Jason Leon Watford, 48, has been charged with killing a woman aboard the cruise ship MSC Seascape, which returned to the port of Galveston, Texas, on Monday morning. After returning to shore, he reportedly told the FBI that during an argument he hit the woman repeatedly and then strangled her.
The incident took place Sunday while the ship was in international waters. According to a criminal complaint filed Monday, Watford, a resident of Tyler, Texas, boarded the MSC Seascape with the woman that same day. The two had an argument during a meal in one of the ship’s restaurants.
After the argument, the man returned to their shared cabin, and the woman joined him several dozen minutes later. The conflict reportedly flared up again and escalated.
Investigators said that at one point Watford lost control. He told the FBI he hit the woman repeatedly, causing her mouth to bleed, and then strangled her with both hands and a forearm. By his account, he pressed on her neck for about four to five minutes. He stopped only when he ran out of strength. He then reportedly left the woman, who was not moving, on the floor. He did not call security or medical help.
At about 9:02 p.m., a hotel services employee came to the cabin door to replace towels. Watford opened it. According to the employee, the man’s hands and pants had marks resembling blood, and his partner was lying motionless, face down on the floor.
The employee notified other crew members, who arrived at the scene moments later. Two minutes after that, surveillance cameras recorded Watford leaving the cabin in different clothes and sitting on the corridor floor with a smartphone.
At about 11 p.m., a representative of MSC Cruises contacted the FBI’s Texas City office to report a suspected homicide aboard. The ship, which was on a seven-day cruise with scheduled stops in Mexico and Honduras, was ordered to return to port.
The MSC Seascape arrived at Pier 16 in Galveston at about 5:30 a.m. Monday. Federal agents boarded the ship, detained the 48-year-old and secured evidence.
Watford faces federal criminal proceedings on a murder charge and is scheduled to appear in court in Galveston at 1 p.m. Tuesday. If convicted, he faces life in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.
Editor: JŁ
