The alleged killer of Anna Kepner is exactly where he should be -- behind bars -- so he can't hurt anyone anymore ... this according to Anna's family, who say they are now "at peace."
Anna's loved ones issued a statement to ABC News, saying it was painful to see 16-year-old Timothy Hudson out on bail for as long as he was after being charged with killing Kepner, his 18-year-old stepsister.
Recently, the judge in the case ruled that the evidence against Hudson is overwhelming and revoked his bond, sending him to jail.
Timothy Hudson, the 16-year-old accused of killing his stepsister, Anna Kepner, aboard a Carnival cruise ship, surrendered to U.S. Marshals after Magistrate Judge Edwin Torres ordered him back into custody.
Hudson turned himself in Monday after Judge Torres revoked the teen's pretrial release, just days after prosecutors argued he should no longer remain free while awaiting trial.
According to court docs, obtained by TMZ, the judge cited the government's evidence and ruled Hudson poses a danger to both himself and others. In the order, the judge wrote the prosecution's case alleging forcible rape is "beyond clear and convincing" and said the allegations suggest "a level of psychopathy and lack of remorse" that raises concerns Hudson could "snap at any time."
Anna Kepner's cell phone turned into a key piece of evidence that led to the arrest of her stepbrother, Timothy Hudson, after the 18-year-old was sexually assaulted and strangled aboard a Carnival Cruise ship in 2025, according to a new report.
People obtained a transcript of testimony given by FBI Agent Andrew del Valle, who told the court that Hudson, 16, tried to destroy and dispose of Kepner's phone, but he failed to do so.
Del Valle testified that FBI agents started looking for the missing phone on November 8, 2025, after they launched an investigation into Kepner's sexual assault and murder aboard Carnival's Horizon cruise ship in Miami, Florida.
The case against Anna Kepner's accused killer is facing new scrutiny ... after newly unsealed court records revealed the suspect's lawyer claims the FBI has no DNA evidence directly tying him to her strangulation.
According to court testimony first highlighted by FOX 35 Orlando, investigators could not say whether any DNA was recovered from injuries on Anna's neck. An FBI agent reportedly said he was unaware of any forensic evidence directly linking Timothy Hudson-- Anna's 16-year-old stepbrother -- to her death.
The issue surfaced during questioning about the government's forensic evidence ... with investigators reportedly acknowledging they could not determine whether the person who allegedly sexually assaulted Anna was also the person who killed her.
Anna Kepner’s stepbrother allegedly choked her “for minutes” as his final “barbaric” act in her murder … according to prosecutors.
In a newly unsealed transcript from a February hearing obtained by TMZ, prosecutors described how they say Timothy Hudson -- Anna’s 16-year-old stepbrother -- killed her … claiming he put her in a chokehold until she suffocated to death.
Prosecutor Alejandra Lopez described it as “a barbaric, intentional, thoughtful act,” saying "[w]hile she struggled to breathe for minutes, he continued to hold her neck in that manner so that she would die from lack of oxygen.”
The stepbrother charged with raping and murdering 18-year-old Anna Kepneron a Carnival cruise ship got some more good news as his murder case moves forward ... a judge is allowing him to remain free on bond.
Anna's 16-year-old stepbrother,Timothy Hudson, was spotted going in and out of court Wednesday in Florida ... and was greeted by a throng of reporters as he exited court with his father and swept into a waiting SUV before driving off.
Anna Kepner’s 16 year old stepbrother accused of raping and killing her on Carnival cruise ship leaves court — he will remain free for now while the judge reviews options. pic.twitter.com/MuFKfs56NQ@BrianEntin
The alleged rapist killer didn't say anything and kept moving.
Anna Kepnershould’ve been walking across the stage with her classmates this weekend ... instead, her grieving father accepted her diploma through tears as the crowd rose to its feet.
Christopher Kepner attended Temple Christian School’s commencement ceremony in Titusville, Florida ... six months after Anna was killed aboard a Carnival cruise ship.
Watch the video, obtained by "Good Morning America," that shows him wiping away tears as he walked onstage to collect Anna’s diploma following a standing ovation from the packed auditorium.
The heartbreaking moment became a tribute to Anna throughout the night ... with Christopher, his wife Shauntel and other relatives wearing blue butterflies -- Anna's favorite -- while Shauntel also created a senior table covered in photos of Anna and her friends over the years.
There won't be a seat saved for AnnaKepner's dad at her upcoming murder trial ... 'cause he says he'll only go if he's forced.
Christopher Kepner revealed he has no plans to attend the trial to watch his stepson, identified as "T.H.", tried for the murder of his daughter, 18-year-old Anna. Anna's 16-year-old stepbrother, T.H., is accused of sexually assaulting and then killing her while they were on a family cruise with Carnival back in November.
Christopher's wife, Shauntel Kepner -- the mother of T.H. -- will also not attend.
He told the Daily Mail ... "Unless they ask for me to be there, neither my wife or I will be attending." He says prosecutors have "everything they need" in terms of evidence and it'll be "too painful to relive it all again."
AnnaKepner’s accused killer isn’t showing up in court -- but he is showing his legal strategy ... pleading not guilty while staying out of sight.
The 16-year-old stepbrother -- identified in court docs only as T.H. -- waived his personal appearance at the arraignment Tuesday and entered a not guilty plea. He was originally expected to be in a Miami courtroom Wednesday morning.
The teen, who is now being prosecuted as an adult, is facing first-degree murder and aggravated sexual abuse charges tied to the death of his 18-year-old stepsister aboard a Carnival Cruise Line ship back in November 2025.
The prosecutors who charged Anna Kepner’s stepbrother with her murder have revealed the evidence they have collected in their investigation ... TMZ has learned.
According to court docs obtained by TMZ, the feds provided the defense team for Anna’s accused stepbro -- identified as "T.H." by prosecutors -- with FBI investigation docs, two videos from the FBI, Carnival Cruise documents, and Anna’s autopsy photo and X-rays.
The feds say they also handed over the full medical examiner report, body cam videos, and the “extraction of C.K.” cell phone. Anna’s father’s name is Christopher Kepner, but prosecutors do not identify who C.K. is in the docs.
Christopher Kepner -- the father of 18-year-old Anna Kepner, who was found dead on a Carnival Cruise ship last year -- is furious his stepson is still free ... considering he's been charged with raping and murdering Anna.
The 16-year-old suspect -- identified in court docs as "T.H., a minor" -- has been let out of jail and living with a relative despite the charges, which Christopher sees as a big problem.
He told the Daily Mail, "We're upset that he's still out. We're six months in and he should already have been arrested and yet he's free to do whatever he wants right now. That's our problem. He's been able to do whatever he wants and go where he wants but the family's been sitting here unable to do anything."
Anna Kepner’s stepbrother, T.H. -- who is accused of raping and murdering her on a Carnival cruise -- has been living with family while being monitored by the feds ... but now that he's charged as an adult, prosecutors have changed their tune and want him behind bars pending his trial ... TMZ has learned.
According to court docs obtained by TMZ, T.H. -- who was arrested in February and indicted by a federal grand jury for first-degree murder and aggravated sexual abuse as an adult this week -- has been staying at his uncle Devon Ziske’s home.
T.H. was ordered to stay at home and always be under the supervision of an adult. He was made to wear a GPS monitor and not allowed to be alone with anyone under the age of 18, unless supervised by an adult.
The stepbrother charged with raping and murdering 18-year-old Anna Kepner received a glimmer of good news amid all the bad news in his indictment ... prosecutors say there's no chance he'll be put to death, because it's unconstitutional.
Here's how it all breaks down ... the 16-year-old defendant, identified in court docs as "T.H., a minor," is charged with first-degree murder and aggravated sexual abuse, and he faces life in prison if convicted. In the charging docs, prosecutors indicated this is not a death penalty case.
In their new motion seeking to keep T.H. behind bars pending his trial, the feds says the death penalty is off the table under Supreme Court precedent that bars the imposition of capital punishment on juvenile offenders. T.H. was 16 at the time he allegedly killed Kepner ... though he was actually indicted as an adult by a federal grand jury.
Federal prosecutors are demanding Anna Kepner’s stepbrother be locked up after he was accused of raping and murdering his sister ... TMZ has learned.
According to court docs, obtained by TMZ, prosecutors call Anna’s brother -- only identified as T.H. in paperwork -- a “danger to others” and argue he should not be released on bond.
The prosecutors said that the evidence “demonstrated the offense conduct that [T.H.] engaged in involved the most serious, egregious, and violative crimes one person can inflict upon another.”
Disturbing new twist inAnna Kepner's death aboard a Carnival Cruise ... the feds say her 16-year-old stepbrother raped her before murdering her on their family vacation.
Anna's stepbrother has been indicted as an adult by a federal grand jury and charged with first-degree murder and aggravated sexual abuse ... according to federal prosecutors in Florida.
The feds only identify Anna's stepbrother by his initials T.H., and say he's facing a maximum sentence of life in prison if convicted.
Teenager Anna Kepner was killed on a Carnival Cruise during a family vacation last November ... and now her 16-year-old stepbrother has been charged with her homicide, according to court documents.
An emergency filing on Friday obtained by TMZ says her stepbrother was charged with homicide as a minor in connection with Anna's asphyxiation death in her stateroom aboard the Carnival Horizon on November 7.
Anna was on a Caribbean cruise vacation with her dad, stepmom and three stepsiblings when she died. A housekeeper reportedly discovered Anna's body underneath her bed — and the ship returned to Miami, Florida, the next day, as the FBI launched an investigation.
