Teen Indicted for Murder, Sexual Abuse of Stepsister on Cruise

A federal grand jury indicted the teenager in the death of his stepsister aboard the Carnival Cruise Line’s "Horizon" in November 2025 The stepbrother of Anna Kepner, identified in court documents as T.H., was indicted on charges of murder and aggravated sexual abuse by a federal grand jury in the Southern District of Florida He will be tried as an adult and if convicted, the 16-year-old boy could be sentenced to life in prison Anna was found dead under her bed on the Carnival Cruise Line's Horizon on Nov. 7, 2025 A federal grand jury indicted the 16-year-old stepbrother of Anna Kepner on multiple charges five months after her death aboard a Carnival cruise. The minor male, identified in court documents as T.H., was indicted on charges of murder and aggravated sexual abuse and will be tried as an adult in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida. He was a passenger on the Carnival Cruise Line's Horizon as it was traveling back to port in Miami when he allegedly sexually assaulted and intentionally killed Kepner "on or about Nov. 6-7, 2025," according to a news release from the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Florida. The case is being tried in federal court because Anna, 18, died on open water while the cruise ship was returning to Florida following a weeklong Caribbean cruise. What is known about the incident comes almost entirely from family court documents previously obtained by PEOPLE that were filed by the parents of T.H., who was sharing a room with Anna on the trip. Anna returned to the room on the night of Nov. 6, and was later found dead under her bed a little before noon the following day. FBI agents were waiting for the cruise ship when it docked in Miami on Nov. 8 to start their investigation into the incident and question Anna's family members, including the stepbrother. At the same time, the Miami-Dade Medical Examiner's Office determined Anna's cause of death was mechanical asphyxiation. Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for PEOPLE's free True Crime newsletter for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases. T.H. made his first appearance in federal court in Miami on Feb. 6 and was then released back into the custody of a family member, a law enforcement source previously told PEOPLE. His mother Shauntel Kepner and her husband, Anna's father Chris Kepner, voiced their anger about the decision to release T.H., saying: "At this time, it is deeply painful and disturbing to our family that the person responsible is able to walk freely. This reality adds to our grief and outrage." That statement continued: "It is devastating to know that while we live every day with the loss of our child, the individual responsible has not yet been fully held accountable." Shauntel previously revealed in a family court filing that she cut off all contact with her son after the cruise ship docked. T.H. will be facing the possibility of life in prison if convicted on the charges. His lawyer did not respond to PEOPLE's request for comment. “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.”