US3 min(s) read
Published 09:38 04 May 2026 GMT
Two family members of a teenage cheerleader who was killed on a cruise vacation have revealed why they will not be attending the trial.
Anna Kepner, 18, was found dead by a cleaner on board Carnival Cruise Line’s Horizon in November last year.
The teen’s stepbrother, 16, officially identified only as T.H., has since been charged with murder and aggravated sexual abuse.
Just weeks before his trial set to begin in June, Anna’s father, Christopher Kepner, and the suspect's mother, Shauntel Kepner, have stated that they will not attend the court case unless they are legally required to.
The victim’s father told the Daily Mail: “Unless they ask for me to be there, neither my wife or I will be attending.
“I've heard all the evidence. I saw it for myself. They have everything they need. It's going to be too painful to relive it all again.”
Kepner continued by recalling the moment he found his daughter, saying, “I checked her pulse. I pulled her out from under the bed.
“I knew my daughter was dead long before the medical examiner got there.”
He added, “I don't want to be back in that room."
The grieving father explained that they plan to commemorate Anna’s life by celebrating what would have been her 19th birthday, June 13.
Kepner said, “We are celebrating Anna by keeping it all about her and doing the things she liked.
“We want to remember Anna how she lived – and not how she died.”
Tragically, Anna’s cause of death has been listed as mechanical asphyxiation, according to a report from the medical examiner.
A statement released by the US Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Florida has stated that T.H. will be tried as an adult.
The press release said: "T.H., 16, of Titusville, was traveling aboard Carnival Cruise Line’s Horizon with Anna Kepner and other family members on or about Nov. 6-7, 2025. During that time, while the ship was in international waters en route to Miami, T.H. allegedly sexually assaulted and intentionally killed Kepner."
T.H., who was on vacation with Anna and their family, sharing a room with the murdered teen, has pleaded not guilty to the charges.
