Cruise passenger faces murder charge after woman found dead in cabin

A passenger on a cruise ship that returned to Texas hours after setting sail faces a federal murder charge after a woman was found dead in their cabin, authorities said. Jason Leon Watford, 48, allegedly told investigators he struck and choked the woman during an argument on Sunday evening aboard the MSC Seascape, according to a criminal complaint.

The woman has not been identified. Crew members found her lying face down on the cabin floor with multiple facial injuries after a housekeeper reported seeing blood on Watford’s hands and pants, the complaint says. Watford was detained by ship security and turned over to authorities when the vessel returned to Galveston early Monday.

Watford told the FBI that he and the woman began arguing over dinner at a restaurant on the ship and continued arguing after returning to their cabin, according to the complaint. He said the dispute caused him to “snap” and that he hit her repeatedly. He also said he choked her with both hands, then wrapped an arm around her neck while she was lying down, the complaint says.

Watford said he applied pressure to her neck for about four to five minutes and “released his hold only after becoming exhausted,” according to the complaint. He told investigators she lay motionless on the floor for about 10 minutes before the housekeeper knocked.

Security footage showed Watford returning to the cabin before the woman arrived, with no one else seen entering, the complaint says. The housekeeper later knocked to deliver towels. Watford opened the door and spoke briefly with her; she reported glimpsing a motionless woman on the floor and alerted other crew members. After she left, Watford changed clothes, exited the cabin and sat in the hallway scrolling on his phone, according to the complaint. The FBI said investigators found bloodstained clothing in the room.

The MSC Seascape had departed Galveston on Sunday for a planned seven-day voyage. It was scheduled to visit Costa Maya, the Roatan Islands and Cozumel before returning to Texas on Nov. 15, NBC News reported. The ship’s operator described the reason for its return as a “guest incident aboard our ship.” The Guardian reported that it docked at about 5:30 a.m. local time Monday and resumed its itinerary later that day.

Watford was held at the Galveston County Jail on a federal hold Monday evening and was scheduled for an initial court appearance Tuesday afternoon. No attorney was listed for him. The Galveston medical examiner’s office said an autopsy was scheduled for Tuesday, NBC News reported.

NBC News also reported that jail records show Watford was arrested in 2024 on a charge of assault causing bodily injury to a family member and was sentenced to 15 months of probation and 30 hours of community service.