Tonight, the death of 18-year-old high school cheerleader Anna Kempner has officially been ruled a homicide, cause of death, mechanical asphyxia, in other words, a chokehold.

Her body found crammed under her own cruise ship bed, and now new details are emerging, disturbing family

history, a hospitalized stepbrother after this cruise, explosive court filings, grandparents

speaking out, and a blended family that appears to be in a complete free fall and collapse.

What happened on board the Carnival Horizon and who failed this young woman?

Welcome to the global phenomenon, surviving the survivor, where we bring you the best guests in all of true crime.

Here's your host, Emmy Award winning journalist Joel Waltman.

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Welcome to Surviving the Survivor.

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On a serious note, authorities now say that this is a homicide, the death of Anna Kepner,

and that she died from mechanical asphyxia inflicted by another person.

This means that she was killed likely via some sort of chokehold and the case now officially being investigated

by the FBI since this happened out in open waters aboard this cruise ship.

In the last 72 hours, a lot that we are learning about, including this 16-year-old stepbrother, who is now a

suspect court filings detailing a violent chaotic home and this same teen who was hospitalized

immediately after the cruise, claims that he, at just 16 years old, was drinking on board, which is not all that

uncommon aboard cruise ships. Allegations that he was actually obsessed with his 18 year old

step sister Anna. And once, according to a boyfriend, even climbed on top of her while she

slept. The grandparents now speaking out publicly

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