The 16-year-old stepbrother of Florida teenager Anna Kepner has been officially been charged as an adult in her killing after she was found dead aboard a cruise ship in 2025, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.
According to court records, the Titusville teenager was traveling on Carnival Cruise Line’s Horizon with Kepner and other family members in November 2025 when the incident occurred, according to the DOJ.
Investigators said that while the ship was in international waters en route to Miami, the teenage stepbrother allegedly sexually assaulted and intentionally killed Kepner, according to the DOJ.
The Miami-Dade Medical Examiner’s Office later determined the cause of death to be mechanical asphyxiation.
“Our hearts go out to the victim’s family during this unimaginable loss,” U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones for the Southern District of Florida said in a news release. “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.”
Quiñones went on to say that Kepner’s stepbrother is presumed innocent unless or until he’s proven guilty.
The teenager was initially charged as a juvenile in February, and the case remained sealed until U.S. District Judge Beth Bloom ordered it transferred for adult prosecution.
According to the DOJ, Kepner’s stepbrother was charged with first degree murder and aggravated sexual abuse.
If he’s convicted in her killing, he faces a maximum penalty of life in prison.
FBI Miami is investigating the case, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Alenjandra L. López is prosecuting the case.
