Cruise ship victim Anna Kepner’s teen stepbrother charged as an adult with murder, aggravated sexual assault

MIAMI (TCN) -- The 16-year-old stepbrother of Anna Kepner has been indicted as an adult on murder and aggravated sexual abuse charges, authorities say. Kepner was found dead on a cruise ship in November 2025.

The U.S. Department of Justice announced the teen, referred to as T.H., was charged as a juvenile on Feb. 2. The case was sealed until it was transferred for adult prosecution by a judge. The DOJ announced his indictment by a federal grand jury on April 13.

While traveling with her family through international waters on a cruise ship bound for Miami, 18-year-old Anna Kepner was allegedly sexually assaulted and intentionally killed by T.H. KSLA reports Kepner had been sharing a stateroom on the ship with T.H. and another teen. ClickOrlando reports that on the night Kepner was killed, surveillance footage did not show anyone else enter or exit the stateroom. 

The medical examiner determined Kepner’s cause of death was mechanical strangulation, according to the DOJ. If T.H. is convicted, he could spend the rest of his life behind bars.

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