A 16-year-old accused of sexually assaulting and killing his stepsister on a cruise ship will remain behind bars until his trial begins this fall, according to federal court records unsealed on June 15.
U.S. District Judge Edwin Torres ordered Timothy Hudson to surrender to U.S. Marshals in Tampa, Florida, on Monday morning. Hudson has pleaded not guilty to the charges stemming from the November 2025 death of 18-year-old Anna Marie Kepner.
In the newly unsealed documents, Judge Torres wrote that Hudson “presents a danger to himself and to others that no curfew, monitor, or custodial placement can be trusted to contain.” The judge added that the allegations reveal “a level of psychopathy and lack of remorse that by itself raises a serious concern that Defendant can snap at any time, despite the well-meaning and serious efforts of his caretakers to make sure that does not happen.”
The case dates back to a family vacation aboard a Carnival cruise ship. Kepner was sharing a cabin with Hudson and another teenager when her body was discovered hidden under a bed. An autopsy later concluded that she had been sexually assaulted and died from mechanical asphyxiation.
Hudson was initially charged as a minor, which allowed him to live with relatives under electronic monitoring. At a May 27 court hearing, a judge left his custody status undecided. However, after prosecutors successfully transferred the case to adult court, they filed a formal request to have the teenager jailed before his trial.
Following Hudson’s transfer into federal custody, Kepner’s family released a statement expressing relief.
“We would like to thank the FBI, the United States Attorney’s Office, and the U.S. Marshals Service for their assistance in helping place the accused murderer of Anna Marie Kepner behind bars until trial,” the family stated. “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 also noted they recently gathered to mark Kepner’s birthday. “Anna’s birthday was this past weekend, and we celebrated her life together as a family,” the statement continued. “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.”
Hudson is currently held and faces a July 10 deadline to be transferred to Miami, Florida. His trial is scheduled to begin in September.
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