondent/Mother volition not beryllium capable to attest astatine the proceeding astatine this time," Athanason wrote.

Anna Kepner wrote that she would endure aft a unsmooth breakup successful a video posted conscionable days earlier she died nether chartless circumstances. (@fl.anna18/TikTok)

"Currently, determination is an probe being conducted by the [FBI] arising retired of the abrupt decease of [18-year-old] Anna Kepner," the filing continues. "Ms. Anna Kepner, the deceased, is the girl of the Respondent's paramour and the Respondent and the insignificant children of this instant enactment were each connected the cruise vessel together."

The filing is portion of a quality stemming from Shauntel's divorcement from her ex-husband, Thomas Hudson.

Authorities person said small astir the case.

The FBI's Miami bureau is investigating the matter. And the aesculapian examiner's bureau successful Miami-Dade County is handling the autopsy, though nary origin and mode of decease person been determined arsenic of Wednesday morning.

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The Daily Mail reported Tuesday, citing 2 unnamed sources, that Kepner's remains had been discovered wrapped successful a broad and covered successful beingness jackets nether the furniture successful her compartment connected the Carnival Horizon cruise ship.

Carnival said successful a connection it is cooperating with the FBI. The FBI did not respond to a petition for comment.