Teen charged as adult in stepsister’s cruise ship murder, prosecutors say

A 16-year-old Titusville boy is facing adult federal murder charges after prosecutors said his 18-year-old stepsister died aboard a Carnival cruise ship in international waters while the vessel was headed to Miami.

Federal prosecutors in the Southern District of Florida said the teen, identified in court records by the initials T.H., was indicted on April 13, 2026, on charges of first-degree murder and aggravated sexual abuse. The U.S. Attorney’s Office said the alleged crimes occurred on or about Nov. 6-7, 2025, aboard Carnival Cruise Line’s Horizon, and that the case falls under federal jurisdiction because the conduct happened in international waters. If convicted, T.H. faces a maximum sentence of life in prison.

The Miami-Dade Medical Examiner’s Office determined that Anna Kepner died from mechanical asphyxiation. Her death certificate listed the cause as mechanical asphyxia and said she was mechanically asphyxiated by other person(s). Investigators said the case was first charged as a juvenile on Feb. 2, 2026, before U.S. District Judge Beth Bloom ordered it transferred for adult prosecution. The FBI’s Miami field office is investigating.

Anna Kepner was traveling with family members on a six-night Western Caribbean cruise that departed Miami on Nov. 2, 2025. The itinerary included stops in Ocho Rios, Jamaica; George Town, Grand Cayman; and Cozumel, Mexico, before the ship returned to Miami on Nov. 8. Reporting on the investigation said Anna was found under a bed, wrapped in a blanket and covered by life vests.

Kepner, who lived in Titusville, had attended Titusville High School, Astronaut High School and Temple Christian School, according to her obituary. Family members said she was set to graduate in May 2026 and hoped to join the Navy. Other reporting described her as a cheerleader who dreamed of cheering for the University of Georgia. Her grandparents, Barbara and Jeffrey Kepner, described her as independent and full of promise.

Chris Kepner and Shauntel Kepner said the family was devastated and continued to grieve an unimaginable tragedy, while seeking accountability and clarity as the case moves through federal court. Prosecutors have placed the matter squarely in the adult justice system, where the stakes now include a possible life sentence and a wider accounting of what happened in the cabin corridor of the Horizon.