The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida has announced that the stepbrother of a Florida teenager who died on a Carnival cruise ship will face charges as an adult.

Court documents reveal that the 16-year-old stepbrother, referred to as T.H., is accused of sexually assaulting and intentionally killing 16-year-old Anna Kepner aboard the Carnival Cruise Line’s Horizon vessel.

T.H. was initially charged as a juvenile on February 2. He is now facing charges of first-degree murder and aggravated sexual abuse. If found guilty, he could be sentenced to life in prison.

The teen involved in the investigation of Anna Kepner’s death made an appearance in an adult federal court in Miami on February 6, 2026, alongside his legal representative.

Anna Kepner was found dead around 11:15 a.m. on November 7 in her cabin on the cruise ship. Authorities have ruled her death a homicide, citing “mechanical asphyxiation” as the cause, according to documents reviewed by Fox News Digital.

Investigators reported that Kepner’s body was discovered under the bed in her cabin, wrapped in a blanket and covered with life jackets. She had been sharing the cabin with her stepbrother.

Anna Kepner, 18, was found dead aboard a Carnival cruise ship on Nov. 7, during a vacation with her family. (Anna Kepner/Instagram)

“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.”

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