Secret evidence filed in Anna Kepner Carnival cruise murder case as feds push to jail accused stepbrother
Content warning: This article includes descriptions of sexual assault that some readers may find distressing.
Federal prosecutors have quietly submitted new evidence under seal in the case against Timothy Hudson, who is accused of sexually assaulting and killing his stepsister, 18-year-old Anna Kepner, onboard a Carnival Cruise ship.
In a pair of filings entered in federal court in Miami on June 8, prosecutors revealed they have obtained "newly disclosed, supplemental information" supporting their effort to revoke the release of Hudson, identified as T.H. in the filings.
The new filing comes as Hudson was allowed to remain free until his September 2026 murder trial. In April, a federal grand jury indicted Hudson as an adult; he is accused of first-degree murder and aggravated sexual abuse after Kepner was found dead in November 2025 inside a Carnival cruise cabin that was traveling on the high seas toward Miami.
Prosecutors said the sealed filing contains information concerning the "performance of any examinations or tests," and they are asking the court to consider it as part of their effort to revoke the teen suspect's release pending trial.
The new evidence, however, does not identify what kind of examinations or tests were conducted or what they showed as the order was immediately placed under seal and the court granted the request.
The evidence was submitted as part of the government’s ongoing "Motion for Review and Revocation of Order of Release Pursuant to the Bail Reform Act," which is their effort in overturning the teen’s release and placing him back into custody before trial.
At the time he was arrested he was charged as a juvenile and allowed to live with an uncle because of his age. But in April a federal grand jury indicted him as an adult, introducing the possibility that he could be jailed as he awaits trial.
ANNA KEPNER'S FATHER WANTS STEPSON TO 'FACE THE CONSEQUENCES' IN CRUISE SHIP DEATH CASE
But on May 27, a judge ruled that the accused teen could continue to remain free pending his murder trial with certain restriction.
"If it were a 20-year-old under the exact circumstances I probably would have detained," U.S. District Judge Edwin Torres said. "The presumption would be we were just not going to take that chance."
"This is a different animal," Torres said.
ANNA KEPNER DIES MYSTERIOUSLY DURING FAMILY VACATION ON CARNIVAL CRUISE SHIP: TIMELINE OF EVENTS
Kepner’s parents have voiced their outrage that Hudson is not jailed pending his trial.
"We’re upset that he’s still out. We’re six months in, and he should already have been arrested, and yet he’s free to do whatever he wants right now," Christopher Kepner told the Daily Mail. "That’s our problem. He’s been able to do whatever he wants and go where he wants, but the family’s been sitting here unable to do anything."
FOLLOW THE FOX TRUE CRIME TEAM ON X
If convicted, the teen could face a maximum penalty of life in prison.
"I want to see him in an orange jumpsuit and handcuffs. He does not need to be free. He does not need to be in the general public, around any kids or women in general," Christopher Kepner said.
SIGN UP TO GET TRUE CRIME NEWSLETTER
Nov. 6, 2025, dinner: Prosecutors say Kepner left dinner because she wasn’t feeling well, saying that she had mouth pain from her braces and an upset stomach, and returned alone to cabin 8343.
7:35 p.m.: CCTV allegedly shows Hudson entering the cabin.
7:38 p.m.: CCTV allegedly shows Kepner entering the same cabin. Prosecutors say she was never seen leaving again.
LISTEN TO THE NEW 'CRIME & JUSTICE WITH DONNA ROTUNNO' PODCAST
7:51 p.m.: Kepner's 13-year-old brother briefly entered the cabin and later told investigators he saw her alive.
7:51 p.m. to 10:13 p.m.: Prosecutors say Kepner and Hudson were alone in the cabin for roughly three hours.
LIKE WHAT YOU'RE READING? FIND MORE ON THE TRUE CRIME HUB
10:13 p.m.: Prosecutors say Hudson exits the cabin and looks left and right down the hallway.
10:53 p.m.: Prosecutors say Hudson places the privacy sign on the cabin door and goes back inside.
11:21 p.m.: Kepner's younger brother returns briefly to the cabin. He later tells investigators he did not see her inside.
12:09 a.m.: The brother returned again. Prosecutors say Hudson blocked him from entering, told him he was changing and made him wait outside for a couple of minutes.
12:09 a.m.: The brother said the bathroom and closet doors were open, and the cabin lights were on.
Morning of Nov. 7: Prosecutors say Kepner's phone, which was missing from the cabin, was tracked by ship Wi-Fi/router data moving along the same path as Hudson.
9:26-9:55 a.m.: Prosecutors say CCTV and router data placed Hudson, and allegedly Kepner's phone, near the jogging track, smoking area and later near the trash-bin area where the phone was found.
11:24 a.m.: Cabin attendants discovered Kepner's body, prosecutors say, wrapped in bedding and partially hidden under a bed, with a box of life vests positioned to obscure it.