Judge weighs detention for teen accused in stepsister's cruise killing

A federal judge allowed Timothy Hudson, the 16-year-old accused of killing his 18-year-old stepsister, Anna Kepner, to remain free for now while the court weighs whether he should be held before trial. Hudson, who has pleaded not guilty, faces adult federal charges of first-degree murder and aggravated sexual abuse, and could be sentenced to life in prison if convicted.

The case moved into federal court because investigators say the alleged crimes happened aboard Carnival Cruise Line’s Horizon in international waters on or about Nov. 6-7, 2025, as the ship headed toward Miami. Court records say the Miami-Dade Medical Examiner’s Office ruled Kepner’s death a case of mechanical asphyxiation. U.S. District Judge Beth Bloom previously ordered Hudson transferred from juvenile status into adult federal prosecution.

The detention fight now turns on the basic question federal judges ask in cases like this: whether a defendant can be released without endangering the public or risking flight before trial. Prosecutors asked that Hudson be detained until the case concludes, while defense lawyers said he has complied with bond conditions and should remain under family supervision with electronic monitoring. U.S. Magistrate Judge Edwin Torres had already allowed Hudson to live with an uncle under electronic monitoring after the initial juvenile arrest, a condition the defense says he has followed.

Hudson’s age complicates the calculus, even as the allegations place him in a category reserved for the most serious violent crimes. The court is balancing the gravity of the charges, the fact that the case involves a death aboard a cruise ship in international waters, and the evidence gathered so far, including the medical examiner’s findings and the timeline cited in court records. His trial is scheduled to begin June 1 in Miami.

Kepner’s father, Christopher Kepner, said the family is trusting the justice system “to pursue the truth with care and integrity,” while also saying they were troubled that Hudson had not yet been taken into custody. Anna Kepner was a cheerleader at Temple Christian School in Titusville, Florida, about 40 miles east of Orlando, and had hoped to join the U.S. Navy. Her memorial service in November drew mourners asked to wear bright colors rather than black, a tribute to what her family called her bright and beautiful soul. The FBI continues to investigate the case.