MIAMI (AP) – A teenager, Timothy Hudson, has been charged with the sexual assault and murder of his 18-year-old stepsister, Anna Kepner, on a Carnival Cruise ship. Hudson surrendered to authorities on Monday after a federal judge ordered the revocation of his pretrial release status, following the decision to charge him as an adult.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Miami confirmed Hudson's custody after U.S. Magistrate Judge Edwin Torres issued an order on Wednesday to revoke his previous pretrial release, which had been sealed until Monday afternoon. The order required Hudson to surrender to U.S. Marshals at the federal courthouse in Tampa on Monday morning.
Initially, in February, Hudson, then 16 years old, was allowed to live with an uncle under electronic monitoring. However, following the transfer of his case to adult court in April, prosecutors sought to have him detained. Judge Torres concurred that Hudson should be treated as an adult for pretrial detention, leading to his planned placement in an approved juvenile facility, rather than an adult prison.
In his order, Judge Torres emphasized that the government presented "clear and convincing evidence" indicating that no release conditions could ensure community safety going forward. Hudson has pleaded not guilty to the serious charges of first-degree murder and aggravated sexual abuse connected to Kepner's death. His federal public defenders have refrained from commenting on the case.
This rare federal prosecution of a minor is largely due to the circumstances surrounding Kepner's death, which occurred in international waters, thereby placing the jurisdiction outside any state’s legal authority. Anna Kepner was on the Carnival Horizon ship with her family in November when her body was discovered hidden under a bed in a room she was sharing with Hudson and another teenager. A criminal complaint specified that her cause of death was mechanical asphyxia, attributed to the obstruction of her airflow.
During hearings, attorneys from both the prosecution and defense presented arguments regarding Hudson's detention until his trial. Prosecutors, led by Assistant U.S. Attorney Alejandra Lopez, argued that the nature of the alleged crimes warranted precautionary measures to prevent potential further violence. They cited findings from an autopsy demonstrating that Kepner had been forcibly restrained and sexually assaulted before her death, with estimates suggesting that Hudson may have taken three to five minutes to strangle her. Additionally, prosecutors raised concerns over Hudson's potential flight risk as he now faces a possible life sentence if convicted, contrasting with juvenile penalties where he would be released at age 21 regardless of the outcome.
In defense of Hudson, Evan Kuhl from the Federal Public Defender’s office contended that the teenager had adhered to the terms of his release for several months without incident. Meanwhile, Christopher Kepner, Anna's father, shared his family’s trust in the justice system, calling the events surrounding the case “deeply painful and complex” for all involved.
Anna Kepner was remembered as a vibrant individual; she was a high school cheerleader at Temple Christian School in Titusville, Florida, located about 40 miles east of Orlando. Her memorial service encouraged attendees to wear bright colors in tribute to her lively spirit, reflecting her family’s desire to honor her memory positively.
