MIAMI — A federal judge is set to decide Wednesday morning whether a teenager accused of sexually assaulting and killing his 18-year-old stepsister aboard a Carnival Cruise ship will stay free while awaiting trial in Miami.
In February, U.S. Magistrate Judge Edwin Torres ruled that 16-year-old Timothy Hudson could live with an uncle under electronic monitoring after he was first charged as a juvenile. However, prosecutors later asked the court to detain Hudson after the case moved to adult court.
Hudson has pleaded not guilty to charges of first-degree murder and aggravated sexual abuse. Federal prosecutions involving minors are uncommon. His federal public defenders have declined to comment on the allegations.
Hudson’s stepsister, Anna Kepner, was traveling with family members aboard the Carnival Horizon in November, including Hudson. According to a criminal complaint, crew members found her body hidden beneath a bed in a cabin she shared with Hudson and another teenager before the ship returned to Florida.
Authorities determined that Anna Kepner died on Nov. 6 from mechanical asphyxia, a condition in which a physical force or object prevents someone from breathing.
Kepner’s father, Christopher Kepner, previously released a statement saying the family was placing its “trust in the justice system to pursue the truth with care and integrity.”
“The situation is deeply painful and complex for the entire family,” Kepner said.
Anna Kepner was a cheerleader at Temple Christian School in Titusville, located about 40 miles east of Orlando. During her memorial service in November, relatives asked attendees to wear bright colors instead of traditional black clothing “in honor of Anna’s bright and beautiful soul.”
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