Teen stepbrother accused of killing Anna Kepner on Carnival cruise remains free before trial

The teenage stepbrother accused in the death of 18-year-old Anna Kepner aboard a Carnival cruise ship will remain free until his trial, a judge ruled Wednesday. 

Timothy Hudson is accused of first-degree murder and aggravated sexual abuse after Kepner was found dead in November 2025 inside a Carnival cruise cabin that was traveling on the high seas toward Miami, according to federal court documents.

On Wednesday morning, Hudson was seen arriving at the James Lawrence King Federal Justice building before his hearing, where prosecutors pushed to have the teen behind bars until his September trial. 

The judge ruled Wednesday that Hudson can remain out of jail and on bond before his trial, with certain restrictions. The U.S. Marshals Office will explore housing options for Hudson in the Tampa area.

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Timothy Hudson enters Miami Federal Court with a public defender on Wednesday, May 27, 2026. He was charged in connection with the death of his stepsister on a Carnival Cruise in November 2025. (Matthew Symons for Fox News Digital)

Prosecutors say Kepner was found in a cabin she shared with Hudson and another sibling. Hudson was 16 at the time of the alleged murder and is currently free under a prior release order.

Florida-based criminal defense attorney Tim Jansen told Fox News Digital he found that the teen boy being released before the trial was striking, given the severity of the charges.

“I don’t know how they got released into the custody of someone with these charges. I find that alarming,” Jansen said.

Federal prosecutors say Hudson was previously released to a family member while the case was still being handled under the Juvenile Delinquency Act. But after the case was transferred to adult prosecution and a federal grand jury returned a superseding indictment, the government asked the court to revisit that release decision.

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Anna Kepner’s 16-year-old stepbrother is accused of sexually assaulting and intentionally killing her on Carnival Cruise Line’s Horizon ship. (Shauntel Kepner/Facebook)

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In the filing, prosecutors argued that under adult bail standards, Hudson “is a danger to others and should be held in pretrial detention.”

Jansen said the allegations, if proven, would give prosecutors a compelling public-safety argument.

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“He’s 16 years old, looking at the spending the rest of his life in prison,” Jansen said. “I would argue as a prosecutor, he is both a flight risk and a danger to the community. He’s already [allegedly] sexually assaulted and killed one person. He’s demonstrated his ability not to conform. And I believe the court will detain.”

Timothy Hudson enters Miami Federal Court with a public defender on Wednesday, May 27, 2026. He was charged in connection with the death of his stepsister, Anna Kepner, on a Carnival Cruise in November 2025. (Matthew Symons for Fox News Digital)

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Prosecutors argued that the alleged crimes were among “the most serious, egregious, and violative crimes one person can inflict upon another” and said no combination of conditions could assure the court that Hudson would not be a danger to others. They also noted that he currently lives in a home where minors reside.

The government’s motion says Hudson was not released on bond, but rather under a release order with conditions.

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Defense counsel has not agreed to immediate detention. According to the filing, Hudson’s attorneys said the matter should be referred to the judge who handled the original release order, and that he should remain free pending a decision on release.

FATHER OF TEEN ALLEGEDLY KILLED BY STEPBROTHER ON CRUISE SAYS HE CAN’T ‘RELIVE’ TRAUMA AT MURDER TRIAL

Jeffrey Kepner and Shauntel Kepner leave court in Melbourne, Fla., on Dec. 5, 2025. The couple, who lost their daughter Anna Kepner on a Carnival Cruise the previous month, attended an emergency custody hearing amid an ongoing dispute between Shauntel and her ex-husband, Thomas Hudson. (Mark Sims for Fox News Digital)

Kepner’s parents have voiced their outrage that Hudson is back into the community – despite being federally charged as an adult.

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“We’re upset that he’s still out. We’re six months in, and he should already have been arrested, and yet he’s free to do whatever he wants right now,” Christopher Kepner told the Daily Mail. “That’s our problem. He’s been able to do whatever he wants and go where he wants, but the family’s been sitting here unable to do anything.”

If convicted, the teen could face a maximum penalty of life in prison.

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“I want to see him in an orange jumpsuit and handcuffs. He does not need to be free. He does not need to be in the general public, around any kids or women in general,” Christopher Kepner said.

Anna Kepner was identified as the passenger who died onboard the Carnival Horizon cruise ship. (Instagram/AnnaKepner)

The unfolding legal battle comes months after come months after Anna, affectionately called “Anna banana,” was found dead onboard the cruise ship during a family vacation with her father, stepmother, grandparents and several siblings.

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Authorities later ruled her death a homicide caused by “mechanical asphyxiation,” according to documents previously reviewed by Fox News Digital.

According to investigators, she was found under the bed in her cabin, wrapped in a blanket and covered with life jackets. The cabin was shared with her stepbrother.

Fox News Digital has reached out to Hudson’s attorney for comment.