Jason Leon Watford, 48, has been charged with murder after allegedly confessing to choking a woman to death aboard a Caribbean cruise ship and then calmly scrolling on his phone while her body lay nearby.
Watford and the still-unidentified woman boarded the MSC Seascape together in Galveston, Texas, on Sunday ahead of the vessel’s scheduled 4 p.m. Departure for a week-long Caribbean itinerary. The East Texas man told FBI investigators their fatal confrontation began with an argument over dinner in one of the ship’s restaurants, according to court documents obtained by multiple outlets. The documents did not specify the nature of their relationship.
Their dispute escalated after they returned to their shared cabin, the filings state. Watford admitted to investigators that the argument caused him to “snap” and turn violent, striking the woman repeatedly before choking her with both hands and then from behind using his right arm. He maintained his grip for four to five minutes, releasing her only “after becoming exhausted,” the documents charge.
The alleged killing occurred roughly five hours into the voyage. Around 9 p.m., a housekeeper arrived at Watford’s cabin to deliver towels and made the gruesome discovery. She observed Watford with what appeared to be blood on his hands and pants, then spotted the motionless woman on the floor.
Watford took no action to summon ship security or medical personnel despite the woman’s condition, according to the court filings. Instead, he changed his clothes and was spotted sitting in the hallway scrolling on his phone within minutes of the housekeeper’s discovery.
The crew member’s report prompted an immediate course reversal. The 19-deck vessel, capable of carrying up to 5,877 passengers, turned back toward Texas, with the captain informing other travelers that the abrupt return was due to a “medical emergency.” Passengers captured video of Watford being led off the ship in handcuffs when it reached Galveston around 11 p.m. Sunday, just hours after departure.
Watford’s criminal history includes a September 2024 arrest for assaulting a family member, records show.
An autopsy on the victim’s body was scheduled for Tuesday, medical examiners confirmed. Her identity has not been publicly released pending notification of next of kin and the examination’s results.
The Maltese-flagged MSC Seascape has since resumed its Caribbean itinerary. According to CruiseMapper tracking data, the vessel is currently in the Gulf of America en route to Costa Maya, Mexico. It is scheduled to dock at Roatan Island, Honduras, on Nov. 12, followed by a stop in Cozumel, Mexico, before completing its round trip with a Nov. 15 arrival back in Galveston.