Judge orders teen murder suspect jailed after cruise ship death case

A federal judge has ordered 16-year-old Timothy Hudson held in custody pending trial in the death of his 18-year-old stepsister, Anna Kepner, after ruling that his case as an adult changed the legal standard for release. U.S. Magistrate Judge Edwin G. Torres said prosecutors had shown by clear and convincing evidence that no condition of release would reasonably assure community safety.

Hudson had been living with his maternal uncle under court-ordered release after his case was first filed as a juvenile matter in February. But once U.S. District Judge Beth Bloom transferred the case to adult court in April, and prosecutors charged Hudson with first-degree murder and aggravated sexual abuse, Torres said the juvenile-detention rules no longer applied. The ruling put the focus squarely on the higher detention threshold that follows adult prosecution in violent cases, where judges weigh whether any release plan can protect the public while the case moves toward trial.

Prosecutors say the case stems from Kepner’s death aboard Carnival Cruise Line’s Horizon during a Caribbean voyage in November 2025, when the family was traveling with other relatives. Court records say Hudson and Kepner were alone in the cabin they shared from about 7:51 p.m. to 11:21 p.m. the night she died, and prosecutors allege that Kepner’s Apple Watch stopped recording during that window. The Miami-Dade medical examiner determined the cause of death was mechanical asphyxiation, and court filings say she was sexually assaulted and asphyxiated.

The case was initially filed under seal, reflecting the way federal authorities handled the juvenile charge before the adult transfer. Hudson has pleaded not guilty, and if convicted he faces a possible life sentence. The FBI has been investigating the death, though it has not publicly confirmed all suspect details.

The case has also left a public family fracture around a private tragedy. Kepner’s step-grandfather, Chris Donohue Sr., said he was glad that “justice is starting” and hoped she would get the justice she deserves. In related court filings tied to a Florida custody dispute, Hudson’s step-grandmother, Sonya Ziske, blamed parental irresponsibility as a major factor in Kepner’s death. As the federal case advances in Miami, the central legal question remains the one Torres answered on June 10: once Hudson was charged as an adult, he could no longer be treated under juvenile release rules.