Trial set for 16-year-old boy accused of murdering stepsister on Miami cruise
A judge scheduled a June trial for a 16-year-old boy charged as an adult with raping and murdering his 18-year-old stepsister onboard a cruise ship in November.
A grand jury indicted the teen, identified in court records by his initials, T.H., on April 10 on charges of first-degree murder and aggravated sexual battery. He’s accused of strangling Anna Kepner while the two of them shared a room on the Carnival Horizon. Cleaning staff found Kepner’s body underneath a bed on Nov. 7, the day before the ship returned to PortMiami.
READ MORE: Teen charged with killing stepsister on cruise out of Miami pleads not guilty
The teen faces life in prison on each charge if he’s convicted. He entered not-guilty pleas through his attorney on April 21.
The trial is scheduled to begin June 1.
Before taking the case to a grand jury, prosecutors charged T.H. as a minor on Feb. 2, and a judge ordered him released, with conditions, in the custody of a relative.
Following the indictment, prosecutors argued unsuccessfully that he should be jailed until trial, saying he is a danger to the public, according to court records. His attorneys counter the teen is not a flight risk and has complied with the judge’s conditions, which have not been made public.
READ MORE: Family of girl killed on Miami-based cruise says stepbrother charged: court doc
Kepner was on the cruise with her father, stepmother and two step-siblings, including T.H. Her father, Christopher Kepner, released a statement to Miami Herald news partner CBS News Miami regarding the trial saying his family was placing “trust in the justice system to pursue the truth with care and integrity.”
“The situation is deeply painful and complex for the entire family,” Kepner said.
READ MORE: Stepbrother of teen killed on Carnival cruise charged as adult with her murder
The teen, from Titusville, was identified as the focus of the FBI’s investigation into Anna Kepner’s murder from the beginning through Brevard County court documents in an ongoing custody case involving his father and Anna’s mother, Shauntel Kepner, following their divorce in 2023.
The FBI investigated the case because Anna was killed in international waters.
Thomas Hudson, the teen’s father, has been trying to obtain custody of his 9-year-old daughter, who lives with the Kepners, according to the Brevard County documents, some of which stated the 16-year-old was the target of the investigation.
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