Judge Sets January Deadline for Plea in Anna Kepner Murder Case
A federal judge set January 15 as the deadline for Timothy Hudson to enter a guilty plea after his attorney sought a delay over an unresolved issue; trial begins January 25.
Relatives of Anna Kepner gathered at Titusville High School on Friday to plant flowers and release butterflies on the anniversary of her death. The 18-year-old senior’s body was found by a cabin attendant aboard Carnival Cruise Line’s Carnival Horizon in November 2025.
The criminal case against her stepbrother, Timothy Hudson, has yet to go to trial. Hudson, who was 16 at the time of Kepner’s death, has pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder and aggravated sexual abuse and will be tried as an adult.
Christopher Kepner, Anna’s father, was among the relatives at Friday’s gathering. “Anna loved butterflies, so we thought that would be a good thing to do for her,” he said.
Kepner was a varsity cheerleader who planned to join the military after graduation. Her grandmother, Barbara Kepner, recalled her interests in singing and gymnastics, her affection for her siblings and her ability to move between being “girly” and tomboyish.
“She just loved life, and she lit up the room when she walked in,” Barbara Kepner said.
She also spoke about the family’s younger members. “We want them to know who she was and how much she loved them,” her grandmother said. “And we’re going to keep her memory going forever.”
Carnival Horizon was returning to Miami from a Caribbean cruise when Kepner was found dead. Prosecutors allege that she was sexually assaulted before being asphyxiated. Hudson faces a maximum sentence of life in prison if convicted.
His trial had been scheduled for November, but Assistant Federal Public Defender Eric M. Cohen requested a postponement. In his motion, Cohen wrote that an unresolved issue needed to be addressed before a final decision could be made about whether Hudson would enter a plea or proceed to trial.
“That issue cannot be resolved prior to the present trial setting,” Cohen wrote. He said prosecutors did not oppose the delay.
U.S. District Judge Beth Bloom set January 15 as the deadline for Hudson to tender a guilty plea. The trial is now scheduled for a two-week period beginning January 25.
