Judge orders teen charged in stepsister’s murder be held behind bars

MIAMI — The 16-year-old indicted for the murder of his 18-year-old stepsister is in the custody of U.S. Marshals.

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A newly unsealed judge’s order lays out the serious concerns Timothy Hudson could snap at any moment.

Hudson was indicted for the murder of Anna Kepner while their family was on a Carnival cruise ship bound for Miami in November of 2025.

He will be held behind bars while awaiting his federal trial.

It comes after his legal team previously convinced a judge to allow Hudson to stay with a close family member under restrictions, but a judge ordered Hudson to turn himself into Marshalls on Monday morning at a federal courthouse in Tampa.

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A new court document ordering Hudson’s detention references the seriousness of the crimes and that he may be a danger to himself and others.

The document states: “Indeed it suggests a level of psychopathy and lack of remorse that by itself raises a serious concern that Defendant can snap at any time, despite the well-meaning and serious efforts of his caretakers to make sure that does not happen. The Government’s case for a forcible rape is beyond clear and convincing.”

Hudson is accused of murder and aggravated sex abuse in the killing of Kepner.

Investigators allege he tried to cover up the murder, even damaging Kepner’s cell phone and tossing it in a trash can on deck.

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Kepner’s body would be found the following morning in their shared cabin.

A medical examiner determined she died from asphyxiation.

Hudson will be held in a juvenile facility in Miami-Dade County.

His federal trial is set to begin on Sept. 8.