Cruise Ship Passenger Held After Woman’s Death on MSC Seascape
WHO:
The Guardian - Jason Leon Watford was scheduled to make his first appearance in federal court in Galveston.
ABC13 Houston - The Galveston County Sheriff’s Office confirmed that Jason Watford was booked into the Galveston County Jail on a federal hold.
Fox News - A federal criminal complaint identifies the suspect as Jason Leon Watford, 48, and says he was charged with murder in connection with the woman’s death.
ABC13 Houston - The victim was a woman; the Galveston County medical examiner said her identity would not be released.
Fox News - Watford had previously been prosecuted in Texas for assaulting a family member, according to Smith County court records.
CBS News US - The FBI is investigating an alleged murder aboard an MSC cruise ship.
WHAT:
The Guardian - Watford was charged with one count of felony homicide.
The Guardian - The criminal complaint was signed by Thomas Plew, an FBI task force officer assigned to maritime crimes.
The Guardian - The planned cruise was a seven-day trip around Mexico and the Caribbean.
The Guardian - An FBI team found bloodstained clothing belonging to the victim on the cabin floor.
The Guardian - No attorney was listed for Watford.
Fox News - The complaint says Watford admitted he “snap[ped]” during an argument, struck the woman multiple times, and choked her.
Fox News - Investigators said Watford applied pressure to the woman’s neck for about four to five minutes and released her after becoming exhausted.
Fox News - The woman remained motionless on the cabin floor for about 10 minutes; investigators said Watford did not contact ship security or medical personnel.
ABC13 Houston - Federal investigators had not stated what Watford was charged with at the time of the report.
Fox News - Watford was arrested in September 2024 on a charge of assault causing bodily injury to a family member; that November, he was sentenced to 15 months of probation and 30 hours of community service.
ABC13 Houston - MSC Cruises said it was cooperating with the investigation, supporting those affected, and that the ship had resumed its itinerary.
Fox News - An FBI task force officer said evidence supporting the murder charge included surveillance video, Watford’s statements, MSC employees’ accounts, and an examination of the woman’s body.
WHERE:
The Guardian - The ship was in the Gulf of Mexico during the argument.
ABC13 Houston - The incident occurred aboard the MSC Seascape, which docked at the Port of Galveston, Texas.
Fox News - The complaint said the ship was sailing in international waters when the woman died.
ABC13 Houston - FBI Houston responded, and an FBI maritime liaison agent from the Texas City Resident Agency coordinated with the U.S. Coast Guard, Port of Galveston Police Department, Customs and Border Protection, and MSC Cruises.
WHEN:
The Guardian - The Seascape docked in Galveston at about 5:30 a.m. local time.
Fox News - Surveillance footage showed Watford entering the cabin at about 7:46 p.m.; the woman entered about 25 minutes later.
Fox News - A housekeeper knocked at about 9:02 p.m. to deliver towels. About 13 minutes later, footage showed Watford leaving in different clothes.
Fox News - MSC contacted the FBI’s Texas City Resident Agency at about 11 p.m.; the Seascape returned to Galveston early Monday.
WHY:
Fox News - Watford told investigators he and the woman argued over a meal at a shipboard restaurant, continued arguing in their cabin, and he then “snap[ped].”
HOW:
The Guardian - The prosecution is proceeding in federal court, which has jurisdiction over crimes committed aboard U.S. vessels in international waters.
Fox News - A housekeeper reported seeing what she believed was blood on Watford’s hands and pants and the woman lying face down and motionless; the housekeeper contacted other MSC employees.
Fox News - MSC security detained Watford as a suspect. FBI personnel boarded the ship after it returned to Galveston and began investigating.
(UPDATED November 10, 2026 22:04 UTC)
Jason Leon Watford faces a federal homicide charge after a woman died aboard a cruise ship. The FBI says Watford admitted choking her during an argument aboard the Seascape. The ship returned to Galveston, where Watford was jailed and scheduled for federal court.
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(UPDATED November 10, 2026 17:14 UTC)
A federal complaint charges Jason Leon Watford with murder after a woman died aboard a cruise ship. Investigators say he struck and choked her during an argument in their cabin. The FBI is investigating; Watford was booked into a Texas jail on a federal hold.