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MIAMI, Fla. - A teenage suspect accused of killing his stepsister on a Carnival cruise last November was reportedly "crying uncontrollably" after the ship docked at PortMiami.
Timothy Hudson, 16, is charged as an adult with first-degree murder and aggravated sexual abuse in connection to the death of his stepsister, 18-year-old Anna Kepner. Anna died on Nov. 7, 2025.
Now, an unsealed court transcript from a detention hearing in February reveals Timothy was Baker Acted after Anna's death.
Timothy Hudson, 16, appears outside federal court in Miami on May 27, 2026.
What we know:
During a sealed federal hearing on Feb. 6, U.S. Magistrate Judge Edwin Torres questioned whether detaining Timothy in a secure facility far away from his family would present a danger to his own safety.
In response, an attorney for the United States Attorney's office – Alejandra Lopez – said, "There has been no evidence presented here today that this defendant suffers from any sort of mental defect or anything else."
Read more: What we know about Timothy Hudson
The judge questioned further if Timothy has a "mental defect." Lopez responded that Timothy does not have a mental "sickness" that would cause a danger to him if he was not around his family. She further argued that evidence showed that Timothy "committed these dangers," even with his family nearby.
According to the court transcript, Anna shared a room with Timothy and her 13-year-old half brother. Anna's father, stepmother and stepsister shared a room across the hall.
The evidence proves that "even with family support around him and with people that he knows around him, in a very stable environment where they're on vacation having fun, he still commits these atrocious crimes," Lopez said.
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Teen murder suspect in family custody before trial
Following a May 27 court appearance, a federal judge allowed Timothy Hudson to remain in the custody of his family. Hudson will continue living with his uncle, FOX 35's Esther Bower reported. Hudson was seen leaving court with his family and attorneys before getting into a black SUV.
Despite Lopez's argument, the judge said juvenile detention settings are traditionally used to place repeat offenders and Timothy doesn't have any prior crimes of violence. The judge believed detaining Timothy in a Miami-Dade facility, away from his family, would pose a danger to him, the court transcript said.
On May 27, Timothy was permitted to remain with his family before his September jury trial. Timothy – whose case was moved from juvenile to adult court in February – has lived with his uncle since Anna's death and was never behind bars. He was placed on GPS monitoring.
A general photo of Carnival's Horizon cruise ship. Credit: Carnival Cruise Line/handout
The backstory:
Timothy Hudson didn't have any injuries
Following the Carnival Horizon's return to port after Anna died, the FBI agents did not report that Timothy had any physical injuries, Lopez said. He wasn't examined due to crying uncontrollably and was Baker Acted and taken to a facility, she confirmed.
In a Nov. 9 text exchange between Timothy's parents, Timothy was reportedly admitted into a medical facility when the family returned to PortMiami.
"I was able to talk to him last night for under two minutes briefly. He just keeps repeating over and over he can’t remember anything," Timothy's mom, Shauntel Hudson-Kepner said.
The son took medication for ADHD and insomnia, Hudson-Kepner said during a Dec. 5 custody hearing not related to Anna's death. He had not taken the insomnia medication for two nights on the cruise, including the night before Anna's body was found, his mom confirmed before a judge in court.
The Source: Information in this story was gathered from a transcript from a February 6, 2026 detention hearing with the United States District Court in the Southern District of Florida.