A 16-year-old boy has been charged with sexually assaulting and murdering his 18-year-old stepsister whose body was found hidden on a Carnival Cruise ship, authorities said Monday.
According to the U.S. Justice Department, the teen, identified by the government as T.H., was initially charged as a juvenile on February 2, but the case was sealed until U.S. District Judge Beth Bloom ordered that he would be prosecuted as an adult, the department said.
The body of Anna Kepner was found in November under a bed in a room she was sharing with two other teens, including the younger stepbrother.
The cause of death was determined to be mechanical asphyxia, which is when an object or physical force stops someone from breathing.
