Man Charged With Murder After Woman Found Dead on MSC Seascape in Galveston
Jason Leon Watford, 48, faces federal murder charges following a dispute in a cabin that left the victim motionless for ten minutes before a housekeeper discovered her.
By Vikram Harrison ·
Passengers aboard the MSC Seascape returned to the Port of Galveston on Monday afternoon after a woman was found dead in a cabin the previous evening. Jason Leon Watford, 48, was taken into custody and charged with murder in the Southern District of Texas on Sunday. The vessel, which carries up to 5,900 guests, had departed Galveston just one day prior.
Watford told FBI investigators that he and the unidentified woman began arguing in a ship restaurant before returning to their room to continue the fight. He stated he stuck the woman multiple times and choked her for four to five minutes until he was exhausted. The complaint notes that the victim lay motionless on the floor for approximately ten minutes before a housekeeper knocked to deliver towels.
The housekeeper opened the door and observed what she believed to be blood on Watford’s hands and pants. She also saw the victim lying face down on the floor. The employee called ship security, which then contacted authorities. Watford did not call for medical help or security while the woman remained on the floor, according to the criminal complaint.
Surveillance video showed Watford changing clothes and leaving his room to sit in the hallway, where he scrolled on his phone. Jail records indicate he is being held on a federal hold at the Galveston County Jail. He is scheduled for an initial court hearing Tuesday afternoon.
The Galveston Medical Examiner’s Office scheduled an autopsy for Tuesday. MSC Cruises said it returned to port on instruction from authorities and is cooperating with the investigation. The ship resumed its voyage to the Caribbean on Monday afternoon. The company switched its home port from Miami to Galveston in November 2025.
Passenger Becsei György heard a shipwide announcement around 10 p.m. Sunday that said, “Mike Echo at level 10.” He awoke Monday morning to find the ship docked in Galveston. He saw law enforcement and Border Patrol vehicles outside and a person being escorted off the vessel in handcuffs, though it was not immediately confirmed if the suspect was Watford.
Homicide investigations on cruise ships remain rare. Earlier this year, a teenager was charged with murder and aggravated sexual abuse in the death of his 18-year-old stepsister aboard a Carnival Cruise ship departing Florida.
