Florida teen jailed pending trial in cruise ship killing of stepsister Anna Kepner
A federal judge has ordered 16-year-old Timothy Hudson detained until trial for the alleged murder of his stepsister aboard a Carnival cruise ship. Hudson had previously been free under family supervision.
Florida teen ordered detained ahead of trial in Carnival cruise ship killing
A federal judge in Florida has ordered a 16-year-old boy to remain in custody through trial on charges of murdering and sexually assaulting his stepsister aboard a Carnival cruise ship, Global News Crime reports.
Timothy Hudson surrendered to U.S. Marshals on Monday after U.S. District Judge Edwin Torres reversed an earlier decision that had allowed him to remain in the custody of a family member while awaiting trial.
Torres had initially permitted Hudson to live with a relative, but reversed that ruling last Wednesday — an order that remained sealed until Monday afternoon, according to The Associated Press. The reversal followed Hudson's indictment as an adult, which the judge said required his pretrial detention to be assessed under adult standards.
"The Government has established, by clear and convincing evidence, that no condition or combination of conditions of release will reasonably assure the safety of the community going forward," Torres wrote in the order, as cited by The Associated Press.
Despite being treated as an adult for detention purposes, Hudson will reportedly be held in an approved juvenile facility in Miami-Dade County.
Stepsister found dead under bed on Carnival Horizon
Hudson's stepsister, 18-year-old Anna Kepner, a recent high school graduate, was travelling with family members aboard the Carnival Horizon on a cruise from Miami to the Caribbean when she died. Her body was found under a bed in a cabin she shared with Hudson and another teenager in November 2025.
Court records indicate the events occurred on or about November 6–7, 2025, when the ship was in international waters en route to Miami. The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Florida stated that Hudson allegedly sexually assaulted and intentionally killed Kepner during that time. The Miami-Dade Medical Examiner's Office determined the cause of death to be mechanical asphyxiation — a condition in which an object or physical force prevents a person from breathing.
Hudson was initially arrested and charged as a juvenile following Kepner's death, and was placed under electronic monitoring while living with an uncle. A federal grand jury indicted him as an adult on April 13, opening the possibility of pretrial detention. In April, he entered a not-guilty plea and waived his appearance at a hearing in Miami federal court on charges of murder and aggravated sexual abuse.
Parents' custody dispute first flagged suspicion
Hudson's identity as a suspect first emerged in November 2025 through court documents filed by his divorced parents in a custody dispute over their youngest child in Brevard County, along Florida's Space Coast. His mother, Shauntel Kepner, had been advised by the FBI and her lawyers that a criminal case might be initiated against one of her minor children. She requested that custody proceedings be postponed until the criminal investigation concluded.
An emergency motion for temporary relief, reviewed by Global News Crime, cited as grounds that "a sixteen year old child is now a suspect in the death of the step child during the cruise."
Carnival cooperating with FBI
Carnival Cruise Line confirmed Kepner's death in a statement previously provided to Global News Crime. "Our focus is on supporting the family of our guest and cooperating with the FBI," the company said, adding that further details would need to come from the FBI's Miami public affairs office.
Global News Crime said it reached out to the U.S. Marshals Service for further comment but had not received a response at the time of publication.
Hudson faces a maximum penalty of life in prison if convicted. His trial is scheduled to begin in September.
— With files from The Associated Press
Source: Global News Crime