Jason Leon Watford, a man with ties to East Texas, was arrested over the murder on a cruise ship which returned to Galveston on Monday. The 48-year-old is in the Galveston County Jail.
The new of Watford's arrest was confirmed by CBS News, which noted that he's the man arrested in the MSC Seascape homicide investigation. As per the report, the cruise returned to port on Monday after a suspected homicide onboard.
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The FBI told KHOU, “since this is an ongoing investigation, no additional details will be provided.” The ship has since left Galveston again.
Jason Leon Watford's prior records
Smith County Jail and judicial records show one Jason Leon Watford, also aged 48, was arrested in September 2024 for assault which caused bodily injury to a family member. In that year, Watford was sentenced to 15 months probation with 30 hours of community service in November.
A Smith County Sheriff's Office spokesperson confirmed to CBS 19 that the Jason Watford booked in Galveston and the one prosecuted in Smith County were the same people.
What happened on the Texas cruise
{{/usCountry}}A Smith County Sheriff's Office spokesperson confirmed to CBS 19 that the Jason Watford booked in Galveston and the one prosecuted in Smith County were the same people.
What happened on the Texas cruise
{{/usCountry}}The cruise ship had left Texas on Sunday but was instructed to return. The FBI is probing the possible homicide that took place on board. The Galveston Medical Examiner’s Office had said on Monday that the victim was a female.
It remains unknown if she's related to Watford. The results of the autopsy are expected to be shared on Tuesday. The incident took place onboard the the MSC Seascape, a 1,060-foot cruise ship. A spokesperson for the company said, “On reporting a guest incident aboard our ship, we were instructed by the authorities to return to the Port of Galveston.”
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The individual added that the company is cooperating with authorities and providing support to the ones impacted, as per KLTV.
The MSC Seascape runs from Galveston to the Caribbean for five and seven-night stays, the company's website notes. The white vessel has 2,270 cabins, more than 1,600 crew and can host nearly 5,900 guests. The ship earlier used to depart from Miami, but switched to the Texas location last November, a press release noted.
The FBI is yet to officially name the suspect before they notify the next of kin, but several reports have named the individual cops took into custody.