Topline: A 16-year-old Florida boy has been indicted as an adult on first-degree murder and aggravated sexual abuse charges in the death of his 18-year-old stepsister Anna Kepner aboard a Carnival cruise ship.
Published: April 13, 2026 1:40 pm ET
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Anna Kepner
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MIAMI, FL — A 16-year-old Titusville, Florida boy has been charged as an adult with first-degree murder and aggravated sexual abuse in the killing of his 18-year-old stepsister, Anna Kepner, aboard a Carnival cruise ship.
ABC News reported the teen was arrested and charged in the case after federal prosecutors moved forward with adult prosecution months after Kepner was found dead during a family vacation at sea.
Federal prosecutors in South Florida said a grand jury returned an indictment charging the boy, identified in court records only as T.H., with first-degree murder and aggravated sexual abuse. According to authorities, the alleged crimes happened aboard the Carnival Horizon while the ship was in international waters on its way to Miami.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida, T.H. allegedly sexually assaulted and intentionally killed Kepner, who was 18. The case was initially filed under seal as a juvenile matter on Feb. 2 before a judge ordered it transferred to adult court, unsealing the prosecution.
Kepner was found dead on Nov. 7, 2025, at about 11:15 a.m. inside the cabin she shared with her stepbrother, according to court records and previously reported investigative details. Authorities said her body was discovered under a bed, wrapped in a blanket and covered with life jackets. The Miami-Dade Medical Examiner later ruled her death a homicide caused by mechanical asphyxiation.
According to family and court filings cited by multiple outlets, Kepner had been traveling on the Carnival Horizon with her father Christopher Kepner, her stepmother Shauntel Hudson-Kepner, her grandparents, siblings and stepsiblings. The cruise returned to PortMiami the next day as scheduled. Court records in an unrelated custody case later showed the boy was hospitalized after the incident and was no longer living at the family’s Titusville home.
In that custody case, text messages attributed to Shauntel Hudson-Kepner said her son kept repeating that he could not remember anything about what happened. She also said he took medication for ADHD and insomnia and had not taken the insomnia medication for the two nights before Anna’s body was found, according to reporting on the court proceedings.
Christopher Kepner told NBC News the family believes the teen should now be taken into custody. In a public statement, Christopher Kepner and Shauntel Hudson-Kepner thanked the FBI and the Department of Justice for what they described as a thorough investigation and said their daughter was taken from them in a violent and senseless way.
According to her obituary and family accounts, Kepner, known as “Anna Banana,” was a senior at Temple Christian School in Titusville, a cheerleader, an A student and an animal lover who hoped to join the U.S. Navy after graduation and later become a K-9 officer. Hundreds attended her celebration of life in November.
U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones said the indictment charges serious offenses that allegedly occurred aboard a vessel in international waters. FBI Miami is continuing to investigate. If convicted, T.H. faces a maximum sentence of life in prison.
Editor’s note: T.H.’s indictment can be read here.
Presumption of Innocence: A presumption of innocence means that any defendant in a criminal trial is presumed to be innocent until they have been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The defendant in this case is only accused of the charges set forth in the criminal complaint. They are innocent until proven guilty.
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Florida Teen Charged as Adult in Anna Kepner Cruise Ship Killing
A 16-year-old Florida boy has been indicted as an adult on first-degree murder and aggravated sexual abuse charges in the death of his 18-year-old stepsister Anna Kepner aboard a Carnival cruise ship.
By Silvia Torres
Published: April 13, 2026 1:40 pm ET
Anna Kepner
Instagram
MIAMI, FL — A 16-year-old Titusville, Florida boy has been charged as an adult with first-degree murder and aggravated sexual abuse in the killing of his 18-year-old stepsister, Anna Kepner, aboard a Carnival cruise ship.
ABC News reported the teen was arrested and charged in the case after federal prosecutors moved forward with adult prosecution months after Kepner was found dead during a family vacation at sea.
Federal prosecutors in South Florida said a grand jury returned an indictment charging the boy, identified in court records only as T.H., with first-degree murder and aggravated sexual abuse. According to authorities, the alleged crimes happened aboard the Carnival Horizon while the ship was in international waters on its way to Miami.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida, T.H. allegedly sexually assaulted and intentionally killed Kepner, who was 18. The case was initially filed under seal as a juvenile matter on Feb. 2 before a judge ordered it transferred to adult court, unsealing the prosecution.
Kepner was found dead on Nov. 7, 2025, at about 11:15 a.m. inside the cabin she shared with her stepbrother, according to court records and previously reported investigative details. Authorities said her body was discovered under a bed, wrapped in a blanket and covered with life jackets. The Miami-Dade Medical Examiner later ruled her death a homicide caused by mechanical asphyxiation.
According to family and court filings cited by multiple outlets, Kepner had been traveling on the Carnival Horizon with her father Christopher Kepner, her stepmother Shauntel Hudson-Kepner, her grandparents, siblings and stepsiblings. The cruise returned to PortMiami the next day as scheduled. Court records in an unrelated custody case later showed the boy was hospitalized after the incident and was no longer living at the family’s Titusville home.
In that custody case, text messages attributed to Shauntel Hudson-Kepner said her son kept repeating that he could not remember anything about what happened. She also said he took medication for ADHD and insomnia and had not taken the insomnia medication for the two nights before Anna’s body was found, according to reporting on the court proceedings.
Christopher Kepner told NBC News the family believes the teen should now be taken into custody. In a public statement, Christopher Kepner and Shauntel Hudson-Kepner thanked the FBI and the Department of Justice for what they described as a thorough investigation and said their daughter was taken from them in a violent and senseless way.
According to her obituary and family accounts, Kepner, known as “Anna Banana,” was a senior at Temple Christian School in Titusville, a cheerleader, an A student and an animal lover who hoped to join the U.S. Navy after graduation and later become a K-9 officer. Hundreds attended her celebration of life in November.
U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones said the indictment charges serious offenses that allegedly occurred aboard a vessel in international waters. FBI Miami is continuing to investigate. If convicted, T.H. faces a maximum sentence of life in prison.
Editor’s note: T.H.’s indictment can be read here.
Presumption of Innocence: A presumption of innocence means that any defendant in a criminal trial is presumed to be innocent until they have been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The defendant in this case is only accused of the charges set forth in the criminal complaint. They are innocent until proven guilty.
Editor's Note: ThePo makes every effort to accurately transcribe the contents of affidavits of probable cause contained in criminal complaints. Often, the complaints themselves are copies of copies of faxed copies, and are difficult to read. To confirm the accuracy of our transcription, contact the Magisterial District Court listed above and request a copy of the criminal complaint. It's a public record to which you are entitled.
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Latest Articles
Florida Teen Charged as Adult in Anna Kepner Cruise Ship Killing
A 16-year-old Florida boy has been indicted as an adult on first-degree murder and aggravated sexual abuse charges in the death of his 18-year-old stepsister Anna Kepner aboard a Carnival cruise ship.
By Silvia Torres
Published: April 13, 2026 1:40 pm ET
Anna Kepner
Instagram
MIAMI, FL — A 16-year-old Titusville, Florida boy has been charged as an adult with first-degree murder and aggravated sexual abuse in the killing of his 18-year-old stepsister, Anna Kepner, aboard a Carnival cruise ship.
ABC News reported the teen was arrested and charged in the case after federal prosecutors moved forward with adult prosecution months after Kepner was found dead during a family vacation at sea.
Federal prosecutors in South Florida said a grand jury returned an indictment charging the boy, identified in court records only as T.H., with first-degree murder and aggravated sexual abuse. According to authorities, the alleged crimes happened aboard the Carnival Horizon while the ship was in international waters on its way to Miami.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida, T.H. allegedly sexually assaulted and intentionally killed Kepner, who was 18. The case was initially filed under seal as a juvenile matter on Feb. 2 before a judge ordered it transferred to adult court, unsealing the prosecution.
Kepner was found dead on Nov. 7, 2025, at about 11:15 a.m. inside the cabin she shared with her stepbrother, according to court records and previously reported investigative details. Authorities said her body was discovered under a bed, wrapped in a blanket and covered with life jackets. The Miami-Dade Medical Examiner later ruled her death a homicide caused by mechanical asphyxiation.
According to family and court filings cited by multiple outlets, Kepner had been traveling on the Carnival Horizon with her father Christopher Kepner, her stepmother Shauntel Hudson-Kepner, her grandparents, siblings and stepsiblings. The cruise returned to PortMiami the next day as scheduled. Court records in an unrelated custody case later showed the boy was hospitalized after the incident and was no longer living at the family’s Titusville home.
In that custody case, text messages attributed to Shauntel Hudson-Kepner said her son kept repeating that he could not remember anything about what happened. She also said he took medication for ADHD and insomnia and had not taken the insomnia medication for the two nights before Anna’s body was found, according to reporting on the court proceedings.
Christopher Kepner told NBC News the family believes the teen should now be taken into custody. In a public statement, Christopher Kepner and Shauntel Hudson-Kepner thanked the FBI and the Department of Justice for what they described as a thorough investigation and said their daughter was taken from them in a violent and senseless way.
According to her obituary and family accounts, Kepner, known as “Anna Banana,” was a senior at Temple Christian School in Titusville, a cheerleader, an A student and an animal lover who hoped to join the U.S. Navy after graduation and later become a K-9 officer. Hundreds attended her celebration of life in November.
U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones said the indictment charges serious offenses that allegedly occurred aboard a vessel in international waters. FBI Miami is continuing to investigate. If convicted, T.H. faces a maximum sentence of life in prison.
Editor’s note: T.H.’s indictment can be read here.
Presumption of Innocence: A presumption of innocence means that any defendant in a criminal trial is presumed to be innocent until they have been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The defendant in this case is only accused of the charges set forth in the criminal complaint. They are innocent until proven guilty.
Editor's Note: ThePo makes every effort to accurately transcribe the contents of affidavits of probable cause contained in criminal complaints. Often, the complaints themselves are copies of copies of faxed copies, and are difficult to read. To confirm the accuracy of our transcription, contact the Magisterial District Court listed above and request a copy of the criminal complaint. It's a public record to which you are entitled.
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