DNA Evidence Points to Hudson in Carnival Cruise Murder

Newly unsealed court records reveal federal investigators collected DNA from a second teenage male passenger during the investigation into the death of 18-year-old Anna Kepner aboard a Carnival cruise ship last November. The records show prosecutors used this evidence to help build their case against Kepner’s stepbrother, Timothy Hudson, who faces charges of first-degree murder and aggravated sexual abuse.

Kepner was found deceased in the cabin she shared with Hudson and her younger brother after the Carnival Horizon arrived in Miami on November 7, 2025. According to a federal indictment, her body was discovered beneath a bed. Hudson, who was 16 at the time of the alleged crimes, has pleaded not guilty. He is currently free on bond and is scheduled to stand trial in federal court this September.

The recently disclosed details stem from a detention hearing held last February. Prosecutors stated that forensic testing from Kepner’s autopsy identified male DNA on two vaginal swabs, one of which tested positive for sperm. This prompted investigators to obtain DNA samples from both Hudson and another juvenile passenger, identified in court records as “Minor Witness 2.” Prosecutors...