A man seen on video being escorted off a cruise ship in Texas after a woman’s body was found in a cabin room allegedly told authorities that he repeatedly struck and choked her after they got into an argument, according to a criminal complaint.
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they → see → complaint
Jason Leon Watford, 48, was charged with murder in connection with the investigation involving the MSC Seascape, according to a criminal complaint filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas.
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Watford → charge → Texas
Jail records show he was in the Galveston County Jail on a federal hold Monday evening.
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he → show → hold
He is set to appear in court for an initial hearing Tuesday afternoon.
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He → set → hearing
The victim has not been identified, and it’s unclear whether Watford has retained an attorney.
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Watford → identify → attorney
The Galveston medical examiner’s office said Monday that the deceased was a female and that an autopsy is scheduled for Tuesday.
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autopsy → say → Tuesday
Authorities believe the woman was killed Sunday night.
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woman → believe → ?
She was found lying on the floor of the room and had “multiple facial injuries,” the complaint says.
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complaint → find → injuries
Watford told the FBI in an interview that he and the woman got into an argument while eating dinner at a restaurant on the ship, according to the complaint.
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he → tell → complaint
He alleged that they continued to argue after they returned to their room, causing him to “snap” and hit her multiple times, it says.
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it → allege → her
According to the complaint, Watford said at one point he choked the woman and wrapped his arm around her neck while she was lying down.
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she → accord → neck
He said that he applied pressure to her neck for about four to five minutes and “released his hold only after becoming exhausted,” the complaint says.
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complaint → say → hold
The complaint states that a security camera showed Watford returning to the room at 7:46 p.m. ET and the woman arriving at 8:11 p.m. ET.
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woman → state → ET
No one else was seen entering the room.
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one → see → room
Watford said the woman was lying motionless on the floor for about 10 minutes before a housekeeper knocked on the door, the complaint says.
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complaint → say → door
The complaint says the footage showed the housekeeper knocking at 9:02 p.m. ET to provide towels.
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housekeeper → say → towels
Watford opened the door and briefly spoke to the housekeeper, the complaint says.
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complaint → open → housekeeper
After the housekeeper left, Watford exited the room wearing different clothes, sat on the hallway floor and scrolled on his phone, the complaint says.
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complaint → leave → phone
Employees of the ship later responded to the room after the housekeeper reported seeing blood on Watford’s hands and pants and “a motionless female lying face down on the floor,” the complaint states.
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complaint → respond → floor
He was detained by ship security, and authorities were called.
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authorities → detain → security
The FBI said that during a search of the room, they found blood-stained clothing on the floor.
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they → say → floor
Jail records show that Watford was arrested in 2024 on a charge of assault causing bodily injury to a family member.
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Watford → show → member
He was sentenced to 15 months of probation and 30 hours of community service.
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He → sentence → service
The 1,060-foot cruise ship left Galveston on Sunday but was instructed to turn around after what the ship company described in a statement as a “guest incident aboard our ship.”
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company → leave → ship
The ship was scheduled to travel to Costa Maya, the Roatan Islands and Cozumel before returning to Texas on Nov. 15.
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ship → schedule → Nov.
Passenger Becsei György told NBC News that late Sunday night, an announcement said, “Mike Echo at level 10.”
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announcement → tell → level
On Monday morning, he awoke to find that the ship had returned to Galveston.
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ship → awake → Galveston
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