Miami — A federal judge is expected to decide whether the teen is charged with sexual assault and murder His 18-year-old sister He will remain on the Carnival cruise ship free while awaiting trial after a hearing scheduled for Wednesday morning in Miami.
US District Judge Edwin Torres ruled in February, after Timothy Hudson was initially arrested and charged as a juvenile, that the 16-year-old could live with his uncle and be monitored electronically. But after the case was transferred to adult court, prosecutors asked to keep Hudson in custody until the case concluded.
Hudson has pleaded not guilty to charges of first-degree murder and aggravated sexual assault. Minors are rarely tried in federal courts. Federal public defenders in Hudson declined to comment on the charges.
Hudson’s sister, Anna Kepner, He was traveling On the Carnival Horizon ship in November with her family, including Hudson. Before the ship was scheduled to return to Florida, her body was found hidden under a bed in a room she shared with Hudson and another teen, a criminal complaint said.
Kepner’s cause of death on Nov. 6 was determined to be mechanical asphyxia, which is when an object or physical force prevents a person from breathing.
Kepner’s father, Christopher Kepner, previously issued a statement, saying the family places “trust in the justice system to pursue the truth carefully and fairly.”
“The situation is very distressing and complicated for the entire family,” Kepner said.
Anna Kepner was a high school cheerleader at Temple Christian School in Titusville, Florida, about 40 miles (65 kilometers) east of Orlando. At her memorial service in November, family members encouraged people to wear bright colors rather than the traditional black “in honor of Anna’s bright and beautiful spirit.”