Teen charged with murder and sexual abuse of stepsister on Carnival cruise ship

A 16-year-old has been indicted as an adult for the murder and sexual assault of his 18-year-old stepsister aboard a Carnival cruise ship in November. The teen has pleaded not guilty.

Teen indicted as adult in stepsister's death aboard Carnival Horizon

A 16-year-old boy has been indicted as an adult on charges of first-degree murder and aggravated sexual abuse following the death of his 18-year-old stepsister on a Carnival cruise ship, bbc.com reports.

The US Department of Justice alleges the boy "sexually assaulted and intentionally killed" Anna Kepner while the Carnival Horizon was in international waters last November. He has pleaded not guilty.

The teen was initially charged as a juvenile, but prosecutors subsequently secured an adult indictment. If convicted, he could face life in prison, the justice department said.

Kepner's body was discovered under a bed, wrapped in a blanket and covered by life vests, according to ABC News. The Miami-Dade medical examiner's office determined she had died of "mechanical asphyxia."

Kepner was a cheerleader who had been expected to graduate from secondary school in Florida in May and had expressed a wish to join the military, her family said.

She and her stepbrother were travelling with multiple family members, including her father, stepmother, and grandparents. Her grandmother, Barbara Kepner, told ABC News late last year: "We were all having a great time. I couldn't fathom why anyone would wanna hurt my baby."

Her grandfather, Jeffrey Kepner, described the family as close-knit. "It's all family. It's a blended family, yes, but that's not how our family is," he said. "Our dynamic is we're all just family."

The teenager entered his not-guilty plea in February, when prosecutors first brought charges against him as a juvenile. The BBC is not naming him because of his age.

He is currently not in custody, on the condition that he remain with his uncle in Florida and submit to location monitoring. He is also prohibited from being in the presence of a child without adult supervision, according to court records.

US Attorney Jason Reding Quiñones said in a statement: "We will present the evidence in court and pursue this case with professionalism and care."

The victim's father, Christopher Kepner, told the AP this week that he had placed his "trust in the justice system to pursue the truth with care and integrity." He added that the family was "deeply troubled that, despite the seriousness of the charges, he has not been taken into custody."

Defence lawyers for the teen listed in public records did not immediately respond to a request for comment from the BBC.

Source: Google News TC — Crime