The teen stepbrother of Anna Kepner waived a Wednesday, April 22, court appearance in Florida on federal murder and aggravated sexual assault charges in her death on a Carnival cruise ship in November.
The 16-year-old suspect’s attorneys entered a not guilty plea on his behalf at a federal courthouse in Miami on Tuesday, April 21.
Kepner, 18, of Titusville, died while on a family cruise on the Carnival Horizon. Her body was found Nov. 7 under a bed in the cabin she shared with the suspect and a 10-year-old male sibling. The ship returned to Port Miami on Nov. 8, after a trip to the Caribbean.
Her death was later ruled a homicide by mechanical asphyxiation.
Here’s what we know:
Anna Kepner’s stepbrother charged in Florida in her death on Carnival cruise ship
The suspect, who isn’t being named by FLORIDA TODAY due to his age, was charged as an adult with first-degree murder and aggravated sexual abuse. He was initially charged as a juvenile but was indicted by a federal grand jury as an adult March 10. A U.S. District judge ordered the case transferred for adult prosecution.
Because the crimes allegedly happened aboard a vessel in international waters, the charges are federal, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida Jason A. Reding Quiñones said.
If convicted, the teen faces up to life in prison.
What happened to Anna Kepner on the cruise?
Prosecutors say Anna Kepner, while on a family cruise on the Carnival Horizon, was sexually assaulted and intentionally killed by her 16-year-old stepbrother, with whom she was sharing a cabin.
Her body was found Nov. 7 under a bed in her cabin by a staff member cleaning the room.
The Miami-Dade Medical Examiner’s office ruled Kepner’s death a homicide by mechanical asphyxiation.
Is Anna Kepner’s stepbrother in jail?
The suspect remains free, though prosecutors are seeking pretrial confinement.
On April 13, federal prosecutors filed a motion asking that the original release order for the teen be revoked since adult prosecution was being sought.
“The defendant is a danger to others and should be in pretrial detention,” prosecutors said.
Where is Titusville, Florida?
Titusville is in Brevard County, Florida, located about 13 miles southeast of NASA’s Kennedy Space Center. Titusville also is 24 miles southeast of Port Canaveral, which is the home port for Disney Cruise Line, Royal Caribbean and Carnival Cruise Line.
Who was Anna Kepner?
Anna Kepner, nicknamed “Anna Banana” by her family, was a senior at Temple Christian, a private K-12 school in Titusville, Florida.
She was an A-student and cheerleader with plans to join the military after graduation in May 2026.
“She was the best child you could ever meet,” family members said. “We’ll always remember her for who she was.”
Contributing: Michelle Spitzer, USA TODAY Network
Kim Luciani is a journalist for the USA TODAY Network-Florida’s Audience team. You can get all of Florida’s best content directly in your inbox each weekday by signing up for the free newsletter, Florida TODAY, at https://floridatoday.com/newsletters.
This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Anna Kepner’s stepbrother pleads not guilty to murder charges in Florida
Reporting by Kim Luciani and J.D. Gallop, USA TODAY NETWORK – Florida / Florida Today
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
