Galveston, Texas - A suspect has been arrested after news broke of a possible murder on a cruise ship that departed from Texas over the weekend.
48-year-old Jason Watford has been taken into custody on murder charges over the killing of a female passenger on an MSC Seascape cruise ship.
The US Attorney's Office, Southern District of Texas, said in a press release that Watford is alleged to have "struck" the woman several times and went to strangle her "with his hands and arm."
A criminal complaint revealed that Watford dined with the woman at an on-board restaurant, where the two got into an argument.
He left first, with the victim arriving at their room about 25 minutes after him.
Less than an hour later, a housekeeper is said to have knocked on their door to provide towels and spoke with Watford – before noticing blood on his hands and the victim "lying face down and motionless" on the floor.
According to NBC News, Watford admitted in an interview with the FBI that he choked the woman for several minutes and only stopped because he became "exhausted."
The nature of Watford's relationship to the victim has not been disclosed, but it's understood that they traveled together.
Watford was previously arrested on charges of domestic violence in 2024 and was sentenced to over a year of probation and hundreds of hours of community service.
The MSC Seascape ship – bound for Mexico and Honduras – first departed Houston on Sunday, November 8, around 4 PM before returning to dock in Galveston on Monday.
Watford, who is being held in the Galveston County Jail, will make his first court appearance on Tuesday afternoon.