A 16-year-old From Florida Charged With Sexually Assaulting And Killing Stepsister On A Cruise Ship

MIAMI — A 16-year-old boy has been charged pinch execution and aggravated intersexual maltreatment successful Florida successful nan decease of his 18-year-old stepsister connected a Carnival Cruise ship, nan U.S. Justice Department said Monday.

Timothy Hudson was indicted connected March 10. But nan full lawsuit was sealed until Friday, weeks aft U.S. District Judge Beth Bloom said he would beryllium prosecuted arsenic an big astatine nan petition of prosecutors.

Anna Kepner had been walking connected nan Carnival Horizon vessel successful November pinch her family. Before nan vessel was scheduled to return to Florida, her assemblage was recovered concealed nether a furniture successful a room she was sharing pinch 2 different teens, including nan younger stepbrother.

The origin of Kepner’s Nov. 6 decease was wished to beryllium mechanical asphyxia, which is erstwhile an entity aliases beingness unit stops personification from breathing.

An email and voicemail seeking remark from Hudson’s attorneys were not instantly returned Monday.

“Our hearts spell retired to nan victim’s family during this unimaginable loss,” U.S. Atty. Jason Reding Quiñones said successful a written statement. “A national expansive assemblage has returned an indictment charging superior offenses that allegedly occurred aboard a alloy successful world waters.”

Kepner was a precocious schoolhouse cheerleader astatine Temple Christian School successful Titusville, Fla., immoderate 40 miles eastbound of Orlando. At her memorial work successful November, family members encouraged group to deterioration agleam colors alternatively of nan accepted achromatic “in grant of Anna’s agleam and beautiful soul.”

Teens prosecuted successful national tribunal are highly rare. Hudson was initially charged connected Feb. 2, and he pleaded not blameworthy nan adjacent time successful Miami. He was subsequently seen astatine nan courthouse, wearing a shot headdress and a hoodie pulled tightly astir his face. But his position was not afloat known because his property barred nationalist disclosures by his lawyers, nan authorities aliases nan court.

A judge connected Feb. 6 said Hudson must deterioration an physics tether while surviving pinch an uncle. The bid was changed to let him to subordinate his begetter for a fewer days past week astatine a landscaping business.

Prosecutors objected to Hudson’s release, citing dangerousness, and asked a judge Monday to revisit that bid now that he has been charged arsenic an adult. Defense lawyers will person a week to respond.

“He committed these crimes against a unfortunate pinch whom he had nary evident relational strife, and whom he was being raised to position arsenic a sibling,” Assistant U.S. Atty. Alejandra López said successful a tribunal filing.

White writes for nan Associated Press.