MIAMI, Fla. – Anna Kepner’s 16-year-old stepbrother has been charged with first-degree murder after the 18-year-old Florida teenager was found dead aboard Carnival’s Horizon cruise ship during a family vacation in November 2025, the U.S. Attorney’s Office announced Monday.
Anna Kepner’s stepbrother charged as an adult in her death
What we know:
Kepner’s stepbrother, identified by prosecutors as T.H., was indicted by a grand jury as an adult on felony charges of first-degree murder and aggravated sexual abuse, prosecutors with the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Southern District of Florida said in a news release.
The indictment comes five months after Kepner’s death aboard the Carnival cruise ship.
Court documents show that charges were formally filed against T.J. in February in juvenile court. The case was transferred to adult court last week, records state.
Prosecutors allege that between November 6 & 7, 2025, Kepner’s stepbrother sexually assaulted and intentionally killed his stepsister aboard the Carnival cruise ship.
If convicted on both charges, the stepbrother would face a maximum sentence of life in prison and a $250,000 fine.
Who is T.H., Anna Kepner’s stepbrother and suspect in her death?
T.H. is Anna Kepner’s stepbrother.
According to court records in an unrelated custody case between Anna Kepner’s father and his ex-wife, Shauntel, T.H. and Anna shared a room on the cruise ship with another sibling during the family vacation.
A teen suspect in Anna Kepner’s death was in federal adult court with his attorney in Miami on Feb. 6, 2026.
The parents stayed in another room across the hall, reports say.
After the Carnival cruise returned to PortMiami, the stepbrother was reportedly admitted to a medical facility, the parents stated in court records. He reportedly told his mom that he did not remember anything that happened.
“I was able to talk to him last night for under two minutes briefly. He just keeps repeating over and over he can’t remember anything,” the boy’s mom, Shauntel Hudson-Kepner, said in text messages released in the child custody case.
The son took medication for ADHD and insomnia, Hudson-Kepner said during the Dec. 5 court hearing. He had reportedly not taken the insomnia medication for two nights on the cruise, including the night before Anna’s body was found.
In February 2026, T.H. attended a hearing in federal court in Miami. He was escorted into court by his attorney. He wore a camouflage hoodie and a hat, which covered his face.
Where is T.H. now?
According to court records, T.H. was released to family members after his arraignment in juvenile court in February.
Federal prosecutors have since filed a motion seeking to revoke those release conditions and to have T.H. held in detention, pending trial, claiming he is “a danger to others.”
“The United States respectfully submits that the Release Order should be reviewed and revoked because, once this matter transferred to adult prosecution, the JDA no longer applied. In adult status, the Defendant’s detention or release should now be reviewed through the lens of the Bail Reform Act. And as more fully explained below, under the Bail Reform Act, the Defendant
is a danger to others and should be held in pretrial detention. Alternatively, the transfer to adult status is a change in circumstance that recommends a review and revocation of the Release Order.”
Who is Anna Kepner?
Nicknamed “Anna Bananna,” Kepner has been described as someone who filled the world with laughter, love, and light that reached everyone around her, according to her online obituary.
Born on June 13, 2007, she was described as being fun, outgoing, and bubbly. She was a cheerleader and loved animals – particularly dolphins and butterflies – and heavy metal music, her obituary said. She was also a fan of the Georgia Bulldogs, who she also dreamed of becoming a cheerleader for. She was a senior at Temple Christian School in Titusville – and was preparing to graduate. Kepner reportedly had dreams of joining the U.S. Navy.
Documents in the child custody case shared that Kepner’s body was found under one of the beds in the same room that she shared with T.H.
What they’re saying:
“Our hearts go out to the victim’s family during this unimaginable loss,” said U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones for the Southern District of Florida. “A federal grand jury has returned an indictment charging serious offenses that allegedly occurred aboard a vessel in international waters. We will present the evidence in court and pursue this case with professionalism and care. As in every case, the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.”
“The entire Carnival family expresses our sorrow over the sad circumstances surrounding Anna’s death. We are grateful to the FBI for their thorough investigation, and for the work of our Carnival Horizon and shoreside security teams to support the investigation. We will continue to keep Anna in our thoughts” – Carnival Cruise Line
The FBI deferred comment to the U.S. DOJ.
The Source: Information in this story was gathered from a United States Southern District of Florida press release.
