The MSC Seascape turned back to Galveston, Texas, a day into a Caribbean cruise because authorities ordered it home after a woman was found dead aboard, and the man traveling with her is charged with her murder.
Story Highlights
- The MSC Seascape left Galveston on Sunday, November 8, for a seven-night trip to Mexico and Honduras.
- Authorities ordered the ship back after the cruise line reported a “guest incident,” and it docked early Monday, November 9.
- FBI Houston is investigating the woman’s death as a suspected homicide.
- Jason Leon Watford, 48, is charged with murder in federal court. He is accused, not convicted.
- The ship left port Monday afternoon and resumed its trip.
- Investigators say surveillance video shows Watford changing his clothes, leaving the room and sitting in the hallway scrolling on his phone.
Why the Ship Turned Around
The MSC Seascape, a 1,060-foot cruise ship, left Galveston at 4 p.m. on Sunday, November 8, on a weeklong trip with stops in Costa Maya and Cozumel, Mexico, and Roatan, Honduras. That evening, a woman was found lying still on the floor of a cabin, according to court documents. The cruise line reported what it called a “guest incident,” and authorities told the ship to come back. “On reporting a guest incident aboard our ship, we were instructed by the authorities to return to the Port of Galveston,” MSC Cruises said.
The ship docked at about 5:30 a.m. on Monday, November 9, and federal agents went aboard. “FBI Houston is responding to a suspected homicide that occurred on the MSC Seascape cruise ship,” the agency said. A homicide is the killing of one person by another.
Several Agencies Join the Case
An FBI agent who handles ship and port cases, based at the agency’s Texas City office, worked with the U.S. Coast Guard, the Port of Galveston Police Department, Customs and Border Protection and MSC Cruises. The FBI is the main federal agency for crimes on the high seas, the open ocean outside any one country’s waters.
A Man Charged With Murder
Jason Leon Watford, 48, is charged with murder in a federal criminal complaint filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas, according to reports on Tuesday, November 10. The case is in federal court because the killing is alleged to have happened while the ship was in international waters. Ship security held Watford until the ship reached port. He was held in the Galveston County Jail and was set for a first court hearing in Galveston on Tuesday afternoon. Reports did not name a lawyer for him.
According to the complaint, Watford told FBI agents that he and the woman argued at a ship restaurant on Sunday evening and kept arguing in their room until he “snap[ped].” Investigators say he admitted hitting her several times and choking her for four to five minutes. They say he did not call ship security or medical staff.
At about 9 p.m., a housekeeper knocked to deliver towels, the complaint says. She saw what she believed was blood on his hands and pants and a woman lying face down on the floor, and she called ship security. Surveillance video shows Watford changing his clothes, leaving the room and sitting in the hallway scrolling on his phone, investigators said.
The Victim and the Autopsy
Officials have not released the woman’s name or age. The Galveston County Medical Examiner’s Office scheduled an autopsy for Tuesday, November 10. Its findings have not been made public.
What the Cruise Line Said
MSC Cruises said it is cooperating fully with the investigation and supporting those affected. “Our thoughts are with the guest’s family and friends at this difficult time,” the company said. It added that it cannot give more details because the investigation is active. The ship, which can carry more than 5,800 passengers and about 1,600 crew, left Galveston Monday afternoon and resumed its planned trip.
Why Cruise Crime Reporting Matters
Under the Cruise Vessel Security and Safety Act of 2010, cruise lines that stop at U.S. ports must report serious crimes on board, including homicides, to the FBI and the Coast Guard. Congress passed the law because it can be hard to say which country’s police are in charge on a ship at sea. In this case, the report led to a fast return to port and a murder charge by Tuesday, November 10.
Sources:
foxnews.com, apnews.com, nbcnews.com, abcnews.com, people.com, houstonchronicle.com, abc13.com, khou.com, congress.gov