Crime and Federal Courts

A federal grand jury has indicted a 16‑year‑old stepbrother identified only by the initials “T.H.” and described in court records as a Titusville, Florida, resident on charges of first‑degree murder and aggravated sexual abuse in the November 2025 death of his stepsister, Anna Kepner. DOJ and Miami‑Dade investigators say the killing occurred aboard Carnival Cruise Line’s Horizon while the ship was in international waters en route to Miami; the medical examiner concluded Kepner died of mechanical asphyxiation and alleges she was sexually assaulted and intentionally killed. The case was initially filed under federal juvenile procedures in February, but U.S. District Judge Beth Bloom ordered the transfer for adult prosecution, and prosecutors moved forward with an adult indictment.