A federal judge has ruled that a teenage stepbrother accused of murdering 18-year-old Anna Kepner on a Carnival cruise ship must remain in detention until his trial. This decision comes after the court determined that no conditions could ensure the community’s safety should he be released.
The accused, Timothy Hudson, referred to in court documents as T.H. due to his minor status, was initially permitted to stay with a family member under stringent conditions. He was 16 at the time of the alleged crime.
However, on June 10, U.S. Magistrate Judge Edwin G. Torres responded to a government request by revoking Hudson’s release. This decision followed the transfer of Hudson’s case from juvenile to adult court, altering the legal parameters significantly.
Federal prosecutors have introduced new evidence, filed under seal, in the ongoing case against Timothy Hudson. He stands accused of the sexual assault and murder of his stepsister, Anna Kepner, aboard the Carnival cruise ship.
Hudson faces charges of first-degree murder and aggravated sexual abuse following Kepner’s death on November 7, 2025. She was discovered deceased in the cabin she shared with Hudson, as the ship traveled towards Miami. A medical examiner concluded that Kepner was sexually assaulted before being asphyxiated.
The judge wrote that the ruling was based on danger, not flight risk, writing that the original release conditions were sufficient to assure Hudson’s appearance in court but not enough to assure public safety.
“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 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 Media, 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 Media has reached out to the U.S. Attorney’s Office and Hudson’s attorneys for comment.
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