The mother of a woman killed on a cruise ship has spoken out, saying she begged her daughter not to board the vessel with the man now charged with her murder.
Jason Leon Watford, 48, was charged with murder after Susan Watford was found dead on Sunday. He allegedly choked her to death following an argument over dinner.
Mother's Plea Before Departure
Speaking to Click2Houston, Susan's mother Dorothy Mast said she pleaded with her daughter not to board the cruise ship with Jason as the couple tried to reconcile their marriage. Dorothy alleged that Susan had suffered domestic abuse at the hands of her husband.
"I had asked her not to go," Dorothy said. "I tried calling her. She didn't answer. So I figured, well, you know, she's busy."
Incident Aboard the MSC Seascape
Jason and Susan were on board the Caribbean-bound MSC Seascape vessel. They boarded together in Galveston, Texas on Sunday ahead of the 4pm departure time. But just hours later tragedy struck.
Jason told FBI investigators he and Susan had an argument while having dinner on board the cruise ship, according to court documents. Their disagreement continued when they returned to their cabin and he admitted he became violent and hit Susan "multiple times".
He told investigators he choked his wife using both of his hands and strangled her from behind using his right arm. He released his grip after four to five minutes and only let go "after becoming exhausted", according to the documents.
At around 9pm, a housekeeper tried to drop off some towels at the Watfords' room. She discovered Jason with what she thought was blood on his hands and pants. She then spotted Susan on the floor.
Aftermath and Family Impact
The ship returned to Galveston, with the captain framing the incident to other passengers as a "medical emergency".
A spokesperson for the FBI's Houston field office told PEOPLE that a "child was involved in the situation," but was "unharmed." They did not share the child's age or how the child was related to Jason and Susan.
Dorothy identified the child who was in the room as the couple's and said Susan has two other surviving children, per Click2Houston. A spokesperson for the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services told NBC5 DFW that the child who was in the room is in foster care.
Dorothy has launched a GoFundMe campaign seeking donations to help cover funeral expenses and costs to support her grandchildren.
Jason is reported to have a criminal history. This includes a 1996 attempted murder conviction in Illinois and a 2024 conviction in Texas on a charge of assault causing bodily injury on a family member.
He was sentenced to 10 years in prison in the first case and 15 months of community service in the second. The victim in the assault case was identified as Susan, according to court records obtained by NBC5 DFW.
