A 16-year-old Florida boy has pleaded not guilty to charges of murder and aggravated sexual abuse in the death of his 18-year-old stepsister on a Carnival cruise ship in November. Timothy Hudson was indicted by a federal grand jury on 10 March, but the case remained sealed until Friday, when a judge ruled he would be prosecuted as an adult.
The body of Anna Kepner was found concealed under a bed in a cabin she shared with two other teenagers, including Hudson, on the Carnival Horizon. The ship was due to return to Florida on 6 November. The cause of death was determined to be mechanical asphyxia, where an object or physical force prevents breathing.
Hudson was initially arrested in February and has been allowed to remain free under the care of an uncle, wearing an electronic tether. Prosecutors have objected to his release, citing the seriousness of the offences, and have asked the court to reconsider his bail conditions now that he has been charged as an adult.
In a statement, the victim’s father, Christopher Kepner, expressed trust in the justice system but voiced concern that his daughter’s alleged killer had not been taken into custody. The US attorney for the Southern District of Florida, Jason Reding Quiñones, said the indictment alleged serious offences that occurred in international waters.
Kepner was a high school cheerleader at Temple Christian School in Titusville, Florida. At her memorial service, family members asked mourners to wear bright colours in honour of her personality. Cases involving teenagers being prosecuted in federal court are rare.
