Baby-faced stepbrother, 16, of Anna Kepner unmasked as he's formally charged as an adult in her cruise ship murder

By BEN ASHFORD, US SENIOR REPORTER Published: 17:39, 13 April 2026 | Updated: 17:55, 13 April 2026 The 16-year-old stepbrother who was sharing a cabin with Anna Kepner when she was found dead on a Caribbean cruise has been indicted on charges of first-degree murder and aggravated sexual abuse. Timothy Hudson will be tried as an adult in federal court, although he cannot face the death penalty because he was a juvenile at the time of the alleged slaying. He was the only person inside the room with cheerleader Anna, 18, when she was allegedly killed by asphyxiation four months ago aboard the Carnival Horizon. The baby-faced teen has made several closed-door court appearances in the past month with journalists barred from covering the case because of his age. All records have remained under seal, with federal officials refusing to confirm or deny that a prosecution was underway. Timothy – whose mother, Shauntel Hudson, is Anna's stepmother and the wife of her father, Christopher Kepner – has been allowed to live with an uncle while wearing a GPS ankle monitor. If convicted, he faces decades in prison, although mandatory life-without-parole sentences for juveniles were deemed unconstitutional by the Supreme Court in 2012. Anna of Titusville, Florida, was pronounced dead at 11.17am on November 7 while the 133,000-ton Horizon was en route from Mexico to Florida. The 16-year-old stepbrother of Anna Kepner is (seen arriving in federal court last month) has been unmasked as Timothy Hudson after being charged as an adult in her murder  The high school senior, from Titusville, Florida, was on a six-day Carnival cruise to the Caribbean with her family when she was found dead onboard between Mexico and Florida on November 7  The Daily Mail was the first outlet to report that her body was found stuffed under a bed in the cabin she was sharing with her stepbrother and 14-year-old half-brother. She had been wrapped in a blanket and covered with life preservers, according to our sources. Anna had gone to bed early the night before, telling her family during dinner that she was feeling unwell. While her half-brother wandered around the ship taking photos, she was left alone with her stepbrother who takes medication for ADHD and insomnia. When the younger boy returned, he didn't see Anna but assumed she was staying up late with Christopher, Shauntel or their grandparents Jeffrey and Barbara Kepner. He climbed into his bunk and went to sleep – unaware, sources say, that his sister's body was hidden just feet away. It wasn't until the next morning when the two boys headed to breakfast that the family realized Anna was missing. A medical emergency was announced over the ship's public address system, prompting Christopher, 41, to rush to her Deck 8 cabin, where a cleaning crew had just discovered the body. Anna died by asphyxiation aboard the Carnival Horizon and her stepbrother has been considered the sole suspect A maid aboard the Carnival cruise was the one to find Anna's body wrapped in a blanket, covered over with life jackets and stuffed under a bed, according to our sources, who spoke under condition of anonymity A law enforcement source later told ABC that Anna died from asphyxiation caused by a bar hold, suggesting an arm was pressed across her neck. FBI agents swarmed the ship, interviewed the family and scoured CCTV cameras when the Horizon returned to Miami on November 8. Timothy insisted he could not remember what took place in the cabin, according to sources. But the boy's alleged involvement leaked out in court filings in a custody dispute between Shauntel and her ex-husband Thomas Hudson, 37. They both referred to their son as a 'suspect' in court documents - with one filing describing bubbly Anna's death as a 'suspected murder'. Thomas had sought emergency custody of their young daughter, claiming Shauntel took the kids on the ill-fated cruise without his permission – and even let the older children drink alcohol, an accusation she denied. A Brevard County judge ruled that the girl was not in any danger and could remain with Shauntel and Christopher so long as Timothy was living elsewhere. The couple had already removed him from their blended household in Titusville and placed him with a relative while the FBI investigation played out. The high school senior was on vacation with her father, stepmother, half brother, and step brother Timothy (pictured) at the time of her death  Anna's father Christopher was in court supporting the boy's mother – Anna's stepmom – Shauntel, at a hearing in Florida on December 5  His location was redacted in court documents but when the Daily Mail traced the skinny, blond-haired teen to a relative's rural Florida home he would only say: 'I'd rather not talk.' High school senior Anna had chronicled her love of travel on TikTok and been on several cruises. 'Anna was pure energy: bubbly, funny, outgoing, and completely herself,' her family wrote in an obituary. She planned on entering the US Navy or becoming a K9 handler in the Titusville Police Department. Christopher and Shauntel are still together despite the extraordinary strain on their marriage. They released a joint statement to the Daily Mail after we revealed that Timothy had made a secret court appearance in early February. 'The loss of our daughter is a pain that will never fully heal. She was taken from us in a violent and senseless way, and our family has been permanently changed,' the couple said. 'Our grief is overwhelming, and her absence is felt in every part of our lives. No parent should ever have to bury their child, and no words can fully express the depth of our loss. 'We believe in accountability and in the importance of justice being carried out. 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