A teenager has been charged with murder and aggravated sexual abuse in Florida following the death of his stepsister aboard a cruise ship.
The US Justice Department announced on Monday, April 13, that 16 year old Timothy Hudson had been charged. He was initially charged in February and subsequently indicted on March 10, but the full extent of the case remained unknown until a seal was lifted on Friday, weeks after a judge ruled he would be prosecuted as an adult at the government’s request.
Anna Kepner, 18, had been travelling aboard the Carnival Horizon in November with her family. Her body was discovered beneath a bed in a cabin she was sharing with two other teenagers, including her younger stepbrother, shortly before the vessel was due to return to Florida.
The cause of Anna’s death on November 6 was established as mechanical asphyxia — a condition in which an object or physical force prevents a person 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.”
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 Temple Christian School in Titusville, Florida, approximately 40 miles (65 kilometres) east of Orlando. At her memorial service in November, those close to her encouraged attendees to wear bright colours rather than the customary black, in tribute to her “bright and beautiful soul.”
Teenagers are seldom prosecuted in federal court. The 16 year old Hudson accused entered a not guilty plea when he was initially charged in February, though proceedings were kept from public view due to his age, as were court documents.
A judge on February 6 ruled that he must wear an electronic tag while residing with an uncle. The order was subsequently amended to permit him to join his father for several days last week at a landscaping business, according to newly unsealed court records.
Prosecutors opposed his release on grounds of dangerousness, and on Monday called upon a judge to reconsider that order now that he faces charges as an adult. Defence lawyers have been given one week to respond.
“He committed these crimes against a victim with whom he had no apparent relational strife, and whom he was being raised to view as a sibling,” Assistant US Attorney Alejandra López said in a court filing.