Anna Kepner
X via @PAULANEALMOONEY

A Caribbean family holiday aboard the Carnival Horizon was meant to be an idyllic escape, but it descended into a horror movie scenario for 18-year-old cheerleader Anna Kepner.

Locked inside a cruise ship stateroom, terrifying sounds of a struggle echoed through the door, sounds that would become the haunting prelude to a tragedy.

According to chilling new reports emerging from her devastated ex-boyfriend, the chaos unfolded while the teenager was trapped alone with her stepbrother, who has since been named as a 'suspect' in her brutal killing.

Joshua Westin, who described the late teen as his 'first love', spoke to Inside Edition outside her funeral in Orlando, Florida, on Thursday night. He relayed harrowing details passed on by Anna's 14-year-old brother, who was also on the voyage with the blended family.

According to Westin, the younger sibling became aware of a violent disturbance coming from the cabin the night before Anna was found dead.

Chilling Details Emerge Regarding The Final Moments Of Anna Kepner

The sequence of events described by Westin paints a terrifying picture of Anna's final hours. Her younger brother reportedly heard unmistakable sounds of violence, including 'yelling' and 'chairs being thrown' from inside the stateroom where Anna was locked in with her 16-year-old stepbrother.

'He heard [the stepbrother] yelling at her in a harmful way of like "shut the hell up" and stuff like that and that's when [the brother] knew there was something going on', Westin explained.

The tragedy was compounded by a history of fear that Anna reportedly harboured. Westin told the outlet that Anna 'didn't feel safe around' her stepbrother. He claimed that she had been subjected to sexual harassment by the stepsibling in the past but had maintained a terrified silence regarding the abuse.

'She was scared to tell anybody because she was scared that he would do something to her', said Westin.

The grim discovery was made on 8 November when a maid entered the room. Anna's lifeless body had been stashed under her cabin bed, wrapped in a blanket and concealed beneath a pile of life vests.

A source close to the investigation told ABC News that Anna was allegedly strangled to death in a 'bar hold' and died from asphyxiation from the vicious move — an arm across her neck.

The insider noted she had two bruises on the side of her throat but confirmed there were no apparent signs of sexual assault, nor were there drugs or alcohol in her system.

Stepbrother 'Suspect' Allegedly Had Disturbing Fixation On Anna Kepner

While federal investigators have remained tight-lipped regarding official charges, court papers filed by Anna's stepmother, Shauntel Hudson, indicate the FBI is allegedly zeroing in on the 16-year-old stepbrother as a possible suspect.

The family dynamic appears to have been deeply troubling; Joshua's father told Inside Edition that the suspect had a disturbing fixation on the victim.

He alleged that the stepbrother hounded Anna for a relationship and was once even caught climbing on top of her while she slept. 'She was scared of him because he always carried around a big knife', Joshua's father said, adding, 'He's like infatuated, attracted to her like crazy. He always wanted to date her.'

Despite attempts by Anna's ex to warn her parents, the concerns were reportedly dismissed.

The devout Christian, who was baptised in May, was set to graduate in the spring from Temple Christian School in Titusville, Florida, with plans to join the US Navy and become a K9 police officer.

An obituary described Anna as a girl who 'loved the sun, the water, boat days, island days, and beach days, anything that let her soak in the light she so easily radiated to others.'

Even her funeral on Thursday was marked by tension. Reports indicate family drama took centre stage, with her mother reportedly barred from attending due to long-standing family tensions, though she reportedly sported a wig and snuck in anyway.

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