Judge allows Anna Kepner’s accused killer to remain free, sparking outrage
Fmr FBI Special Agent Nicole Parker, a Fox News contributor, analyzes why a federal judge allowed the 16-year-old accused killer of Anna Kepner, his stepsister, to remain free before trial. Parker explains that federal law prevents juveniles from being housed with adults. She also discusses the severe first-degree murder and aggravated sexual abuse charges, raising concerns for the safety of other minors in the accused’s home.
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Content warning: This article includes descriptions of sexual assault that some readers may find distressing.
Defense lawyers for Timothy Hudson, the teen charged in the killing of his stepsister, Anna Kepner, cited a “unique – and very unfortunate – family dynamic” as they sought more time before his federal murder trial.
U.S. District Judge Beth Bloom granted Hudson’s unopposed request to continue the trial, moving it from September to the two-week period beginning Nov. 2, 2026.
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Hudson, who was 16 at the time of Kepner’s death in November 2025, is charged as an adult with first-degree murder and aggravated sexual abuse in the killing of his stepsister, an 18-year-old Titusville high school senior and cheerleader who was found dead aboard the Carnival Horizon cruise ship. He has pleaded not guilty.
A federal judge ruled that Timothy Hudson can remain out of jail and on bond before his trial, with certain restrictions. (Matthew Symons for Fox News Digital)
In an Aug. 24 motion, Hudson’s attorneys said they need additional time to complete their investigation of issues they said could affect the resolution of the case.
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The defense cited the seriousness of the allegations, Hudson’s status as a juvenile and family circumstances that have limited the lawyers’ access to certain relatives. His attorneys said they were “purposefully being vague” because of intense media scrutiny surrounding the case.
“Although substantial progress has been made, more still needs to be done,” the filing states. The lawyers said the additional time would allow them to complete their investigation and properly advise Hudson about “the options available to him to resolve the pending charges.”
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The prosecution did not oppose the request.
Anna Kepner, 18, was found dead aboard a Carnival cruise ship on Nov. 7, during a vacation with her family. (Anna Kepner/Instagram)
Bloom wrote that the interests of justice served by the continuance outweighed speedy-trial concerns.
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The court’s deadlines report lists Oct. 23 as the deadline for any plea agreement.
When asked about a potential plea deal, Hudson’s attorney told Fox News Digital that they were “still not in a position to make a statement.” The U.S. Attorney’s Office Southern District of Florida declined to comment.
A calendar call is scheduled for Oct. 27 at 1:30 p.m., and the jury trial is scheduled to begin at 9 a.m. Nov. 2, at the Wilkie D. Ferguson Jr. U.S. Courthouse in Miami.
ANNA KEPNER’S DAD WANTS ACCUSED STEPBROTHER IN ‘ORANGE JUMPSUIT AND HANDCUFFS’ AFTER ALLEGED CRUISE MURDER
Anna Kepner’s 16-year-old stepbrother arrives at federal court in Miami, Florida, Feb. 6, 2026. The teen is accompanied by his attorney. (Fox News)
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Timeline from night of alleged murder:
Nov. 6, 2025, dinner: Prosecutors say Kepner left dinner because she wasn’t feeling well, saying that she had mouth pain from her braces and an upset stomach, and returned alone to cabin 8343.
7:35 p.m.: CCTV allegedly shows Hudson entering the cabin.
7:38 p.m.: CCTV allegedly shows Kepner entering the same cabin. Prosecutors say she was never seen leaving again.
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7:51 p.m.: Kepner’s 13-year-old brother briefly entered the cabin and later told investigators he saw her alive.
7:51 p.m. to 10:13 p.m.: Prosecutors say Kepner and Hudson were alone in the cabin for roughly three hours.
10:13 p.m.: Prosecutors say Hudson exits the cabin and looks left and right down the hallway.
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10:53 p.m.: Prosecutors say Hudson places the privacy sign on the cabin door and goes back inside.
11:21 p.m.: Kepner’s younger brother returns briefly to the cabin. He later tells investigators he did not see her inside.
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Nov. 7, 12:09 a.m.: The brother returned again. Prosecutors say Hudson blocked him from entering, told him he was changing and made him wait outside for a couple of minutes.
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12:09 a.m.: The brother said the bathroom and closet doors were open, and the cabin lights were on.
Timothy Hudson is accused of sexually assaulting Anna Kepner and intentionally killing her on Carnival Cruise Line’s Horizon ship. (Shauntel Kepner/Facebook)
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Morning of Nov. 7: Prosecutors say Kepner’s phone, which was missing from the cabin, was tracked by ship Wi-Fi/router data moving along the same path as Hudson.
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9:26-9:55 a.m.: Prosecutors say CCTV and router data placed Hudson, and allegedly Kepner’s phone, near the jogging track, smoking area and later near the trash-bin area where the phone was found.
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11:24 a.m.: Cabin attendants discovered Kepner’s body, prosecutors say, wrapped in bedding and partially hidden under a bed, with a box of life vests positioned to obscure it.