A convicted felon has allegedly confessed to beating and choking his partner to death in their cruise ship cabin on the first night of the voyage.
Jason Leon Watford, 48, was hauled off the MSC Seascape in handcuffs after it returned to port in Galveston, Texas, early Monday morning.
He was charged with murder in the US District Court overnight after allegedly admitting to the crime during an interrogation by FBI agents.
Watford has a long criminal history and was sentenced to 15 months probation for assault causing bodily injury to a family member in September 2024.
MSC Seascape left Galveston on Sunday for a weeklong cruise of Mexico and Honduras, but by that evening Watford and his partner were arguing over dinner.
Watford stormed out of the restaurant and was seen on security camera footage returning to their cabin on deck 10 of the huge ship alone at 7.46pm.
The woman, who is yet to be publicly identified, came to the cabin at 8.11pm and the couple continued to argue.
Watford told investigators that the argument escalated until he ‘snapped’ and punched his partner in the face several times, the charging affidavit alleged.