Federal authorities have charged an East Texas man with murder after he allegedly beat and strangled his wife aboard a cruise ship off the Texas coast — and investigators confirmed a child was found inside the room where the killing allegedly took place.
Jason Watford, 48, now faces a federal murder charge in connection with the death of his wife, Susan, aboard the MSC Seascape. The massive cruise liner was forced to turn back to its home port in Galveston so the FBI could investigate, hours after the ship departed for Mexico and Honduras.
The MSC Seascape had just left Galveston when the alleged Sunday evening incident unfolded. Lynn Stack, a cruise passenger from Whitney, Texas, was staying on the 10th deck — the same deck where she says the murder happened.
“All of a sudden it’s like I wake up and look outside and we’re back at the port,” Stack said.
Stack photographed the cabin door, which she said had been secured with a security seal. Throughout the ordeal, passengers were kept in the dark about what was happening.
“We just kept hearing on the intercom that it was a medical emergency,” Stack said.
According to the federal criminal complaint, an argument between Watford and his wife began in the ship’s restaurant. Watford allegedly told federal investigators the dispute escalated and “caused him to snap.”
The couple returned to their room about 25 minutes apart. A housekeeper later delivered towels and noticed blood on Watford. Security camera footage then captured him leaving the room in different clothing — before sitting down on the floor in the hallway, all according to court records.
Investigators allege Watford struck his wife multiple times and strangled her for several minutes, never asking for security or medical assistance.
Stack said she sensed something was off after encountering Watford earlier in the day on the ship, even before the incident.
“I sensed like a weird energy from him, you know, like, you know he wasn’t like in vacation mode,” she said. “He just didn’t, you know, seem all that excited.”
The FBI confirmed Tuesday evening a child was found inside the room where the killing allegedly occurred. A spokesperson Child Protective Services confirmed to KPRC 2 News the child is now safe in foster care.
With the investigation now in federal hands, the MSC Seascape has resumed its voyage, heading for the western Caribbean. But for many on board, the events are impossible to ignore.
“I’m trying to do a reset, you know, and everything so I can enjoy the cruise,” Stack said. “It’s pretty much anywhere you go on the ship, people are talking. Yeah, it’s sad, it really is.”
A federal magistrate judge ordered Watford to remain in custody pending trial during a hearing Tuesday afternoon. He is due back in court Monday.
Smith County court records show Watford pleaded guilty to assaulting his wife in 2024, receiving 15 months of probation in that case.
