A 16-year-old Florida teenager has been indicted as an adult by a federal grand jury in connection with the killing of his stepsister aboard a cruise ship in international waters, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida.
Prosecutors said the teen, identified in court records as T.H. of Titusville, Florida, was traveling with family members aboard the Carnival Horizon on or about November 6–7, 2025, when the alleged incident occurred. Authorities allege that while the vessel was in international waters en route to Miami, the teen sexually assaulted and intentionally killed his stepsister, Anna Kepner.
The Miami‑Dade Medical Examiner’s Office later determined that Kepner’s cause of death was mechanical asphyxiation, according to court documents.
“Our hearts go out to the victim’s family during this unimaginable loss,” said Jason A. Reding Quiñones, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida. He noted that a federal grand jury had 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,” Reding Quiñones said, adding that the defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Court records show the teen was initially charged as a juvenile on February 2, 2026. However, the case remained sealed until Beth Bloom, a U.S. District Judge, ordered that the matter be transferred for adult prosecution.
The teenager now faces charges of first-degree murder and aggravated sexual abuse. If convicted, he could face a maximum penalty of life imprisonment.
