US3 min(s) read
Published 12:34 16 Jun 2026 GMT
A huge decision has been made in the murder case involving Anna Kepner's stepbrother and his involvement in her death.
Timothy Hudson, 16, was charged with murdering his stepsister while they were on a family holiday, traveling aboard a Carnival Cruise back in November 2025.
Following the incident, Timothy was also charged with sexually abusing her, though a judge ruled that he would remain free and be allowed to live in a house with two other children.
Anna, a high school cheerleader, was just 18 when she was found dead under a bed in her cabin on board a cruise ship on November 8.
Despite being 16, Timothy was charged with her murder as an adult, according to a statement released by the Department of Justice.
He was first charged as a juvenile in February, but officials ordered it to be transferred for adult prosecution.
Now, he has been forced to turn himself in.
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People has reported that Timothy surrendered to US Marshals on June 15, following the direction of Judge Edwin Torres.
The judge ordered the teenager to turn himself in after prosecutors looked to revoke his pretrial release, according to court documents.
The publication reveals that Judge Torres wrote in the order that the prosecution's "case for a forcible rape is beyond clear and convincing."
He added that it "suggests a level of psychopathy and lack of remorse that by itself raises a serious concern that [Timothy] can snap at any time, despite the well-meaning and serious efforts of his caretakers to make sure that does not happen."
Due to this latest development, Torres explained that Timothy is a "danger" to himself and others, meaning that he has now reversed his original decision to grant the teen a pretrial release.
This is because the teenager is now being tried as an adult.
Timothy was released into the custody of a family member without having to post bail after a February 6 appearance in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida, as he was being charged as a minor.
The US Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Florida argued that the teenager should have been kept in custody, but they failed to gather the proof required by the Juvenile Detention Act (JDA).
Rehabilitation is prioritized over punishment for juvenile defendants, as pretrial detention or release by posting bail for minors is discouraged.
Anna returned to the room she was sharing with Timothy and her 14-year-old half-brother on the night of Nov. 6, 2025, say court documents.
But she would be found dead under her bed by noon the following day, as the Miami-Dade Medical Examiner's Office would determine her cause of death to be mechanical asphyxiation.
Timothy's mother delivered a powerful statement with Anna's father after the teen's February court appearance, writing: "At this time, it is deeply painful and disturbing to our family that the person responsible is able to walk freely. This reality adds to our grief and outrage."
They went on: "It is devastating to know that while we live every day with the loss of our child, the individual responsible has not yet been fully held accountable."
