Judge allows Anna Kepner’s accused killer to remain free, sparking outrage
Former FBI Special Agent Nicole Parker, a Fox News contributor, breaks down why a federal judge permitted the 16-year-old accused of killing his stepsister, Anna Kepner, to remain free while awaiting trial. Parker noted that federal rules bar juveniles from being detained with adults, while also pointing to the gravity of the first-degree murder and aggravated sexual abuse charges and raising concerns about the safety of other minors living in the accused teen’s home.
Content warning: This article includes descriptions of sexual assault that some readers may find distressing.
Attorneys for Timothy Hudson, the teenager charged in the death of his stepsister Anna Kepner, pointed to what they described as a “unique – and very unfortunate – family dynamic” in asking for more time to prepare for his federal murder trial.
U.S. District Judge Beth Bloom approved the unopposed request to delay proceedings, rescheduling the trial from September to a two-week window set to begin Nov. 2, 2026.
Hudson, who was 16 when Kepner died in November 2025, is being prosecuted as an adult on charges of first-degree murder and aggravated sexual abuse. Kepner, an 18-year-old senior and cheerleader at Titusville High School, was found dead aboard the Carnival Horizon cruise ship. Hudson has pleaded not guilty.
A federal judge ruled that Timothy Hudson may remain out of custody on bond before trial, subject to specific restrictions. (Matthew Symons for News Outlet)
In a motion filed Aug. 24, Hudson’s defense team said it needed more time to continue investigating matters that could influence how the case is ultimately resolved.
The attorneys cited the severity of the charges, Hudson’s juvenile status and family-related complications that they said have restricted access to some relatives. They added that they were “purposefully being vague” because of the intense media attention surrounding the case.
“Although substantial progress has been made, more still needs to be done,” the filing states. The lawyers said the additional time would allow them to complete their investigation and properly advise Hudson about “the options available to him to resolve the pending charges.”
The prosecution did not oppose the request.
Anna Kepner, 18, was found dead aboard a Carnival cruise ship on Nov. 7, during a vacation with her family. (Anna Kepner/Instagram)
Bloom wrote that the interests of justice served by the continuance outweighed speedy-trial concerns.
The court’s deadlines report lists Oct. 23 as the deadline for any plea agreement.
When asked about a potential plea deal, Hudson’s attorney told News Outlet that they were “still not in a position to make a statement.” The U.S. Attorney’s Office Southern District of Florida declined to comment.
A calendar call is scheduled for Oct. 27 at 1:30 p.m., and the jury trial is scheduled to begin at 9 a.m. Nov. 2, at the Wilkie D. Ferguson Jr. U.S. Courthouse in Miami.
Anna Kepner’s 16-year-old stepbrother arrives at federal court in Miami, Florida, Feb. 6, 2026. The teen is accompanied by his attorney. (Fox News)
Prosecutors say Kepner left dinner because she wasn’t feeling well, saying that she had mouth pain from her braces and an upset stomach, and returned alone to cabin 8343.
CCTV allegedly shows Hudson entering the cabin.
CCTV allegedly shows Kepner entering the same cabin. Prosecutors say she was never seen leaving again.
Kepner’s 13-year-old brother briefly entered the cabin and later told investigators he saw her alive.
Prosecutors say Kepner and Hudson were alone in the cabin for roughly three hours.
10:13 p.m.: Prosecutors say Hudson exits the cabin and looks left and right down the hallway.
10:53 p.m.: Prosecutors say Hudson places the privacy sign on the cabin door and goes back inside.
Kepner’s younger brother returns briefly to the cabin. He later tells investigators he did not see her inside.
The brother returned again. Prosecutors say Hudson blocked him from entering, told him he was changing and made him wait outside for a couple of minutes.
The brother said the bathroom and closet doors were open, and the cabin lights were on.
Timothy Hudson is accused of sexually assaulting Anna Kepner and intentionally killing her on Carnival Cruise Line’s Horizon ship. (Shauntel Kepner/Facebook)
Prosecutors say Kepner’s phone, which was missing from the cabin, was tracked by ship Wi-Fi/router data moving along the same path as Hudson.
Prosecutors say CCTV and router data placed Hudson, and allegedly Kepner’s phone, near the jogging track, smoking area and later near the trash-bin area where the phone was found.
Cabin attendants discovered Kepner’s body, prosecutors say, wrapped in bedding and partially hidden under a bed, with a box of life vests positioned to obscure it.
