Overview
- Prosecutors asked a Miami federal judge on Wednesday to detain Timothy Hudson pending trial, arguing under adult bail rules that he is a danger and that no set of conditions can reasonably assure public safety.
- Hudson, who pleaded not guilty, remains on supervised release living with an uncle and wearing a GPS monitor while the court considers the government's motion.
- Anna Kepner was found concealed under a bed on the Carnival Horizon during a family cruise and investigators later ruled her Nov. 6, 2025 death a homicide by mechanical asphyxia.
- The case is being handled in federal court because the alleged crimes occurred on the high seas, a rare step that moved the matter from juvenile processing into adult federal prosecution.
- If convicted on the federal counts of first-degree murder and aggravated sexual abuse, Hudson faces a potential life sentence and the case has left Kepner’s family publicly urging trust in the justice process while pressing for public safety.