MIAMI, FLORIDA — A federal court in Miami unsealed an indictment on Friday, April 10, 2026, charging the 16-year-old stepbrother of Anna Kepner with murder and aggravated sexual abuse in connection with her death. The court ordered that the teenager, identified in court documents as T.H., be tried as an adult.

According to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Florida, T.H. allegedly sexually assaulted and intentionally killed Anna Kepner while the family's cruise ship was in international waters en route to Miami. Kepner was found dead on November 7 while vacationing with her family on the Carnival Horizon cruise ship. The Miami-Dade Medical Examiner's Office determined that her cause of death was mechanical asphyxiation.

Court documents show a motion in the case was initially filed under seal on February 2. The case was transferred to adult prosecution and unsealed on April 10. Court filings from November had revealed that the stepbrother was under investigation as a suspect in Kepner's death.

T.H. has been released into the custody of a guardian, not his parents. His mother, Shauntel Hudson Kepner, said during a court appearance that her son was hospitalized shortly after the cruise ship's November 8 return to Miami. The Carnival Horizon returned to the Port of Miami on that date as planned, according to a statement by Carnival.

U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida Jason A. Reding Quiñones said in a statement, "Our hearts go out to the victim's family during this unimaginable loss."

Chris Kepner, Anna Kepner's father, said he is grateful to the FBI, which is leading the investigation. The family had been advised by the FBI to remain quiet about the case. "Justice needs to be served. That is where the family stands," he said. "Our daughter's life matters, and we will continue to speak out to honor her, to seek accountability, and to ensure that her case is not forgotten."

Anna Kepner was a high school senior who, according to an obituary, had planned to continue cheerleading at the University of Georgia. The charges against T.H. have not been proven in court.