A Florida 16-year-old is being charged as an adult in the sexual abuse and murder of his stepsister on a Carnival cruise ship last year, authorities said Monday.
The teen, T.H., of Titusville, is charged with first-degree murder and aggravated sexual abuse in the killing of Anna Kepner, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida said.
Kepner, 18, was found dead, asphyxiated, on Nov. 7 under the bed in a cabin the siblings shared on the Carnival Horizon cruise ship while on vacation with Kepner’s family, records showed.
Kepner Family PhotosKepner Family Photos
Anna Kepner
The cruise ship returned to PortMiami the next day, as was planned, and Kepner’s death was ruled a homicide.
While the ship was in international waters en route to Miami, T.H. allegedly sexually assaulted and intentionally killed Kepner, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.
He was initially charged as a juvenile and had appeared in federal court in February but the case had been sealed until he was charged as an adult. He faces a maximum of life in prison.
“Our hearts go out to the victim’s family during this unimaginable loss,” U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones for the Southern District of Florida said in a statement. “A federal grand jury has returned an indictment charging serious offenses that allegedly occurred aboard a vessel in international waters. We will present the evidence in court and pursue this case with professionalism and care. As in every case, the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.”
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The stepbrother of Anna Kepner with his attorney outside a federal courthouse in Miami on Feb. 6, 2026.
A high school cheerleader from Florida’s Space Coast who was set to graduate this year, Kepner had been traveling on the Carnival Horizon ship with her father, grandparents, stepmother and her stepmother’s two children, including the 16-year-old boy. They also have an adult sibling.
Christopher Kepner, Anna’s biological father, spoke with NBC News by phone on Monday.
“He needs to be arrested at this time. He is now an adult and he needs to be arrested. That is where the family stands. Justice needs to be served,” he said.