Federal court records describe an argument, a housekeeper’s discovery and an FBI investigation after the vessel returned to Galveston.
GALVESTON, Texas — A Texas man has been charged with murder after a woman was found dead aboard the MSC Seascape shortly after the cruise ship left Galveston, with federal investigators alleging he struck and strangled her during an argument in their cabin.
Jason Leon Watford, 48, of Tyler, was taken into federal custody after the ship returned to Galveston early Monday. A criminal complaint filed in the Southern District of Texas accuses Watford of killing the woman Sunday evening while the vessel was in international waters. The woman’s name and her relationship to Watford have not been publicly released. A criminal complaint is an accusation, and Watford is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
According to the complaint, Watford and the woman had been eating at a restaurant aboard the ship when they began arguing. Watford returned to their cabin, and the woman followed about 25 minutes later. Investigators said surveillance video showed Watford entering the room at about 7:46 p.m. and the woman arriving less than half an hour later. Authorities said no one else was seen entering or leaving the cabin before a crew member approached the door.
A housekeeper delivering towels knocked shortly after 9 p.m. and briefly spoke with Watford, according to federal investigators. She reported seeing what appeared to be blood on his hands and clothing and seeing the woman lying face down and motionless on the cabin floor. The housekeeper alerted other ship employees, who went to the room and contacted security after finding the woman dead. Authorities said she had multiple facial injuries.
Watford later told FBI investigators that the disagreement continued after the pair returned to the cabin, according to the affidavit supporting the complaint. Investigators said Watford told them that the argument escalated and that he struck the woman several times. The affidavit further alleges that he applied pressure to her neck for several minutes. Authorities said Watford told agents the woman remained motionless before the housekeeper arrived and that he did not contact ship security or medical personnel during that period.
Surveillance video cited by investigators showed Watford leaving the cabin later wearing a different shirt and pants, according to the complaint. He then sat on the hallway floor outside the room and looked at his phone, investigators said. Ship security detained him, and authorities were contacted about the suspected homicide. The vessel was directed back to the Port of Galveston, where FBI personnel boarded after its return Monday morning.
MSC Cruises said it reported the incident and returned to Galveston at the direction of authorities. The company said it was cooperating with investigators and providing support to people affected by the death. The MSC Seascape later left the port and resumed its planned itinerary.
The FBI’s Texas City Resident Agency is leading the investigation with assistance from the U.S. Coast Guard, Port of Galveston Police Department, U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the cruise company, according to federal prosecutors. The Justice Department said Watford could face up to life in prison and a possible $250,000 fine if convicted.
Watford appeared Tuesday afternoon before a federal magistrate judge in Galveston and asked for court-appointed counsel. He was assigned a federal public defender and did not seek release on bond. His attorney requested a probable cause hearing for Monday. Watford had not been indicted by a federal grand jury as of Tuesday afternoon, and his attorney declined to comment after the hearing.
Author note: Last updated November 10, 2026.