A federal judge has scheduled a June trial date for a 16-year-old accused of murdering his stepsister during a family cruise vacation last fall.
U.S. District Judge Beth Bloom announced Monday that Timothy Hudson will stand trial beginning June 1 in Miami on charges including first-degree murder and aggravated sexual abuse in connection with the death of 18-year-old Anna Kepner.
Hudson, who was originally charged as a minor before his case moved to adult court, submitted a written not guilty plea last week. Federal prosecution of juveniles is uncommon in the court system.
According to court documents, Kepner was aboard the Carnival Horizon vessel in November with family members, including Hudson, when tragedy struck. Authorities discovered her body hidden beneath a bed in a cabin she shared with Hudson and another teenager before the ship was set to dock back in Florida.
Medical examiners ruled that Kepner died on November 6 from mechanical asphyxia, which occurs when breathing is prevented by an external object or force.
In a public statement, Kepner’s father Christopher expressed the family’s faith in the legal process. “The situation is deeply painful and complex for the entire family,” Christopher Kepner stated, adding that they are placing “trust in the justice system to pursue the truth with care and integrity.”
The victim was a cheerleader at Temple Christian School located in Titusville, Florida, approximately 40 miles east of Orlando. During her November memorial service, relatives asked attendees to dress in vibrant colors rather than traditional black clothing “in honor of Anna’s bright and beautiful soul.”
