Make New York Post a Preferred Source An MSC Seascape passenger with an abusive past strangled his wife in their cabin following an argument at dinner on Sunday— while a child witnessed the attack inside their cabin.
Jason Watford, 48, allegedly killed his wife, Susan Watford, after a bust-up while eating at one of the ship’s restaurants hours after they had boarded the Caribbean-bound vessel in Galveston, Texas, according to FBI spokesman Connor Hagan on Tuesday.
The dispute continued when the pair made their way back to the cabin – and Watford admitted it made him “snap,” prompting him to lash out at his wife “multiple times” which caused her to bleed from the mouth, according to court documents seen by The Post.
Watford, of Tyler, Texas, choked his spouse with both hands, wrapping his right arm around her neck and applying pressure “for approximately four to five minutes and released his hold after becoming exhausted,” the documents stated.
Susan Watford lay motionless on the ground for around 10 minutes but Watford didn’t call ship security for medical assistance, according to investigators.
Meanwhile, a child was inside the cabin as the attack unfolded, according to Hagen. The child was unharmed and is currently in foster care.
Investigators haven’t released any details about the child’s gender or age, or relation to the Watfords.
It’s unclear when Susan Watford was killed, but her body was spotted by a housekeeper who had knocked on the couple’s door to drop off some towels just after 9 p.m. on Sunday — around 90 minutes after Jason Watford had returned to the room.
Watford answered the door and she raised the alarm after she spotted what she thought was blood on his clothes, as well as a motionless body in the cabin.
After the body was found, Watford changed his clothes, left the cabin, and was seen sitting in the hall scrolling on his phone.
Susan Watford was found with “multiple facial injuries,” while Jason Watford was detained by ship security who identified him as a suspect.
The ship changed course at around 11 p.m. on Monday to return to Galveston before Watford was arrested and removed from the vessel after it docked.
Watford is in custody and didn’t enter a plea at Tuesday’s hearing but waived a detainment hearing.
It has since emerged that Susan Watford had previously raised the alarm about her husband’s history of abuse, KTRK reported.
In September 2024, Susan Watford reported her husband to the authorities, claiming he grabbed her wrist following a dispute about money in Smith County – around 100 miles east of Dallas.
She yelled at Jason Watford, urging him to back away as he became agitated before using a stun gun.
He pleaded guilty to causing bodily injury and was sentenced in November 2024 to 15 months of probation and 30 hours of community service.
Meanwhile, the MSC Seascape is currently heading to Costa Maya, Mexico, according to CruiseMapper.
It’s set to dock in Roatan Island, Honduras, on Nov. 12, and will head to Cozumel, Mexico, after that.
The vessel, which has a capacity of up to 5,877 passengers, will arrive in Galveston on Nov. 15.
The Maltese-flagged vessel is used for week-long round trips around the Caribbean.
