Timothy Hudson’s murder trial has been pushed to January while his lawyers weigh a plea deal in the cruise ship killing of his stepsister Anna Kepner.
Hudson, 16, appeared in Miami federal court through his attorneys, who filed an Oct. 13 letter seeking the latest delay. The teen is accused of sexually assaulting and strangling Kepner, 18, aboard a Carnival Horizon cruise during a six-day Caribbean voyage. Federal Judge Beth Bloom approved the postponement Thursday, moving jury selection from Nov. 2 to Jan. 25.
Hudson’s lawyers wrote that they had “made progress towards attaining their goals, one pending issue still needs to be addressed before a final decision can be made concerning whether T.H. Should plea or proceed to trial.”
The letter noted that prosecutors agreed to the delay and were aware of “the nature of this issue,” though court papers did not specify what remained unresolved. Despite being tried as an adult, Hudson is identified in filings only by his initials because he is a minor.
Bloom set a hard deadline of Jan. 15 for any plea agreement to be entered. Hudson faces a potential life sentence if convicted of murder, though a guilty plea could bring a significantly reduced punishment.
Kepner’s body was discovered Nov. 7, by a cruise ship maid hidden beneath the bed in the cabin Kepner shared with Hudson and her 13-year-old brother, according to prosecutors. The younger sibling was asleep nearby when Hudson allegedly used a bar hold to strangle Kepner, federal authorities claimed.
Hudson was said to have been obsessed with his stepsister. The alleged killing took place during what was meant to be a family vacation.
Kepner was months from graduating Temple Christian School in Titusville, where she was a straight-A student and cheerleader with plans to join the military, her family has said.
The trial has now been delayed three times total. A representative for the Miami US Attorney’s Office declined to comment on the case. Hudson’s defense team did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Hudson pleaded not guilty earlier this year to murder and sexual abuse charges in the high-profile case that has drawn national attention to cruise ship security and family violence.