A 16-year-old Florida boy has been indicted on charges of murder and aggravated sexual abuse in the death of his 18-year-old stepsister aboard a Carnival cruise ship last fall, federal prosecutors announced Monday.
The stepbrother, identified in court papers only as T.H., was charged as an adult in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida. Both counts carry a maximum sentence of life in prison.
The victim, Anna Kepner of Titusville, Florida, was found dead Nov. 7 in the cabin she shared with T.H. and a half-sibling aboard the Carnival Horizon, which was en route to Miami from international waters. The Miami-Dade Medical Examiner determined she died of mechanical asphyxiation, and her death was ruled a homicide.
Federal prosecutors said T.H. sexually assaulted and killed Kepner on or about Nov. 6–7, 2025. A housekeeper discovered her body under the bed in the stateroom, according to law enforcement sources cited by CBS News.
T.H. was initially charged as a juvenile and surrendered to authorities Feb. 3, pleading not guilty in federal court in Miami. A magistrate judge released him to live with a family member while the case was pending. Prosecutors subsequently moved to charge him as an adult, noting he was older than 15 at the time of the offense and that the case involved violent crimes. Court papers showed T.H. waived his right to a hearing on the request.
A judge granted the motion and unsealed the indictment Friday.
Prosecutors also moved Monday to revoke the order permitting T.H. to remain with a family member, arguing he is “a danger to others.” In court filings, they described the crimes as “the most serious, egregious and violative crimes one person can inflict upon another,” adding that T.H. acted “without any warning” despite what they characterized as a supportive family environment.
Chris Kepner, Anna’s father and T.H.’s stepfather, told NBC News that “justice needs to be served.”
Eric Cohen, a federal public defender representing T.H., said his office does not comment on pending cases.
Kepner was a senior at Temple Christian School in Titusville and had plans to join the U.S. Navy and become a K9 police officer. Her family told ABC News she had already spoken with military recruiters and chosen her career path. She was 18 years old.
Carnival said it was grateful to the FBI for its investigation and to its own security teams for supporting the inquiry. “We will continue to keep Anna in our thoughts,” the company said.
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