Teen charged with murder and aggravated sexual abuse of step-sister on cruise ship

Teen charged with murder and aggravated sexual abuse of step-sister on cruise shipThe 18-year-old high school cheerleader was found dead under a bed in a room she was sharing with her step-brother and another teen before returning to Florida last NovemberNewsTannur Anders UK & World News Reporter01:52, 14 Apr 2026View 3 ImagesThe Carnival Horizon cruise ship docked at the cruise terminal in Miami, Florida in 2023 [file image](Image: Eva Marie Uzcategui/Bloomberg via Getty Images)A teenager has been charged with murder and aggravated sexual abuse in Florida over the death of his stepsister on a cruise ship.‌The US Justice Department said on Monday, April 13, that the 16-year-old Timothy Hudson was charged. He was initially charged in February and subsequently indicted on March 10, but the breadth of the case was not known until a seal was lifted on Friday, weeks after a judge said he would be prosecuted as an adult at the request of the government.‌Anna Kepner, 18, had been traveling on the Carnival Horizon ship in November with her family. Her body was found under a bed in a room she was sharing with two other teens, including the younger stepbrother, before the ship was scheduled to return to Florida.‌View 3 ImagesAnna was found dead under a bed on the Carnival Horizon as it made its return journey to Miami(Image: Instagram)The cause of Anna's death on November 6 was determined to be mechanical asphyxia. This is when an object or physical force stops someone from breathing.Anna's father, Christopher Kepner, said in a statement that the family was placing “trust in the justice system to pursue the truth with care and integrity.”‌“At the same time, we are deeply troubled that, despite the seriousness of the charges, he has not been taken into custody... The situation is deeply painful and complex for the entire family,” Mr Kepner said.Hudson has remained free in the care of an uncle since his arrest in February.Anna was a high school cheerleader at Temp...