Overview
- Federal prosecutors asked a judge to revoke the teen’s supervised release and jail him before trial, noting he remains on electronic monitoring at a relative’s home.
- A federal grand jury in the Southern District of Florida charged him with first-degree murder and aggravated sexual abuse, and U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones said his office will present the case with diligence.
- U.S. District Judge Beth Bloom approved moving the case from the juvenile system to adult federal court, which lifted prior confidentiality and exposes the teen to a potential life sentence if convicted.
- Investigators say the killing occurred in November 2025 aboard the Carnival Horizon in international waters, where crew later found 18-year-old Anna Kepner hidden under a bed and a medical examiner ruled mechanical asphyxia.
- Because the ship was outside state territory, federal maritime law gives the Justice Department jurisdiction, and the court’s next decision on detention will shape daily life for the accused as the case advances toward trial.