Teen accused of killing stepsister on Carnival cruise ship ordered detained before murder trial
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A teenage boy accused of killing 18-year-old Anna Kepner on a Carnival cruise ship will remain in custody until trial after a federal judge reversed an earlier release decision, concluding that no set of conditions could adequately protect the public.

Timothy Hudson, referred to in federal court records as T.H. because he is a minor, had previously been allowed to stay out of detention under strict supervision in the custody of a family member. Prosecutors say he was 16 at the time of Kepner’s death.

In a June 10 order, U.S. Magistrate Judge Edwin G. Torres granted the government’s request to revoke Hudson’s release after the case was moved from juvenile court to adult prosecution. According to the judge, that transfer significantly changed the legal circumstances surrounding the case.

Federal prosecutors also submitted new evidence under seal in the case against Hudson, who is accused of sexually assaulting and killing his stepsister, Anna Kepner, while the two were aboard a Carnival cruise ship. The filing was not made public.

Hudson faces charges of first-degree murder and aggravated sexual abuse in connection with Kepner’s death. She was found dead on Nov. 7, 2025, in the cabin she shared with Hudson while the ship was traveling on the high seas toward Miami. Court records say the medical examiner determined that Kepner had been sexually assaulted before being asphyxiated.

Judge Torres said the decision to detain Hudson was driven by concerns about danger to the community rather than any risk that he might flee. He wrote that while the earlier release terms were enough to ensure Hudson’s appearance in court, they were not sufficient to safeguard the public.

“The danger posed by the conduct charged here (the alleged first-degree murder and aggravated sexual abuse of a young woman and step-sister of the Defendant while they were in confined quarters of a ship at sea) is sufficient by itself to require detention,” Torres wrote.

Anna Kepner’s 16-year-old stepbrother walks outside a Federal Court building in Miami, Florida, with his attorney on Feb. 6, 2026. He was charged in connection to the death of his stepsister on a Carnival Cruise in November 2025. (Fox News)

Hudson had no prior record, voluntarily surrendered and complied with his release conditions for months, the judge noted. But Torres said those facts did not outweigh the seriousness of the allegations.

The court found that the alleged killing of a household member in a private living space was the kind of danger that home detention, curfews, location monitoring and third-party custody are “least able to address.”

Anna Kepner taking a picture inside a car.

Anna Kepner is shown taking a picture inside a car. Her family said she had dreams of joining the military. (Instagram/Unknown)

The judge also pointed to the approaching September trial date, saying there was concern Hudson could “make another very wrong decision the closer the trial gets.” Torres ordered that Hudson receive mental health evaluation and treatment while in custody.

A sealed supplemental order, reviewed by News Agency, directed that Hudson be delivered to the U.S. Marshals at 8 a.m. Monday in Tampa.

Torres ordered that Hudson be housed only with juveniles, have access to counsel and family communication, and receive continued visits from mental health professionals.

News Agency has reached out to the U.S. Attorney’s Office and Hudson’s attorneys for comment.

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