The father of an 18-year-old who died aboard a cruise ship has shared why he does not plan to be in court when the case begins.
Anna Kepner died while traveling with her family on a cruise in November 2025, after she was found unresponsive on the ship.
The trip was taking place on Carnival Cruise Line’s Horizon, and the discovery was made while the vessel was in international waters.
Anna’s 16-year-old stepbrother, referenced in court paperwork only as T.H., has since been charged with murder and aggravated sexual abuse in relation to her death.
Proceedings for T.H. are scheduled to start in June. However, Anna’s father, Christopher Kepner, and T.H.’s mother, Shauntel Kepner, have said they will not attend unless the court requires their presence.
Speaking in an interview published May 1 by the Daily Mail, Kepner said: “Unless they ask for me to be there, neither my wife or I will be attending.”
The 41-year-old, from Titusvilla, Florida, added: “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 also described the moment he says he found Anna in the ship’s cabin.
“I checked her pulse. I pulled her out from under the bed,” he said.
“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.”
Instead of returning to court, Kepner said the family is focusing on honoring Anna’s life, including marking what would have been her 19th birthday on June 13.
“We are celebrating Anna by keeping it all about her and doing the things she liked,” he said.
“We want to remember Anna how she lived – and not how she died.”
In a statement shared online, the US Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida said T.H. will face trial 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.”
According to the medical examiner’s report, Anna’s cause of death was listed as mechanical asphyxiation.
T.H., who was also traveling on the ship and shared a room with Anna, has entered a not-guilty plea to the charges.