Daijiworld Media Network - Texas
Texas, Nov 11: A 48-year-old man has been charged with murder after his wife was found dead inside their cabin aboard a cruise ship off Texas, according to a criminal complaint.
Jason Leon Watford was charged in connection with the death of his wife, Susan Watford, aboard the MSC Seascape. An FBI spokesperson confirmed the victim's identity.
According to the complaint, Watford told investigators that he and his wife had argued while having dinner at a restaurant on the ship. The argument continued after they returned to their cabin, where he allegedly lost his temper and repeatedly hit her.
He further admitted to choking his wife and applying pressure to her neck for around four to five minutes, releasing his hold only after becoming exhausted, the complaint stated.
Susan Watford was believed to have been killed on Sunday night. She was found lying face down on the cabin floor with multiple facial injuries.
Security camera footage showed Jason Watford returning to the cabin at 7.46 pm, followed by his wife at 8.11 pm. No other person was seen entering the room, according to the complaint.
At around 9.02 pm, a housekeeper knocked on the cabin door to deliver towels. Watford opened the door and briefly spoke to the staff member. The housekeeper later reported seeing blood on his hands and trousers and a woman lying motionless on the floor.
Ship employees subsequently responded to the cabin, and Watford was detained by the vessel's security team. FBI agents later found bloodstained clothing inside the room.
A child from the family was also involved in the incident but was found unharmed by investigators. The Texas Department of Family and Protective Services confirmed that the child was safe and had been placed in foster care.
Watford was held at the Galveston County Jail on a federal hold. He appeared in court for an initial hearing on Tuesday and is scheduled to return next week for a probable cause hearing. It was not immediately clear whether he had retained a lawyer.
The Galveston medical examiner's office scheduled an autopsy to determine the cause of death.
Jail records also show that Watford was arrested in 2024 on a charge of assault causing bodily injury to a family member. He was sentenced to 15 months of probation and 30 hours of community service.
The 1,060-foot MSC Seascape had departed Galveston on Sunday for a scheduled voyage to Costa Maya, the Roatan Islands and Cozumel. However, the vessel was instructed to return to Texas following what the cruise company described as a "guest incident" aboard the ship.
The ship was originally scheduled to return to Texas on November 15.