A federal magistrate judge in the Southern District of Florida has ordered 16-year-old Timothy Hudson detained pending trial, finding that no release conditions could reasonably assure the safety of the community as he faces charges connected to the death of his 18-year-old stepsister aboard a cruise ship.
Hudson, identified in court filings as T.H., is charged in federal court with first-degree murder and aggravated sexual abuse. The case stems from the November 7, 2025 death of A.K., an 18-year-old woman who was found dead in the cabin she shared with Hudson while the cruise ship was on the high seas and bound for Miami.
According to the court’s order, the medical examiner concluded that Anna Kepner had been sexually assaulted and then asphyxiated. Hudson was initially proceeded against under the Juvenile Delinquency Act because he was under 18 at the time. A federal judge later transferred the case to adult prosecution, changing the legal standard that applies to whether he should remain free before trial.
In a June 10 order, U.S. Magistrate Judge Edwin G. Torres granted the government’s motion to review the prior release order and ordered Hudson detained under the Bail Reform Act. The court found that while the original release conditions were adequate to assure Hudson’s appearance at trial, the issue of community safety required a different result once the case was transferred to adult status.
“The danger posed by the conduct charged here,” the court wrote, was sufficient to require detention, describing the allegations as first-degree murder and aggravated sexual abuse committed against a young woman and stepsister while they were in confined quarters aboard a ship.
The court emphasized that Hudson remains presumed innocent and that the ruling does not amount to a conviction before trial. However, Judge Torres found that the nature of the charges, the weight of the evidence, and the alleged circumstances of the offense weighed heavily in favor of detention.
Hudson had previously been released to the custody of a family member under strict conditions. The court noted that the custodians had complied with the release order and had managed Hudson’s placement “as well as anyone could expect.” But the judge concluded that home confinement, electronic monitoring, curfews, and third-party custody were not enough under the Bail Reform Act given the allegations.
The order states that Hudson’s youth, lack of prior record, voluntary surrender, and compliance with release conditions were all considered. Still, the court found those factors did not overcome the danger analysis, particularly because the alleged crime involved a household member in a private living space.
The court also expressed concern about the case moving closer to trial, which is currently set for September, and ordered that Hudson receive appropriate mental health evaluation and treatment while in custody.
Under the court’s order, Hudson was to be delivered to the custody of the U.S. Marshal in Tampa on June 15. A supplemental order moved the surrender time from 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 a.m. at the Sam Gibbons United States Courthouse. From there, the court directed that Hudson be housed first at the Citrus County Jail, which is approved to house juvenile inmates for the U.S. Marshal, before being transferred no later than July 10 to Miami-Dade County Metro-West Detention Center for the pretrial and trial phases of the case.
The court ordered that Hudson be housed only with juveniles in a secure environment, have regular access to counsel, be allowed communication with family, and receive continued mental health evaluation or treatment as needed.
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