A Texas cruise passenger allegedly killed by her husband inside their cabin had been urged not to take the trip—but she believed the vacation might give their troubled marriage one last chance.
Susan Watford, 31, was encouraged by her adoptive mother, Dorothy Mast, to cancel the plans. Watford ultimately went ahead with the weeklong MSC Seascape voyage, which departed Galveston on Sunday for stops in Honduras and Mexico.
“I had asked her not to go,” Mast told KPRC on Wednesday, two days after Watford’s husband, Jason Watford, was charged with murder. Court documents reviewed by The Post allege that he strangled Susan inside their cabin while their young daughter was present.
Watford, a mother of three, was aware of her husband’s alleged history of abuse. She saw the cruise as an opportunity to repair their relationship.
“As she told me, ‘Mama, he did everything the court said he had to do,’” Mast said, referring to Jason Watford’s 2024 conviction for assaulting his wife.
“He took his anger management classes. He did his counseling. He did his community service.”
Watford also understood that if the trip failed to go as hoped, it could bring her closer to ending the marriage, according to the outlet.
Mast remained in contact with her daughter around the time the ship left Galveston and said she tried calling her after the cruise had begun.
“I tried calling her,” Mast recalled. “She didn’t answer. So I figured, well, you know, she’s busy.”
Investigators now believe the call was made after Susan had allegedly been killed.
Mast remembered Watford as a devoted daughter who left the Amish community at age 15.
“She was a great daughter and liked to learn,” she told KPRC.
Watford had worked for Target since 2019. She joined the company as a warehouse associate and later advanced through the retailer’s ranks.
From 2021 to 2024, she studied for a business degree at Colorado Technical University and graduated summa cum laude, meaning “with highest honor.”
In May 2024, she became a team lead at a Target warehouse, a position she still held when she died, according to her LinkedIn profile.
A family member who spoke anonymously to ABC News described Watford as “funny” and “the best mom” to her children. She was also characterized as responsible and determined to provide for her family while completing her university education.
Watford was identified as the woman found dead aboard the cruise ship Tuesday, two days after the alleged killing. Court documents state that she had suffered multiple “facial injuries.”
A housekeeper reportedly discovered her after entering the cabin to deliver towels. The crew member raised the alarm Sunday night after noticing what appeared to be blood on Jason Watford’s clothing.
The ship’s captain was notified, and the MSC Seascape turned back toward Galveston. Jason Watford was arrested early Monday.
According to court documents, Jason Watford told FBI investigators that an argument caused him to “snap” and attack his wife “multiple times,” leaving her with a bloody mouth.
He allegedly then used both hands to choke her, wrapping his right arm around her neck and applying pressure “for approximately four to five minutes.” The documents state that he released her only after becoming exhausted.
Although his wife was motionless inside the cabin, Watford allegedly failed to contact ship security or medical staff, according to the court filings.
He was later seen using his cellphone after the alleged killing.
Jason Watford did not enter a plea during a court hearing Tuesday and remains in federal custody.
