Anna Kepner’s Stepbrother
Ducks Court, Enters Not Guilty Plea in Cruise Murder Case
Published
Anna Kepner’s accused killer isn’t showing up in court — but he is showing his legal strategy … pleading not guilty while staying out of sight.
The 16-year-old stepbrother — identified in court docs only as T.H. — waived his personal appearance at the arraignment Tuesday and entered a not guilty plea. He was originally expected to be in a Miami courtroom Wednesday morning.
The teen, who is now being prosecuted as an adult, is facing first-degree murder and aggravated sexual abuse charges tied to the death of his 18-year-old stepsister aboard a Carnival Cruise Line ship back in November 2025.
Prosecutors allege T.H. sexually assaulted and intentionally killed Anna while they were both passengers on the ship … with authorities later finding her body wrapped and hidden under a bed in the cabin they shared.
The case has taken a turn recently … T.H. was initially charged as a minor back in February, but a judge ruled he’ll now be tried as an adult … dramatically raising the stakes. If convicted, he could face life behind bars.
Prosecutors are now pushing for his bond to be revoked, calling him a “danger” to society.
T.H. has been out on pretrial release … living at his uncle’s home under strict conditions, including GPS monitoring, constant adult supervision, and a ban on being alone with minors.
Meanwhile, authorities say they’ve turned over key evidence in the case … including the full medical examiner’s report, body cam footage, and cellphone data extraction tied to the investigation.