Crimeupdated 2h ago3 min read
Archive photo · 18 February 2023Jason Watford Charged With Murder Aboard MSC Seascape After Galveston Return
4 Western Mainstream3 Local Western3 OtherPhoto: Farragutful, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Cropped for layout
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Jason Watford, 48, of Tyler, Texas, charged with murder aboard the MSC Seascape. Victim found in cabin with facial injuries as MSC Seascape returned to Galveston.
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Watford charged in federal case
Federal prosecutors charged Jason Watford, a 48-year-old Tyler resident, with murder in connection with a death aboard the MSC Seascape after the ship returned to Galveston, Texas, on Monday.
“Jason Watford is set to make his initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Andrew Edison in Galveston at 1 p.m.”
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas said the charges allege that on Nov. 8, Watford struck a female passenger several times before strangling her with his hands and arm following a dispute in their room while aboard a cruise ship in international waters.
The criminal complaint filed in the Southern District of Texas alleges Watford “struck a female passenger several times before strangling her with his hands and arm while aboard a cruise ship in international waters,” according to the FBI.
The DOJ press release said Watford is set to make his initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Andrew Edison in Galveston at 1 p.m. and that, if convicted, he faces up to life in prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine.
The Houston Chronicle reported that Watford made his first court appearance on Tuesday afternoon during a brief arraignment hearing inside the federal courthouse in downtown Galveston and asked for a court-appointed attorney.
Alleged argument, choking, and timeline
Federal court documents allege Watford and the woman began arguing while eating at a restaurant aboard the ship, and the dispute continued after they returned to their cabin.
The DOJ press release said that at approximately 9 p.m., less than an hour after the woman had entered the room, a cruise ship housekeeper knocked on the door, noticed blood on Watford’s hands and clothing, saw the woman lying face down and motionless on the floor, and alerted personnel.
The criminal complaint described Watford as telling investigators he maintained pressure on the woman’s neck for approximately four to five minutes and releasing his grip only after becoming exhausted, and it said the woman remained motionless on the cabin floor for approximately 10 minutes before the housekeeper knocked.
Click2Houston reported that surveillance footage showed Watford entering the cabin around 7:46 p.m. Sunday, followed by the woman approximately 25 minutes later, and it said no one else was seen entering or leaving the room before the housekeeper arrived.
NBC News reported that Watford told the FBI he and the woman got into an argument while eating dinner at a restaurant on the ship, and he alleged that they continued to argue after they returned to their room, causing him to “snap.”
Detention, court steps, and investigation
FBI investigators interviewed Watford after the ship returned to Galveston, and the complaint said he waived his Miranda rights and agreed to a recorded interview.
The DOJ press release said the FBI – Texas City Resident Agency is conducting the investigation with the assistance of U.S. Coast Guard, Port of Galveston Police Department, Customs and Border Protection, and the cruise ship company.
Chron reported that Watford is now on a federal hold in the Galveston County Jail and is scheduled to appear before a U.S. magistrate in Galveston at 1 p.m. Tuesday.
Houston Chronicle reported that Watford did not seek to be released on bond, but his attorney, Javier Martinez, asked the court to schedule a probable cause hearing for Monday, and it said Watford has not yet been indicted by a grand jury, meaning no probable cause has been found in his case.
CNN reported that the cruise ship was instructed to return to the Port of Galveston, and it quoted an MSC Cruises spokesperson saying, “As is customary with crimes aboard a cruise ship, an FBI Maritime Liaison Agent based out of the Texas City Resident Agency is coordinating with the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG), the Port of Galveston Police Department, Customs and Border Protection (CBP), and the cruise line,” FBI Houston said in a statement.
