Timothy Hudson, 16, is in custody as of Monday, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Miami. He is charged with first-degree murder and aggravated sexual abuse in the death of Anna Marie Kepner, 18, of Titusville, Florida.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Edwin Torres filed the order to revoke Hudson’s pretrial release on June 10, but the order was sealed until the afternoon of June 15. The order stated that Hudson should surrender to U.S. Marshals at the federal courthouse in Tampa on the morning of June 15.
“The Government has established, by clear and convincing evidence, that no condition or combination of conditions of release will reasonably assure the safety of the community going forward,” Torres wrote in an order.
Hudson had previously been allowed to live with an uncle under electronic monitoring following a February detention hearing. Prosecutors moved to revisit that decision after the case was transferred to adult court in April.
Prosecutors allege Hudson sexually assaulted and killed Kepner while they were traveling with family aboard Carnival Cruise Line’s Horizon during a Caribbean voyage in November 2025.
Court records show the alleged crimes occurred while the ship was in international waters en route to Miami, giving federal authorities jurisdiction.
Kepner was found dead Nov. 7 in a stateroom aboard the Carnival Horizon as the ship returned to PortMiami. Investigators said her body was discovered concealed beneath a bed. The Miami-Dade Medical Examiner’s Office ruled the cause of death as mechanical asphyxia, meaning breathing was obstructed by physical force.
During a May 27 detention hearing, Assistant U.S. Attorney Alejandra Lopez argued the severity of the allegations and potential life sentence increased both public safety concerns and flight risk. She said an autopsy indicated Kepner was pinned down and forcibly raped before being strangled.
Although Hudson is being prosecuted as an adult, he will remain housed in a juvenile detention facility pending trial. He has pleaded not guilty.
Court records show Hudson was initially charged as a juvenile before prosecutors sought adult prosecution. A federal grand jury later indicted him on first-degree murder and aggravated sexual abuse charges.
Kepner’s father, Christopher Kepner, previously said the family was placing its “trust in the justice system to pursue the truth with care and integrity.”
Anna Kepner, 18, of Titusville, was remembered by her family as outgoing and energetic, with a passion for cheerleading, gymnastics, and outdoor activities. She had planned to join the U.S. Navy and become a K-9 officer, relatives said.