Florida teenager charged with sexually assaulting and killing stepsister on cruise ship

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FLORIDA: A 16-year-old boy from Titusville, Florida, has been charged as an adult with first-degree murder and aggravated sexual abuse in the death of his 18-year-old stepsister aboard a Carnival Cruise ship.

According to federal court records unsealed in Miami, the incident occurred in November 2025 while the Carnival Horizon was in international waters. The victim, Anna Kepner, was found concealed under a bed in the stateroom she shared with her stepbrother and another teenager. The Miami-Dade Medical Examiner’s Office determined the cause of death was mechanical asphyxiation.

The suspect, Timothy Hudson, was originally charged as a juvenile in February, but a federal judge recently ordered the case transferred for adult prosecution. Although the government cited the ‘dangerousness’ of the crimes, Hudson has remained free on an electronic monitor in the care of an uncle since February. Prosecutors have now requested that a judge revisit the release order following his indictment as an adult.

Anna Kepner was a high-school cheerleader known for her nurturing personality. Her family has stated they are placing their trust in the justice system to pursue the truth, while expressing concern that the suspect has not yet been taken into custody. If convicted, the defendant faces a maximum penalty of life in prison.