Murder on the cruise ship: The maid discovered a body and bloodstains

A passenger on the MSC Seascape cruise ship was arrested on suspicion of murdering a woman, after a housekeeper discovered her body in his cabin and saw his hands covered in blood. The suspect, Jason Watford, 48, from Texas, told FBI investigators that he argued with the woman in a restaurant and a hallway, hit her, and applied pressure to her neck for 4 to 5 minutes until he lost control. The ship, which departed from Galveston on Sunday at 4:00 PM en route to Mexico and Honduras, was forced to divert and return to port at 11:00 PM. Stunned passengers learned the next day that they had returned to the starting point. Watford has a history of violent offenses: in 2024 he was arrested for assault causing bodily harm to a family member and sentenced to 15 months of probation and 30 hours of community service. Murder investigations on cruise ships are rare but not unprecedented.