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Published 12:51 28 May 2026 GMT
Judge makes surprise ruling in Anna Kepner trial as stepbrother pictured for first time
There has been a major update in the case of 18-year-old high school cheerleader Anna Kepner, who was found dead under a bed in her cabin on board a cruise ship on November 8.
The teenager was brutally killed during a family vacation on board Carnival Cruise’s Horizon vessel last November, with the ship on its way to Miami at the time.
Her stepbrother would be charged with sexually abusing and murdering her, but on Wednesday (May 27), a judge ruled that he would remain free and be allowed to live in a house with two other children.
The stepbrother, who was first identified by his initials T.H, has been named as Timothy Hudson.
Timothy, 16, was charged with her murder as an adult, according to a statement released by the Department of Justice.
Despite being charged as a juvenile in February and being released to the custody of a guardian, government officials ordered it to be transferred for adult prosecution.
Timothy Hudson is pictured for the first time
Miami federal Judge Edwin Torres said that Timothy, who has been accused of murdering his stepsister, could stay out of jail until he had spoken to jail officials about housing him at a facility near his family.
The judge explained: “If it were a 20-year-old under the exact circumstances, I probably would have detained,” according to NBC News.
“The presumption would be we were just not going to take that chance. This is a different animal,” he chillingly stated.
Torres said that there was potential in the teen being turned over to a Hernando County lock-up near his family, instead of keeping him hundreds of miles away in Miami-Dade County, where he will face trial.
The judge said he wanted his options to be laid out, though he didn't specify when he would issue his final ruling.
Claims about Timothy's punishment
Prosecutor Alejandra López called for Timothy's bail to be revoked, as he is currently living with his paternal uncle in a home with two minors.
“I believe there is clear and convincing evidence that this defendant is a danger to the community,” xhe claimed.
But the teen's defense attorney, Evan Kuhl, counter-claimed that he had followed the terms of his supervised release since his February arrest, so there was no reason he couldn't continue following these conditions.
Timothy won't be able to leave the home without the accompaniment of his uncle or aunt, as he will continue to be monitored with a GPS tracker.
Before he was charged on Wednesday, he appeared concerned and walked into court with his hands in his pocket.
Prosecutors secured an indictment charging him of first-degree murder as an adult, as he faces life behind bars if convicted at his trial in September.
Timothy allegedly sexually assaulted Kepner before fatally strangling her, before wrapping her body in a blanket and hiding it under the bed of the cabin they were sharing on board.