Topline: An FBI agent testified that Timothy Hudson destroyed the teen’s phone while her smart watch vanished.
Published: June 9, 2026 6:00 am ET
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Left: Anna Kepner, Right: Timothy Hudson (via Instagram/Getty)
MIAMI — An FBI agent testified in federal court that a teenager accused of killing and sexually assaulting his 18-year-old stepsister aboard a cruise ship attempted to destroy her cell phone before tossing it into a trash can.
Timothy Hudson, 16, faces charges of murder and aggravated sexual abuse in the Nov. 6, 2025, death of Anna Kepner aboard the Carnival Cruise Line ship Horizon.
Court transcripts obtained by PEOPLE show FBI Agent Andrew del Valle testified that investigators recovered Kepner’s damaged cell phone after a crew member discovered it in the trash.
Family members told investigators that Kepner, a high school senior, always kept her cell phone with her. The tip prompted federal agents to search for the device when they boarded the ship in Miami on Nov. 8, 2025.
Del Valle testified the recovered phone was smashed and had a broken screen. Bureau technicians downloaded the contents of the device and traced its digital path across the ship.
Data showed the phone connected to four different internet routers within 20 minutes on the morning of Nov. 7, 2025. Investigators reviewed ship surveillance video from those locations to identify who was near the device.
The footage showed Hudson in all four locations, according to the testimony. Video captured Hudson spending 22 seconds near the trash can where the phone was later found.
Hudson then returned to his room, del Valle testified. At that time, Hudson’s personal cell phone connected to a router, but Kepner’s phone did not.
Investigators failed to locate a second piece of digital evidence, Kepner’s Apple Watch. Del Valle testified the watch was never found, but data showed it stopped reporting vital signs between 7:50 p.m. and 10 p.m. on Nov. 6, 2025.
Hudson is the son of Shauntel Hudson, who married Kepner’s father, Christopher Kepner. Law enforcement officials took the teenager into custody in early February.
Authorities initially arraigned Hudson as a minor. A grand jury later indicted him on the same charges, which prosecutors refiled to try him as an adult.
The grand jury wrote in the superseding indictment that Hudson knowingly carried out the premeditated killing of Kepner with malice. The indictment states the killing occurred during an aggravated sexual abuse.
Hudson faces two life sentences if convicted of both charges. He has remained in the custody of a maternal uncle since his arraignment.
Prosecutors filed a motion to place the teenager in a detention facility. A judge rejected that request during a detention hearing on May 27.
Presumption of Innocence: A presumption of innocence means that any defendant in a criminal trial is presumed to be innocent until they have been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The defendant in this case is only accused of the charges set forth in the criminal complaint. They are innocent until proven guilty.
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Anna Kepner’s Stepbrother Accused of Destroying Evidence on Cruise
An FBI agent testified that Timothy Hudson destroyed the teen’s phone while her smart watch vanished.
By Kate Byrd
Published: June 9, 2026 6:00 am ET
Left: Anna Kepner, Right: Timothy Hudson (via Instagram/Getty)
MIAMI — An FBI agent testified in federal court that a teenager accused of killing and sexually assaulting his 18-year-old stepsister aboard a cruise ship attempted to destroy her cell phone before tossing it into a trash can.
Timothy Hudson, 16, faces charges of murder and aggravated sexual abuse in the Nov. 6, 2025, death of Anna Kepner aboard the Carnival Cruise Line ship Horizon.
Court transcripts obtained by PEOPLE show FBI Agent Andrew del Valle testified that investigators recovered Kepner’s damaged cell phone after a crew member discovered it in the trash.
Family members told investigators that Kepner, a high school senior, always kept her cell phone with her. The tip prompted federal agents to search for the device when they boarded the ship in Miami on Nov. 8, 2025.
Del Valle testified the recovered phone was smashed and had a broken screen. Bureau technicians downloaded the contents of the device and traced its digital path across the ship.
Data showed the phone connected to four different internet routers within 20 minutes on the morning of Nov. 7, 2025. Investigators reviewed ship surveillance video from those locations to identify who was near the device.
The footage showed Hudson in all four locations, according to the testimony. Video captured Hudson spending 22 seconds near the trash can where the phone was later found.
Hudson then returned to his room, del Valle testified. At that time, Hudson’s personal cell phone connected to a router, but Kepner’s phone did not.
Investigators failed to locate a second piece of digital evidence, Kepner’s Apple Watch. Del Valle testified the watch was never found, but data showed it stopped reporting vital signs between 7:50 p.m. and 10 p.m. on Nov. 6, 2025.
Hudson is the son of Shauntel Hudson, who married Kepner’s father, Christopher Kepner. Law enforcement officials took the teenager into custody in early February.
Authorities initially arraigned Hudson as a minor. A grand jury later indicted him on the same charges, which prosecutors refiled to try him as an adult.
The grand jury wrote in the superseding indictment that Hudson knowingly carried out the premeditated killing of Kepner with malice. The indictment states the killing occurred during an aggravated sexual abuse.
Hudson faces two life sentences if convicted of both charges. He has remained in the custody of a maternal uncle since his arraignment.
Prosecutors filed a motion to place the teenager in a detention facility. A judge rejected that request during a detention hearing on May 27.
Presumption of Innocence: A presumption of innocence means that any defendant in a criminal trial is presumed to be innocent until they have been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The defendant in this case is only accused of the charges set forth in the criminal complaint. They are innocent until proven guilty.
Editor's Note: ThePo makes every effort to accurately transcribe the contents of affidavits of probable cause contained in criminal complaints. Often, the complaints themselves are copies of copies of faxed copies, and are difficult to read. To confirm the accuracy of our transcription, contact the Magisterial District Court listed above and request a copy of the criminal complaint. It's a public record to which you are entitled.
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Editor Picks
Latest Articles
Anna Kepner’s Stepbrother Accused of Destroying Evidence on Cruise
An FBI agent testified that Timothy Hudson destroyed the teen’s phone while her smart watch vanished.
By Kate Byrd
Published: June 9, 2026 6:00 am ET
Left: Anna Kepner, Right: Timothy Hudson (via Instagram/Getty)
MIAMI — An FBI agent testified in federal court that a teenager accused of killing and sexually assaulting his 18-year-old stepsister aboard a cruise ship attempted to destroy her cell phone before tossing it into a trash can.
Timothy Hudson, 16, faces charges of murder and aggravated sexual abuse in the Nov. 6, 2025, death of Anna Kepner aboard the Carnival Cruise Line ship Horizon.
Court transcripts obtained by PEOPLE show FBI Agent Andrew del Valle testified that investigators recovered Kepner’s damaged cell phone after a crew member discovered it in the trash.
Family members told investigators that Kepner, a high school senior, always kept her cell phone with her. The tip prompted federal agents to search for the device when they boarded the ship in Miami on Nov. 8, 2025.
Del Valle testified the recovered phone was smashed and had a broken screen. Bureau technicians downloaded the contents of the device and traced its digital path across the ship.
Data showed the phone connected to four different internet routers within 20 minutes on the morning of Nov. 7, 2025. Investigators reviewed ship surveillance video from those locations to identify who was near the device.
The footage showed Hudson in all four locations, according to the testimony. Video captured Hudson spending 22 seconds near the trash can where the phone was later found.
Hudson then returned to his room, del Valle testified. At that time, Hudson’s personal cell phone connected to a router, but Kepner’s phone did not.
Investigators failed to locate a second piece of digital evidence, Kepner’s Apple Watch. Del Valle testified the watch was never found, but data showed it stopped reporting vital signs between 7:50 p.m. and 10 p.m. on Nov. 6, 2025.
Hudson is the son of Shauntel Hudson, who married Kepner’s father, Christopher Kepner. Law enforcement officials took the teenager into custody in early February.
Authorities initially arraigned Hudson as a minor. A grand jury later indicted him on the same charges, which prosecutors refiled to try him as an adult.
The grand jury wrote in the superseding indictment that Hudson knowingly carried out the premeditated killing of Kepner with malice. The indictment states the killing occurred during an aggravated sexual abuse.
Hudson faces two life sentences if convicted of both charges. He has remained in the custody of a maternal uncle since his arraignment.
Prosecutors filed a motion to place the teenager in a detention facility. A judge rejected that request during a detention hearing on May 27.
Presumption of Innocence: A presumption of innocence means that any defendant in a criminal trial is presumed to be innocent until they have been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The defendant in this case is only accused of the charges set forth in the criminal complaint. They are innocent until proven guilty.
Editor's Note: ThePo makes every effort to accurately transcribe the contents of affidavits of probable cause contained in criminal complaints. Often, the complaints themselves are copies of copies of faxed copies, and are difficult to read. To confirm the accuracy of our transcription, contact the Magisterial District Court listed above and request a copy of the criminal complaint. It's a public record to which you are entitled.
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