A Florida teenager accused of sexually assaulting and murdering his 18-year-old stepsister aboard a Carnival cruise ship turned himself in on Monday, hours after a federal judge revoked his pretrial release following his transfer to adult court.
Timothy Hudson, 16, surrendered to U.S. Marshals at the federal courthouse in Tampa on Monday morning, the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Miami confirmed. The order from U.S. Magistrate Judge Edwin Torres, issued last Wednesday but sealed until Monday, directed Hudson to be taken into custody after prosecutors argued he was too dangerous to remain free.
“Timothy Hudson, accused of killing his stepsister on a Carnival cruise, turned himself in after judge revoked release.”
Hudson had been under electronic monitoring and living with his uncle since February, when Torres initially granted pretrial release. But after a federal grand jury indicted Hudson as an adult in April on charges of first-degree murder and aggravated sexual abuse, prosecutors sought his detention. Torres agreed, writing that “the Government has established, by clear and convincing evidence, that no condition or combination of conditions of release will reasonably assure the safety of the community going forward.”
The case stems from the death of Anna Kepner, whose body was found concealed under a bed in a room she was sharing with Hudson and another teen on the Carnival Horizon in November 2025. The cause of death was mechanical asphyxia – an object or physical force stopping breathing. An autopsy determined Kepner had been pinned down and forcibly raped, and prosecutors said it likely took 3-5 minutes for Hudson to strangle her.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Alejandra Lopez argued at a May 27 hearing that the crimes were so serious the court should not risk another violent attack. Hudson’s defence team countered that he was a child who had cooperated and shown no signs of hurting anyone since the alleged murder. Hudson pleaded not guilty to both charges; his federal public defenders declined to comment.
Minors are rarely prosecuted in federal court, but the case landed there because Kepner died in international waters, outside any state’s jurisdiction. Hudson will be held in an approved juvenile facility pending trial, scheduled to start on September 8.
Kepner’s family released a statement thanking the FBI, the U.S. Attorney’s Office, and the U.S. Marshals Service for helping place “the accused murderer of Anna Marie Kepner behind bars until trial.” They said: “It was painful for our family to know that he had been free for as long as he was. We are now at peace knowing that he will not be able to harm anyone else while awaiting trial.”
The family noted that Kepner’s birthday had fallen over the past weekend. “While birthdays are never the same without her, we continue to honor her memory and cherish the love and joy she brought to our lives,” they said, adding they remain hopeful for justice.