A 16-year-old boy has reportedly been charged with abusing and then murdering his stepsister during a family vacation on a carnival cruise ship in November.
The US Department of Justice alleged that the boy assaulted his stepsibling and then intentionally killed her while the Carnival Horizon was inside international waters.
The stepbrother, who has pleaded not guilty, was initially charged as a juvenile but has since then been indicted as an adult on first-degree murder and aggravated sexual abuse charges, as per the prosecutors.
Kepner was a cheerleader who was expected to graduate from secondary school in Florida in May and wished to join the military, her family revealed.
Her remains were found under the bed, wrapped in a blanket and covered by life vests, as per ABC News.
The Miami-Dade medical examiner's office determined more about how she ended up dying of mechanical asphyxia. She and her stepsibling were traveling with several members of their family, including the dad and stepmom.