16-year-old stepbrother pleads not guilty to murder, sexual abuse charges in Anna Kepner’s cruise ship death

MIAMI — The 16-year-old boy charged on suspicion of murder and aggravated sexual abuse after his 18-year-old stepsister Anna Kepner was found dead on a cruise ship last year plead not guilty to the charges Tuesday. 

Timothy Hudson has received the indictment and is waiving his appearance at an arraignment scheduled for Wednesday, defense attorney Eric Cohen said in a court filing. The 16-year-old also signed the one-page document.

A grand jury found that Hudson was aboard the Carnival Cruise Line’s Horizon ship with his stepsister Anna Kepner, 18, in November 2025. While aboard the ship, prosecutors allege he sexually assaulted and intentionally killed her. 

The teenager was originally charged as a minor in February with the case under seal, but is now being prosecuted as an adult after a federal judge’s ruling. If convicted of first-degree murder and aggravated sexual abuse, he could face a maximum sentence of life in prison. 

Ahead of submitting a plea Tuesday, the public defender representing Hudson filed a motion asking the court to deny the prosecutor’s request to revoke his pretrial release now that he’s been indicted as an adult.

Hudson has been free in the care of an uncle since his arrest in February, though prosecutors now want a judge to lock him up while the case unfolds. That issue is unsettled.

The 18-year-old high school cheerleader from Titusville, Florida, was found dead while aboard the Carnival Horizon cruise ship. Law enforcement sources told multiple media outlets Kepner’s body was found by a housekeeper under the bed in her stateroom on the ship, which returned to Port Miami on Nov. 8, 2025. 

ABC News reported that Kepner died by asphyxiation resulting from a bar hold, a term for holding an arm across the neck. The media outlet also reported investigators found two bruises on the side of her neck. 

READ MORE: Cause of death revealed for Anna Kepner, the teen who was found dead on cruise ship

Her family previously told ABC News they wanted Kepner to be remembered for her generosity and spirit. 

Records and hearings in the case were closed to the public for weeks because Hudson was initially charged as a minor. But U.S. District Judge Beth Bloom granted the government’s request to have him prosecuted as an adult. The case was unsealed on April 10.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.