Anna Kepner: Stepbrother Charged with Murder and Sexual Assault on Cruise Ship

Liputan6.com, Jakarta - A shocking murder and sexual assault case has implicated 18-year-old Anna Kepner, who was found dead on board the Carnival Horizon cruise ship in November 2025.

The tragic incident happened while the ship was in international waters.

The victim's half-brother, a 16-year-old boy identified as T.H. in court documents, now faces serious charges in Anna Kepner's death.

He is accused of first-degree murder and aggravated sexual assault of his stepsister.

T.H.'s legal proceedings have been upgraded from a juvenile charge to an adult, reflecting the seriousness of the charges he faces.

Anna Kepner, then 18, was on a family vacation on the Carnival Horizon cruise ship in November 2025

Before the ship was scheduled to return to Florida, Anna Kepner's body was found hidden under a bed in the room she shared with two other teenagers, including her half-brother, T.H.

Anna Kepner's body was found wrapped in a blanket and covered with a life jacket, indicating an attempt to conceal the incident.

The Miami-Dade County Medical Examiner's Office later determined the cause of death to be mechanical asphyxia, a condition in which a person's breathing is stopped by an object or physical force.

Initially, Anna Kepner's half-brother, T.H., was charged as a juvenile in February 2026, following the discovery of the body and the initial investigation.

In April 2026, the U.S. Department of Justice announced a significant decision that T.H. would be prosecuted as an adult, following a government request, as reported by The Guardian.

U.S. District Judge Beth Bloom in Miami subsequently ordered the case transferred to an adult trial.

T.H. has now been formally charged with first-degree murder and aggravated sexual assault, very serious charges that carry a maximum sentence of life imprisonment if convicted.

U.S. Attorney General Jason A. Reding Quiñones emphasized that this indictment was issued by a federal grand jury for serious offenses that allegedly occurred in international waters.

“He committed these crimes against a victim with whom he had no apparent relational strife, and whom he was being raised to view as a sibling,” assistant US attorney Alejandra López said in a court filing.

Anna Kepner was known as a passionate cheerleader at Temple Christian School in Titusville, Florida.

Kepner was a cheerleader who was expected to graduate from high school in Florida in May and wanted to join the military, her family said.

At her memorial service, held in November 2025, family and friends were encouraged to wear bright colors.

This honored "Anna's bright and beautiful spirit," reflecting her positive and vibrant personality.

Anna Kepner's father, Christopher Kepner, has issued an official statement regarding the case.

Christopher Kepner also expressed concern that, despite the seriousness of the charges facing T.H., Anna Kepner's half-brother has not yet been arrested.