Teen Charged as Adult in Cruise Ship Killing Now in Custody After Judge Reverses Release Decision
The teenager accused of sexually assaulting and murdering his 18-year-old stepsister aboard a Carnival cruise ship turned himself in Monday, after a federal judge reversed an earlier order that had allowed him to remain free pending trial. Timothy Hudson, now charged as an adult, surrendered to U.S. Marshals at the federal courthouse in Tampa.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Edwin Torres had initially ruled in February that Hudson, then 16, could stay with his uncle under electronic monitoring. But after prosecutors moved the case to adult court in April, they argued Hudson should be locked up. Torres agreed, writing that the government had proven "by clear and convincing evidence" that no conditions of release could ensure public safety. Hudson will be held in a juvenile facility.
Hudson has pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder and aggravated sexual abuse in the death of Anna Kepner. His federal public defenders declined to comment. The case landed in federal court because the alleged crime occurred in international waters, outside any state's jurisdiction.
Anna Kepner, a high school cheerleader from Titusville, Florida, was found dead under a bed in the cabin she shared with Hudson and another teen on the Carnival Horizon in November. The cause of death was mechanical asphyxia. Prosecutors say an autopsy showed Kepner was pinned down, raped, and strangled over three to five minutes.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Alejandra Lopez argued during a May 27 hearing that Hudson poses a serious risk of further violence and is a flight danger now that he faces life in prison if convicted. Defense attorney Evan Kuhl countered that Hudson had followed all release conditions for months without any problems.
Anna's father, Christopher Kepner, released a statement saying the family places its "trust in the justice system to pursue the truth with care and integrity." He called the situation "deeply painful and complex for the entire family."
At Anna's memorial service, loved ones asked mourners to wear bright colors "in honor of Anna's bright and beautiful soul."