OAN Staff Jenna Lee
6:21 PM – Wednesday, May 27, 2026
A Florida judge ruled that the teenage stepbrother accused of murdering 18-year-old Anna Kepner aboard a Carnival cruise ship will remain free pending trial, as the investigation into the alleged killing and aggravated sexual abuse continues.
Anna Kepner was found dead in a shared cabin on board the Carnival Horizon after her 16-year-old stepbrother, Timothy Hudson allegedly raped and strangled her to death during the family cruise in November 2025. The 16-year-old then allegedly wrapped her body in a blanket and hid it beneath a bed in the cabin they were sharing aboard the ship.
Federal prosecutor Alejandra Lopez argued on Wednesday for Hudson’s bond to be revoked now that he is being tried as an adult and faces the possibility of life in prison. She also raised concerns about his current living situation in the Tampa area, where he is staying with his uncle in a home that includes two other minors.
“I believe there is clear and convincing evidence that this defendant is a danger to the community,” said Lopez.
During the tense hearing in Miami, Florida, U.S. Magistrate Judge Edwin Torres emphasized the gravity of the case.
“If it were a 20-year-old under the exact circumstances, I probably would have detained. The presumption would be we were just not going to take that chance. This is a different animal,” said Torres, noting the complexities of Hudson’s age.
Federal prosecutors argued that Hudson’s release under the custody of a relative is highly alarming given the severity of the charges. Because he has been indicted as an adult and is looking at spending the rest of his life in prison if convicted, the government maintains that he presents both an extreme flight risk and a clear danger to the community.
Judge Torres ended the morning hearing without issuing a definitive final ruling, stating he needs to explore detention and monitoring options with the U.S. Marshals Service in the Tampa area before making his ultimate decision. Until that ruling is issued, Hudson remains out of jail on bond with electronic monitoring.
Florida-based criminal defense attorney Tim Jansen, who is not involved in the case, also said Hudson’s release was striking given the seriousness of the charges against him.
“I don’t know how they got released into the custody of someone with these charges. I find that alarming. He’s 16 years old, looking at spending the rest of his life in prison. I would argue as a prosecutor, he is both a flight risk and a danger to the community. He’s already [allegedly] sexually assaulted and killed one person. He’s demonstrated his ability not to conform,” said Jansen.
Kepner’s biological father, Christopher Kepner, has publicly shared the family’s immense pain and outrage over Hudson remaining out of jail.
“We’re upset that he’s still out. We’re six months in, and he should already have been arrested, and yet he’s free to do whatever he wants right now,” Christopher Kepner told the Daily Mail. “That’s our problem. He’s been able to do whatever he wants and go where he wants, but the family’s been sitting here unable to do anything.”
Hudson was initially charged as a juvenile in the case accusing of killing the 18-year-old, but prosecutors later secured an indictment charging him as an adult of first-degree murder. He has pleaded not guilty and faces life in prison if convicted at trial in September.
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