EXCLUSIVE DETAILS: TITUSVILLE, Fla. — The stepmother of a Florida cheerleader who died mysteriously on a cruise ship has filed an emergency motion to postpone a hearing in a proceeding with her ex-husband, claiming she cannot testify because it could be incriminating to herself or one of their minor children in the criminal investigation into her stepdaughter’s death.

In an emergency motion filed in Brevard County, Shauntel Kepner, formerly Shauntel Hudson, asked the judge to postpone a December hearing due to the FBI investigation into the death of Anna Kepner, who was found dead on a Carnival cruise ship on Nov. 7.

“The Respondent has been advised through discussions with FBI investigators and her attorneys, that a criminal case may be initiated against one of the minor children of this instant action,” Shauntel’s lawyer, Millicent Athanason, wrote to a Brevard County judge.

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“I don’t know why Anna was staying in a room with her stepbrother,” Anna Kepner’s step-grandfather, Christopher Donohue, told Fox News Digital Wednesday. He said he learned about the arrangement from a news article. 

“All I know is that she went on that boat, and she never came back,” he added. “You don’t go 0 to 100, but we weren’t on the boat. Everyone is heartbroken. There are questions. I don’t think we’ll ever know.”

The 53-year-old said he hasn’t seen Anna regularly since her mother and father grew estranged in 2023.

“We are living in a nightmare,” he said. “The FBI has kept us in the dark, never contacted us. The Kepners haven’t told us anything. We’ve learned from Facebook posts that the stepson is a suspect.”

Read the father’s emergency motion:

A law enforcement source told Fox News Digital Wednesday that authorities have recovered surveillance video from the cruise ship showing Kepner with a “suspect” and that the FBI is reviewing hours of additional footage from the cruise before her death. Authorities also have access to records of room key swipes aboard the vessel, the source said.

In an emergency motion for temporary relief filed Monday, Shauntel’s ex-husband, Thomas Hudson, revealed that the couple’s oldest child, 18, had moved in with him after an alleged “violent altercation” between himself, Shauntel and her new husband, Christopher Kepner, who is the late cheerleader’s father.

Further, Hudson’s filing alleges their second son, a 16-year-old, “is now a suspect in the death of the stepchild during the cruise.”

“The [16-year-old]’s future has been put in jeopardy because of the choices made by [Shauntel],” according to Hudson’s filing.

The teen’s current whereabouts are unclear. According to the filing, he has been released from custody and is staying with an unnamed third party.

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Read Shauntel Kepner’s response:

Hudson is accusing his ex-wife of alienating him from their two youngest children and arguing that his lack of involvement in their life is negatively impacting them.

In a separate response, Shauntel’s lawyer denied that their eldest child had been involved in a violent altercation and denied that she refused to allow Hudson time-sharing under the terms of their custody plan.

Neither Shauntel nor Athanason responded to requests for comment. In the motion, the lawyer noted that her client has a right against self-incrimination, and she argued that testifying in the divorce proceeding could “be prejudicial to her or her adolescent child” in the criminal investigation.

“An extremely sensitive and severe circumstance has arisen wherein the Respondent/Mother will not be able to testify at the hearing at this time,” Athanason wrote.

“Currently, there is an investigation being conducted by the [FBI] arising out of the sudden death of [18-year-old] Anna Kepner,” the filing continues. “Ms. Anna Kepner, the deceased, is the daughter of the Respondent’s paramour and the Respondent and the minor children of this instant action were all on the cruise ship together.”

The filing is part of a dispute stemming from Shauntel’s divorce from Hudson.

Authorities have said little about the case.

The FBI’s Miami office is investigating the matter. And the medical examiner’s office in Miami-Dade County is handling the autopsy, although no cause and manner of death had been determined as of Wednesday morning.

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The Daily Mail reported Tuesday, citing two unnamed sources, that Kepner’s remains had been discovered wrapped in a blanket and covered in life jackets under the bed in her cabin on the Carnival Horizon cruise ship.

Carnival said in a statement it is cooperating with the FBI. The FBI did not respond to a request for comment.

A partner company of 15-time NASCAR Cup Series championship team Hendrick Motorsports (HMS) recently signed a contract with ICE that included the purchase of more than two dozen Chevrolet vehicles, according to multiple reports Wednesday.

Hendrick Motorsports Technical Solutions, the advanced manufacturing arm of one of auto racing’s most popular companies, underwent a refresh earlier this year and opened a 160,000-square-foot facility as a standalone business entity on the main Hendrick Motorsports campus in Concord, North Carolina – just over the Cabarrus County line from Charlotte.

The $1.5 million contract signed in August called Hendrick Motorsports “uniquely positioned to fulfill this requirement within the necessary timeframe, having confirmed immediate availability of vehicles that fully meet ICE’s specifications.” The company is a separate division of Hendrick Companies from Hendrick Motorsports.

ICE originally authorized $2.25 million for the entire procurement, but ICE purchased the vehicles at a $1.5 million figure, while the remainder was the cost of wrapping and services by other vendors.

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That funded 25 Chevrolet Tahoe SUVs to “enhance [DHS’] Title 8 operations in anticipation of surge staffing requirements” from FY-2026 through FY-2029, according to a copy of the contract viewed by Fox News Digital.

Hendrick Motorsports did not respond to a Fox News Digital request for comment, but a Hendrick Motorsports Technical Solutions spokesperson said in a statement to Charlotte’s CBS affiliate that the Chevys were provided to ICE unmodified and the sale was completed in full.

The contract was noncompetitive, as HMS informed the feds that they would be able to fulfill the full order immediately, and the contract cited an “urgent and compelling need” for the vehicles in explaining that aspect of the deal.

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In a statement to Fox News Digital later Wednesday, a Hendrick Companies spokesperson said that government entities “purchase thousands of vehicles each year from a broad network of automotive dealers, and our organization has sold to federal, state, and local agencies for decades. Earlier this year, we sold 25 standard Chevrolet Tahoes to the federal government.”

“The vehicles were unmodified, and we fulfilled the commercial sale. We do not participate in or control how agencies equip, brand, or use vehicles after purchase.”

The technical solutions arm of HMS was first established in 2019 and has made deals with several large-scale partners, including General Motors’ military subdivision.

In announcing their refreshed technical solutions arm in January, Hendrick Companies President Marshall Carlson said HMS founder Rick Hendrick’s vision “has always been about building for the future.”

“He recognized Hendrick Motorsports Technical Solutions can be a leader in advanced manufacturing, serving customers with ultra-high requirements. His commitment ensures our team is prepared for long-term growth and success.”

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Hendrick driver Kyle Larson of California, piloting the #5 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet, was named the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series champion earlier this month at Phoenix, narrowly beating veteran Joe Gibbs Racing star Denny Hamlin of Virginia and his #11 Progressive Insurance Toyota.

First lady Melania Trump and second lady Usha Vance made their first joint visit Wednesday to meet with military families in North Carolina, thanking them for their service ahead of the holidays.

The wives of President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance, a former Marine, visited personnel at Camp Lejeune — the largest Marine Corps base on the East Coast — and nearby Marine Corps Air Station New River.

At Lejeune High School, they greeted students and joined small group discussions on artificial intelligence and social media research.

Trump also delivered brief remarks in the gymnasium, expressing gratitude to the families.

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“I want to thank you, all of you, because you are military families behind our nation’s defense, and thank you for your service,” Trump said. “My husband, the president, is sending best regards. We are both thinking of you, and you’re in our thoughts and prayers for holidays, every day, but especially for the holidays.”

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Following this visit, the first and second ladies were expected to stop at DeLalio Elementary School before continuing to the Mega Hangar at the Marine Corps Air Station New River, where the pair planned to deliver remarks to troops and their families.

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Trump’s remarks were expected to honor the Marine Corps’ 250 years of service, recognize the role of military families, and spotlight her recent focus on emerging technology, including artificial intelligence.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.