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Woman killed on MSC cruise ship identified after husband tells FBI he 'snapped and choked her'
It has been revealed that a child was involved in the fatal attack in which a woman, who has now been identified, was allegedly killed by her husband aboard a cruise ship on Sunday.
Texas-based Jason Leon Watford, 48, allegedly beat and strangled his wife, Susan Watford, to death inside their cruise ship cabin after an argument that began while they ate in a ship restaurant.
When law enforcement attended the scene, a child was found unharmed in the cabin.
All passengers on the ship were alerted to a security threat
According to an affidavit filed in the US District Court for the Southern District of Texas on Monday, Jason and his wife returned to their cabin on deck 10 of MSC Seascape around 7:46PM and his wife followed shortly afterwards at 8:11PM, where their argument continued and became violent.
In an interview with FBI agents, he said that at some point he "snapped" and hit his wife several times, causing her to bleed from her mouth onto his shirt, pants, and hands.
Reportedly, Jason then began choking his wife with both hands and also wrapped his right arm around her neck while she was lying down.
Jason told authorities that he choked Susan for "approximately four to five minutes and released his hold only after becoming exhausted."
At around 10 pm, shortly after ship security were alerted to a violent attack taking place, a "Mike Echo at level 10", meaning a high-level security threat was taking place on board, was broadcast across the ship. The FBI were notified roughly an hour later.
Jason was swiftly detained by security, and the ship turned around, returning to the port of Galveston around 5AM Monday, where he was pictured being escorted away from the cruise ship in handcuffs by police and federal agents.
He is currently being held in Galveston County Jail after being charged with murder. If convicted, Jason faces up to life in prison.
MSC Cruises said that they had been "instructed by the authorities to return to the Port of Galveston" after a "guest incident aboard our ship" was reported.
The cruise line was "cooperating fully with the investigation and providing support to those impacted."
Jason had previously been charged with a violent crime against his spouse
This is not the first time Jason has been arrested for violent crimes. In September 2024, he was arrested for assault causing bodily injury to Susan.
His wife told officers that her husband grabbed her wrist during an argument over money and allegedly recorded audio of the incident in which her husband could be heard becoming aggressive.
Jason pleaded guilty to assault causing bodily injury to a family member and was placed on community supervision for 15 months.