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A man seen on video being escorted off a cruise ship in Texas after a woman’s body was found in a cabin room told authorities that he repeatedly struck and choked her after they got into an argument, according to a criminal complaint.
Jason Leon Watford, 48, was charged with murder in connection with the investigation involving the MSC Seascape, according to the complaint, and the victim has been identified as his wife, Susan Watford, according to an FBI spokesperson.
Jail records show he was in the Galveston County Jail on a federal hold Monday evening. He appeared in court for an initial hearing Tuesday afternoon and is due back in court next week for a probable cause hearing.
It’s unclear whether Watford has retained an attorney. The Galveston medical examiner’s office said Monday that an autopsy is scheduled for Tuesday.
Authorities believe Susan Watford was killed Sunday night. She was found on the floor of the room and had “multiple facial injuries,” the complaint says.
Jason Watford told the FBI in an interview that they got into an argument while eating dinner at a restaurant on the ship, according to the complaint. He alleged that they continued to argue after they returned to their room, causing him to “snap” and hit her multiple times, the complaint says.
A child was “involved in the situation and was found uninjured by the FBI and law enforcement partners,” the FBI spokesperson confirmed, adding that the child was “part of the family.”
A Texas Department of Family and Protective Services spokesperson confirmed that the child is safe and in foster care.
According to the complaint, Watford said at one point he choked his wife and wrapped his arm around her neck while she was lying down. He said that he applied pressure to her neck for about four to five minutes and “released his hold only after becoming exhausted,” the complaint says.
The complaint states that a security camera showed him returning to the room at 7:46 p.m. ET and Susan Watford arriving at 8:11 p.m. ET. No one else was seen entering the room.
Watford said his wife was lying motionless on the floor for about 10 minutes before a housekeeper knocked on the door, the complaint says.
The complaint says the footage showed the housekeeper knocking at 9:02 p.m. ET to provide towels. Watford opened the door and briefly spoke to the housekeeper, the complaint says.
After the housekeeper left, Watford exited the room wearing different clothes, sat on the hallway floor and scrolled on his phone, the complaint says.
Employees of the ship later responded to the room after the housekeeper reported seeing blood on Watford’s hands and pants and “a motionless female lying face down on the floor,” the complaint states. He was detained by ship security, and authorities were called.
The FBI said that during a search of the room, they found bloodstained clothing on the floor.
Jail records 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 cruise ship left Galveston on Sunday but was instructed to turn around after what the ship company described in a statement as a “guest incident aboard our ship.”
The ship was scheduled to travel to Costa Maya, the Roatan Islands and Cozumel before returning to Texas on Nov. 15.
Passenger Becsei György told NBC News that late Sunday night, an announcement said, “Mike Echo at level 10.” On Monday morning, he awoke to find that the ship had returned to Galveston.
Minyvonne Burke is a senior breaking news reporter for NBC News.
Joe Kottke is an assignment editor at NBC News covering breaking news across the Americas, including politics, immigration, crime and severe weather.
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