Judge orders teen accused of killing his stepsister on a cruise to be held in jail until murder trial

A federal judge in Florida ordered a teenager to remain behind bars until his trial in the sexual assault and murder of his stepsister aboard a cruise ship last year, according to court records unsealed Monday.

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The order reverses an earlier decision that allowed Timothy Hudson, 16, to live with an uncle while awaiting trial in the Nov. 7, 2025, killing of Anna Kepner, 18.

In the June 10 order, U.S. District Judge Edwin Torres wrote that Hudson, who was indicted as an adult earlier this year, “presents a danger to himself and to others that no curfew, monitor, or custodial placement can be trusted to contain.”

He has pleaded not guilty to charges of first-degree murder and aggravated sexual abuse. If convicted, he faces a possible life sentence.

While Hudson has no prior criminal history and has complied with the conditions of his release, Torres wrote, the allegations suggest “a level of psychopathy and lack of remorse that by itself raises a serious concern that Defendant can snap at any time, despite the well-meaning and serious efforts of his caretakers to make sure that does not happen.”

Hudson’s lawyers did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Kepner’s father and Hudson’s mother married in December 2024. Hudson is accused of killing Kepner 11 months later during a vacation on a cruise ship.

Kepner’s body was found in the room she was sharing with her stepbrother. She was found under the bed, wrapped in a blanket and concealed by life vests.

The medical examiner concluded she had been sexually assaulted and asphyxiated, according to the judge’s decision.

According to NBC South Florida , Hudson was booked into Citrus County jail and has until July 10 to be transferred to Miami. His trial is scheduled to begin in September.

Kepner was a high school senior and cheerleader who’d hoped to attend the University of Georgia. Her father called her a “beautiful, bright young girl” who “had so much life ahead of her, so many dreams, milestones, and moments that were taken far too soon.”