Teen Accused in Stepsister's Cruise Ship Murder Gains Time for Plea Deal

Timothy Hudson, who was 16 at the time of the incident, is accused of the sexual assault and strangulation of his stepsister, 18-year-old Anna Kepner. The alleged crime occurred aboard the Carnival Horizon on November 7, 2025. The federal case, being heard in Florida, has reached a critical juncture as Hudson's defense team has requested additional time to evaluate a potential plea deal.

A judge granted the extension earlier this month, pushing the plea deadline from October 23 to January. Hudson had initially entered a not guilty plea to the charges brought by a federal grand jury in April. He is currently being held in federal pre-trial detention after a judge ordered him into federal custody in June. Prior to that, he was under the custody of his family with an ankle monitor.

Criminal defense attorney Anthony Strazza, who is not affiliated with the case, commented that plea negotiations for such a serious case often revolve around avoiding a life sentence without parole. However, Strazza cautioned that even with a plea agreement, the prison sentence would likely be substantial. "There's not going to be any sweet plea deal, regardless of whether or not they take a plea. The numbers [years in prison] are going to be large," Strazza said.

Strazza noted that due to Hudson's young age, even a lengthy sentence, such as 20 or 30 years, would mean he would still be relatively young upon release, potentially in his 30s. He added that defendants typically serve at least 85 percent of their federal prison sentence.

Hudson's defense attorney, Eric Cohen, declined to comment on the ongoing case.