Photo: DANIEL SLIM / AFP / Getty Images
A 16-year-old boy is facing adult charges of first-degree murder and aggravated sexual abuse in the death of his stepsister, Anna Kepner, while on a family cruise, the U.S. Department of Justice said Monday. The teen, identified as T.H. of Titusville, was indicted by a federal grand jury after being initially charged as a juvenile in the November incident aboard the Carnival Cruise ship Horizon as it traveled in international waters toward Miami.
According to the DOJ, T.H. allegedly sexually assaulted and intentionally killed Kepner while the ship was en route to Florida. The Miami-Dade Medical Examiner’s Office determined that Kepner, who was 18 and set to graduate from high school this May, died from mechanical asphyxiation. Her body was found concealed under a bed in the room she shared with two other teens, including T.H.
T.H. was transferred for adult prosecution after a ruling by U.S. District Judge Beth Bloom. The case had remained sealed until the judge’s decision. If convicted, T.H. could face a maximum sentence of life in prison.
Kepner’s family described her as someone who “loved being around people” and hoped to join the military after graduation. The case remains in the early stages, with further court proceedings expected in the coming months.