A maniac cruise passenger accused of murdering a woman he was traveling with allegedly choked her to death after an argument over dinner — and was then eerily seen scrolling on his phone when her lifeless body was discovered by one of the crew, according to disturbing new court documents.
Jason Leon Watford, 48, and the unidentified woman boarded the Caribbean-bound MSC Seascape vessel in Galveston, Texas, together ahead of Sunday’s 4 p.m. departure.
Just hours later, at around 11 p.m. Sunday, the cruise changed course and returned to Texas, and Watson was dramatically arrested and hauled off the ship. He has now been charged with murder.
Watford, of East Texas, told FBI investigators he and the woman had an argument while having dinner in one of the ship’s restaurants, according to court docs, which did not state their relationship.
Their dispute continued when they headed back to the cabin, the docs state.
Watford admitted their argument caused him to “snap” and become violent, hitting the woman “multiple times.”
The alleged killer then told investigators he choked the woman using both of his hands, according to the docs. He also allegedly strangled from behind using his right arm.
He released his grip after four to five minutes — only letting go “after becoming exhausted,” the disturbing documents charge.
At around 9 p.m., some five hours into the cruise, a housekeeper tried to drop off some towels at Watford’s room, where she saw the passenger with what she thought was blood on his hands and pants.
She then spotted the motionless woman on the floor.
Watford, previously arrested for assaulting a family member in September 2024, “did not contact ship security or medical personnel despite [the woman] lying motionless on the floor,” the court documents state.
He also changed his clothes and was seen sitting in the hall scrolling on his phone just minutes after the housekeeper spotted the body.
The ship swiftly returned to Galveston, with the captain framing the incident to other passengers as a “medical emergency.”
Travelers, however, recorded dramatic video that showed Watford being escorted off the 19-deck ship in handcuffs.
An autopsy is set to be performed on the woman’s body on Tuesday, medical examiners told ABC News.
The ship has since resumed its Caribbean trip and the vessel is currently in the Gulf of America 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.
If you or someone you know is affected by any of the issues raised in this story, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 800-999-SAFE (7233) or text START to 88788.
