Anna Kepner's stepbrother will not be jailed ahead of murder trial

The 16-year-old accused of sexually abusing and killing his stepsister, Anna Kepner, on a family cruise will remain free pending his upcoming trial in September, a federal judge has ruled.

U.S. Magistrate Judge Edwin Torres ruled on May 27 that the teen suspect will not be jailed ahead of his trial in September, Florida Today, part of the USA TODAY Network, reported.

During a hearing, Torres reviewed federal prosecutors' motions over whether the suspect should be placed in pretrial detention since the case is now being handled in adult court in Florida.

If the judge had ruled for the teen to be placed in custody, he could have been ordered held in a contracted, state-run juvenile facility since there are no federal holding facilities for juveniles in Florida. The murder trial itself was initially slated to begin June 1 but was continued until September.

Prosecutors said Anna Kepner was found dead Nov. 7, 2025, in the cruise ship cabin she shared with the 16-year-old and a 10-year-old male sibling. Her biological father and stepmother were staying in another cabin across the hall on the ship.

The teen, whose name is not being released by USA TODAY because of his age, has been free and in his uncle's custody since pleading not guilty last month to charges of first-degree murder and aggravated sexual abuse.

Newly unsealed filings provide more details about Anna Kepner's death

Also on May 27, Torres ruled to unseal a transcript from a February hearing that provides new details in the timeline of Kepner's death.

According to the transcript, which was obtained by USA TODAY, the medical examiner found that Kepner had bleeding under the skin around the side and back of her neck, which is indicative of strangulation. Her cause of death was ruled mechanical asphyxiation.

The medical examiner also found significant bruising on her left ear, suggesting that Kepner had been held in a chokehold "with enough force that such bruising and blood were in the ear area," Assistant U.S. Attorney Alejandra L. López said during the hearing.

Kepner's body was found fully clothed under a bed. DNA found inside Kepner's body came back as a strong match for her stepbrother, according to the transcript, identified in the filing simply as T.

Timeline of Anna Kepner's death

According to the hearing transcript, here is the timeline of Kepner's death per investigators and surveillance footage:

• On Nov. 6, 2025, Kepner's family met for dinner on the ship after spending the day in Cozumel, Mexico.
• She told her family that she did not feel well and complained of pain in her mouth from her braces as well as an upset stomach.
• Kepner is seen on the ship's surveillance footage returning to her room alone at about 7:38 p.m. local time. T had entered the room about three minutes before.
• Kepner's 10-year-old brother, the third person staying in the room identified in filings as C, last saw her when he returned to the room briefly at 7:51 p.m.
• A fitness watch that Kepner was wearing stopped working at some point between 7:50-10 p.m., FBI agent Andrew Delvalle testified.
• At 10:13 p.m., T opens the cabin door, looks left and right down the hallway and then walks out. Over the next half-hour, he is seen entering and exiting the cabin two more times. At 10:53 p.m., he exits the cabin and puts the privacy sign on the door before returning after 11 p.m.
• C returns to the cabin for two minutes at about 11:20 p.m. but does not see Kepner inside before leaving. T also then leaves the room and returns around 11:44 p.m.
• At 12:09 a.m., C returns to the room to go to sleep. When he opens the door, T puts his arm out to block C from entering. T tells C that he is changing and makes him wait outside for a few minutes before letting him in.
• In the morning, T leaves the cabin several times starting at 9 a.m. Just before 10 a.m., he leaves the room holding something in his left hand, walks upstairs to the rear of the ship, and is seen reaching in an area near the trash bin where Kepner's cell phone is later found.
• A cruise employee and supervisor enter the room at 11:24 a.m. and find Kepner's body.
• At 11:27 a.m., T walks by the cabin, and despite several people inside with the door open, does not look inside the room, instead walking away.

Melina Khan is a national trending reporter for USA TODAY. Keep up with her on X @melinakh and Instagram @bymelinakhan.

J.D. Gallop is a criminal justice/breaking news reporter at FLORIDA TODAY. Contact Gallop at 321-917-4641 or [email protected]. X, formerly known as Twitter: @JDGallop.