Anna Kepner’s 16-year-old stepbrother charged as adult in cruise ship death – National
According to court records, T.H., 16, of Titusville, was travelling aboard Carnival Cruise Line’s Horizon with Kepner and other family members on or about Nov. 6-7, 2025, the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Southern District of Florida said in a press release.
“During that time, while the ship was in international waters en route to Miami, T.H. allegedly sexually assaulted and intentionally killed Kepner. The Miami-Dade Medical Examiner’s Office later determined the cause of death to be mechanical asphyxiation.”
Mechanical asphyxia is when an object or physical force stops someone from breathing.
“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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Kepner’s stepbrother was initially charged as a juvenile on Feb. 2. The case remained sealed until U.S. District Judge Beth Bloom ordered it transferred for adult prosecution.
T.H. is charged with first-degree murder and aggravated sexual abuse. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of life in prison, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
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When Kepner’s stepbrother was first charged with homicide in connection with her death, court documents related to a separate family matter cited a social media post from the Kepner family.
In an emergency petition filed on Feb. 20 in Brevard County, Fla., lawyers for the stepbrother’s father, Thomas Hudson, wrote: “According to social media from the Kepner family, on February 3, 2026, the Petitioner/Father’s son, TH, was charged by the United States Attorney in the Southern District of Florida for the [redacted] and homicide of Anna Kepner.”
Hudson was petitioning for custody of his nine-year-old daughter, who primarily resides with his ex-wife, Shauntel Hudson, and her husband, Chris Kepner.
“There has been a significant and unanticipated change in circumstances that requires the immediate transfer of sole time sharing and parental responsibility,” the petition read, according to People.
The petition said Kepner’s stepbrother was charged with homicide on Feb. 3 by the U.S. attorney in the Southern District of Florida.
“It is not in the best interests of the Petitioner/Father’s nine year-old minor child to be living with her stepfather where her brother has been accused of [redacted] and murdering the daughter of her stepfather, all while the Petitioner/Father is supporting his son, T.H., in his criminal defense of those allegations as outlined above,” Hudson’s petition stated.
In the emergency filing, Hudson’s lawyer stated that new information “has been obtained that will potentially call into question the judgment and parenting” by Shauntel and Chris.
Kepner’s death has drawn international attention and sparked intense speculation on social media.
Kepner, a recent high school graduate, was travelling with her family on the Carnival Horizon cruise from Miami to the Caribbean when she died.
Carnival Cruise Line previously confirmed her death in a statement to Global News, saying, “Our focus is on supporting the family of our guest and cooperating with the FBI.”
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“Since this is an ongoing matter under the jurisdiction of law enforcement, it is up to the FBI’s Miami public affairs office to provide further details. Our focus is on supporting the family of our guest,” it continued.
Kepner’s stepbrother was first identified as a suspect in her death in November 2025, according to court documents filed by his divorced parents over custody of their youngest child in Brevard County, along Florida’s Space Coast.
Shauntel was advised by the FBI and her lawyers that “a criminal case may be initiated against one of the minor children of this instant action,” the legal document stated.
She asked that the proceedings be postponed until the “criminal investigation has concluded.”
In the emergency motion for temporary relief, viewed by Global News, one of the stated grounds is that a “sixteen year old child is now a suspect in the death of the step child during the cruise.”
Kepner’s stepbrother appeared in a federal court in Miami before a federal magistrate in a locked courtroom with his public defenders, prosecutors and U.S. Marshals on Feb. 6, NBC 6 South Florida reports.
The teen walked to another courthouse and entered a probation office where defendants are processed for pretrial release, according to the outlet.
Following the proceedings, Shauntel and Chris Kepner released a statement to People, confirming the stepbrother has been granted release.
“At this time, it is deeply painful and disturbing to our family that the person responsible is able to walk freely. This reality adds to our grief and outrage,” read the statement. “It is devastating to know that while we live every day with the loss of our child, the individual responsible has not yet been fully held accountable.”
— With files from The Associated Press
© 2026 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
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