Teen accused of killing stepsister on cruise ship taken into custody until trial

A teenager accused of sexually assaulting and killing his 18-year-old stepsister on a Carnival Cruise last year surrendered to authorities on Monday, as a federal judge reversed his decision on a pretrial release because the youth is being charged as an adult.

Timothy Hudson, 16, had been indicted for the murder of Anna Kepner in November while their family was on a Carnival Horizon cruise ship bound for Miami, WPLG reported.

In February, U.S. Magistrate Judge Edwin Torres of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida ruled that Hudson could live with his uncle and be electronically monitored, The Associated Press reported. But after the case was transferred to an adult court in April, prosecutors sought to have Hudson taken into custody.

Torres agreed, reversing his earlier decision and filing an order to revoke Hudson’s pretrial release, WPLG reported. The order was issued on Wednesday but was sealed until Monday, according to the AP.

He was ordered to surrender to U.S. Marshals at a federal court in Tampa. The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Miami confirmed that Hudson is in custody, the news organization confirmed.

Hudson has pleaded not guilty to charges of first-degree murder and aggravated sexual abuse in Kepner’s death.

The document unsealed on Monday noted the seriousness of the crimes and Torres’ concern that Hudson may be a danger to himself and others, WPLG reported.

“Indeed it suggests a level of psychopathy and lack of remorse that by itself raises a serious concern that Defendant can snap at any time, despite the well-meaning and serious efforts of his caretakers to make sure that does not happen,” court documents state. The Government’s case for a forcible rape is beyond clear and convincing.”

Evan Kuhl of the Federal Public Defender’s office told Torres during the hearing that Hudson has abided by the conditions of his release for months without incident, the AP reported.

According to court documents, Kepner was last seen on the night of Nov. 6, 2025, returning to the stateroom she was sharing with Hudson and her 14-year-old half-brother, People reported.

Kepner, who attended Temple Christian School in Titusville, Florida, was found dead on the Carnival Horizon under a bed at about 11:15 a.m., Fox News reported. She was wrapped in a blanket and covered by life vests.

The cruise ship returned to PortMiami and Kepner’s death was ruled a homicide, WTVJ reported.

Kepner’s cause of death was classified as mechanical asphyxia, the AP reported. That is when an object or physical force stops someone from breathing.

The stepsiblings were on their first blended family cruise after the wedding of Hudson’s mother, Shauntel Hudson, to Kepner’s father, Christopher Kepner, People reported.

Kepner had been on the vacation with her father, stepmother, grandparents, siblings and stepsiblings, according to ABC News.

In a statement, Kepner’s family thanked authorities for putting Hudson behind bars, WFTV reported.

“It was painful for our family to know that he had been free for as long as he was. We are now at peace knowing that he will not be able to harm anyone else while awaiting trial,” the family stated. “Anna’s birthday was this past weekend, and we celebrated her life together as a family. While birthdays are never the same without her, we continue to honor her memory and cherish the love and joy she brought to our lives.

“As we move closer to the start of the trial in the coming months, we remain hopeful for a swift conclusion to this process and for justice to be served.”

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