A man was arrested after a woman he was on a cruise with was found dead aboard the ship, which returned to port a day after departing from Galveston, Texas, according to a criminal complaint.
Jason Leon Watford, 48, was charged with murder in connection with the woman’s death aboard the MSC Seascape on Sunday, according to a criminal complaint filed in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas.
According to the criminal complaint, Watford told FBI investigators that he and the woman began arguing at a restaurant aboard the ship, then returned to their room where they continued to fight, causing him to “snap.” Watford reportedly told authorities he punched the woman multiple times and choked her for “four to five minutes” before releasing his grip because he was exhausted.
Watford told investigators the woman lay motionless on the floor for about 10 minutes before a housekeeper knocked on the door to deliver towels, the complaint states. Investigators said Watford did not contact ship security or medical personnel as the woman lay motionless.
According to the complaint, Watford opened the bedroom door to the housekeeper, who “observed what she believed to be blood” on his hands and pants and also saw the victim lying motionless, face down on the floor. The housekeeper called ship security, who then contacted authorities.
Watford changed his clothes, left his room and was seen in surveillance camera video sitting in the hallway outside his room “scrolling on his phone.”
Jail records show he was being held in the federal prison in Galveston County. He is scheduled to appear in court for an initial hearing Tuesday afternoon. It is unclear whether Watford has retained a lawyer.
The victim has also not been identified. The Galveston medical examiner’s office said Monday that an autopsy was scheduled for Tuesday.
The MSC Seascape, which departed from Galveston on Sunday, is an imposing white ship that has 2,270 cabins, more than 1,600 crew members and can accommodate nearly 5,900 guests, according to the company’s website.
“After reporting an incident on board our ship, authorities asked us to return to the Port of Galveston,” MSC Cruises said in a statement. He added that he was cooperating with authorities and providing support to those affected.
The company said the ship resumed its voyage and left Galveston Monday afternoon.
Becsei György, a passenger on the Seascape, told NBC News that a ship-wide announcement was made around 10 p.m. Sunday that read, “Mike Echo on level 10.”
György woke up Monday morning and was surprised to find that the ship had returned to Galveston. Outside, he said, he saw law enforcement and Border Patrol vehicles, as well as a person being escorted off the ship in handcuffs.
It was not immediately clear if that person was the suspect.
The MSC Seascape currently connects Galveston to the Caribbean for five- and seven-night stays, according to the company’s website. The ship left Miami for Galveston last November, according to a news release.
Homicide investigations on cruise ships are rare. Earlier this year, a teenager was charged with murder and aggravated sexual abuse following the death of his 18-year-old half-sister on a Carnival cruise ship departing from Florida.
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