Stepbrother charged for killing and sexually assaulting cheerleader sister on family cruise

A teenager has been charged with murder and aggravated sexual abuse over the killing of his stepsister, found hidden under a bed on a family cruise.

Anna Kepner, 18, had been travelling on the Carnival Horizon ship in November with her family.

Before the ship was scheduled to return to Florida, her body was found stuffed under a bed in a room she was sharing with two other teens, including the younger stepbrother.

Timothy Hudson, 16, was initially charged as a juvenile but the case was sealed until US District Judge Beth Bloom said that he would be prosecuted as an adult.

Chris Kepner, Anna Kepner’s father and Hudson’s stepfather, told NBC News that ‘justice needs to be served.’

‘That is where the family stands,’ he continued, noting that Hudson should be in custody.

He previously said that the loss of his daughter is ‘a pain that will never fully heal’ and that his family believes in ‘accountability and in the importance of justice being carried out.’

‘Our daughter’s life matters, and we will continue to speak out to honour her, to seek accountability, and to ensure that her case is not forgotten,’ Mr Kepner said, adding that he was advised ‘to remain quiet’ about the case.

The cause of Kepner’s November 6 death was determined to be mechanical asphyxia, which is when an object or physical force stops someone from breathing.

Kepner was a high school cheerleader at Temple Christian School in Titusville, Florida, some 40 miles east of Orlando.

Hudson was seen at the Miami courthouse in February, wearing a ball cap and a hoodie pulled tightly around his face.

But his status at that time was not fully known because his age barred public disclosures by his lawyers, the government or the court.

Hudson was ordered to wear an electronic tether while living with an uncle.

The order was later changed to allow him to temporarily work with his father at a landscaping business, court records show.

Experts believe the case is in federal court, and not a state court where teens are commonly prosecuted, because Kepner died in international waters.

In an obituary, Anna was remembered as a ‘bubbly high’ school senior who dreamed of continuing cheerleading at the University of Georgia.

Tributes said Ms Kepner was an outgoing and reliable teenager who ‘loved her siblings deeply.’

At her memorial service in November, family members encouraged people to wear bright colours instead of the traditional black ‘in honour of Anna’s bright and beautiful soul.’