Madilyn Destefano
•6/16/2026

A judge has ordered the teen accused of killing his stepsister, Anna Kepner, aboard a cruise ship last year, to stay in jail until his trial.The now 17-year-old, identified in court records as T.H., is accused of raping and killing Kepner.A new document obtained by WESH 2 states that T.H.'s current guardian "shall deliver the defendant to the custody of the U.S. Marshal."The document said he needed to be there by Monday, June 15, at 9 a.m.The Citrus County jail confirmed the teen is in their custody.T.H. was originally allowed by a judge to stay out of jail with family in Hernando County ahead of the trial. In this case, a judge ruled the teen was no longer protected by the Juvenile Reform Act because the murder and aggravated sex abuse charges are of the gravest. The ruling read that "the government has established, by clear and convincing evidence, that no condition or combination of conditions of release will reasonably assure the safety of the community going forward."The teen was indicted on charges of murder and aggravated sexual abuse in the November death of Anna Kepner. He pleaded not guilty. T.H. is expected to be moved to South Florida sometime before July 10, specifically a detention facility in West Miami-Dade.DOWNLOAD the free Gulf Coast News app for your latest news and alerts on breaking news, weather, sports, entertainment, and more on your phone or tablet. And check out the Very Local Gulf Coast app to stream news, entertainment and original programming on your TV.