MIAMI, Fla. (CBS12) — A Florida teen has been indicted as an adult on federal murder and sexual abuse charges in the killing of his 16-year-old stepsister aboard a cruise ship.
The Miami-Dade Medical Examiner’s Office ruled the death a homicide caused by strangulation. Initially charged as a juvenile, T.H. was ordered to stand trial as an adult by U.S. District Judge Beth Bloom.
Court records allege that the teenager, identified in filings as T.H., was traveling with 16-year-old Anna Kepner and other family members aboard the Carnival Horizon in early November 2025.
During the voyage, while the vessel was in international waters en route to Miami, federal prosecutors allege that T.H. sexually assaulted and suffocated Kepner.
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T.H. was reportedly removed from his mother’s Titusville home and was living with relatives amid the FBI’s investigation into her cruise ship death. According to previous reports, this change was disclosed during a Florida custody hearing where his mother testified the decision was made to “remove any risk of any danger to any of the other children in the home.”
“Our hearts go out to the victim’s family during this unimaginable loss,” said U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones for the Southern District of Florida. “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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T.H. faces a maximum penalty of life in prison if convicted, per the U.S. Attorney’s Office.