Father of teen slain on cruise says he will skip murder trial, citing trauma

Christopher Kepner told the Daily Mail that he and his wife will not attend the June 1 murder trial of his 16-year-old stepson, saying he cannot “relive” the trauma of discovering his daughter’s body aboard the cruise ship.

Timothy Hudson is scheduled to appear June 1 in Miami federal court on first-degree murder and aggravated sexual abuse charges in the Nov. 7 slaying, court records show. Hudson has pleaded not guilty; if convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of life in prison, prosecutors say.

Kepner gave a harrowing account of finding his daughter, saying, “I checked her pulse. I pulled her out from under the bed. I knew my daughter was dead long before the medical examiner got there.” Authorities later ruled her death a homicide caused by mechanical asphyxiation, according to documents reviewed by Fox News Digital. Investigators said she was found under the bed in the cabin, wrapped in a blanket and covered with life jackets, and that she shared the cabin with her stepbrother.

The family has sought to remember the 18-year-old cheerleader from Central Florida, whom they called “Anna Banana.” “We are celebrating Anna by keeping it all about her and doing the things she liked,” Kepner said. He has also said he wants to see Hudson held in custody, telling media he wanted to “see him in an orange jumpsuit and handcuffs.”

U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones for the Southern District of Florida expressed sympathy for the family and said a federal grand jury returned an indictment alleging serious offenses that occurred aboard a vessel in international waters. “We will present the evidence in court and pursue this case with professionalism and care,” Quiñones said, adding that the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. Fox News Digital has reached out to Hudson’s attorney for comment.

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