A 16-year-old boy faces federal murder and sexual abuse charges in the November death of his 18-year-old stepsister aboard a Carnival cruise ship, federal prosecutors announced Monday after a judge lifted restrictions on case details that had been sealed since his February arrest.
Timothy Hudson was found guilty of the charges through a federal grand jury indictment issued in March. The teenager had been living with his uncle under electronic monitoring since his arrest, but prosecutors now want him held in custody as he is prosecuted as an adult.
Anna Kepner's body was discovered concealed beneath a bed in a cabin she shared with two other teenagers, including her stepbrother. The medical examiner determined her death resulted from mechanical asphyxia, which occurs when an object or force prevents breathing.
The Carnival Horizon was en route back to Florida when Kepner's body was found on November 6. Kepner was an 18-year-old cheerleader at Temple Christian School in Titusville, located roughly 40 miles east of Orlando.
Her father, Christopher Kepner, released a statement expressing the family's faith in the legal process while voicing concern about Hudson's release. "We are deeply troubled that, despite the seriousness of the charges, he has not been taken into custody," Kepner said. "The situation is deeply painful and complex for the entire family."
At Kepner's memorial service in November, family members asked mourners to wear bright colors rather than black, celebrating what they described as Anna's vibrant spirit.
Hudson pleaded not guilty at his initial arraignment in February. At that hearing, he appeared wearing a baseball cap and a hoodie drawn tightly around his face. A federal judge ordered him to wear an electronic tether while living with his uncle, though records now unsealed show the judge later permitted brief visits with his father at a landscaping business.
Federal prosecutors have filed a motion to reconsider Hudson's release status now that he faces adult charges. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alejandra López argued in court documents that Hudson posed a danger to others, noting that he allegedly committed the crimes against someone he had no apparent conflict with and whom he was raised to view as a sibling.
Defense counsel was given one week to respond to the government's motion. U.S. Attorney Jason Reding Quiñones said in a statement that federal authorities would continue to pursue the case with focus on the serious allegations made against a defendant aboard a vessel in international waters.
Federal prosecution of teenagers remains uncommon in the American justice system. The case will proceed in federal court under Judge Beth Bloom in Miami.
Author James Rodriguez: "A teenager charged with murdering his stepsister on a family vacation should not still be in his uncle's care waiting for trial."
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