A 16-year-old boy has been charged with homicide and aggravated sexual abuse in the death of his stepsister during a family cruise vacation, the Department of Justice introduced Monday.
Anna Kepner, 18, died on the Carnival Cruise ship Horizon in November whereas the ship was in worldwide waters and heading to Miami, prosecutors stated.
The DOJ alleged the stepbrother “sexually assaulted and intentionally killed” Kepner. The Florida highschool senior died from mechanical asphyxiation, officers stated.
Gary Hershorn/Getty Images – PHOTO: The Carnival Horizon cruise ship sits docked in the Caribbean Sea on the Aruba Cruise Terminal, November 11, 2025, in Oranjestad, Aruba.
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The boy was initially charged as a juvenile, prosecutors stated. He’s now been indicted as an grownup by a federal grand jury on expenses of first-degree homicide and aggravated sexual abuse.
Kepner’s household stated in a press release final yr that the 18-year-old “loved being around people” and “drew you in with her smile and the way she carried herself.”
She was set to graduate from highschool this May and was in becoming a member of the army, her household stated.
