The Texas mother of a woman allegedly killed aboard an MSC cruise ship has revealed that she made a heartbreaking appeal for her daughter not to take the trip.
Susan Watford, 31, was found dead in her cabin aboard the MSC Seascape on Sunday night.
Her husband, Jason Leon Watford, allegedly beat and strangled Susan to death in front of their young child on the first night of the cruise.
Susan’s adoptive mother, Dorothy Mast, told KPRC that she had encouraged her daughter to cancel the plans she had made with her husband.
“I had asked her not to go,” Mast said, but Susan chose not to follow her advice.
Jason, 48, was charged with murder in US District Court overnight after allegedly confessing during questioning by FBI agents.
The couple’s toddler was inside the cabin when Susan was killed. The child was not injured and has been placed in the care of child protection officials.
Jason appeared in federal court in Galveston on Tuesday and waived his right to a detention hearing during his initial appearance.
Susan Watford, 31, was found dead in her cabin by an MSC Seascape employee on Sunday night while traveling with her husband
Susan’s husband, Jason Leon Watford, allegedly beat and strangled her in front of their young child on the first night of the cruise
Susan, a mother of three, knew about her husband’s alleged history of abuse, but believed the vacation could give them a chance to repair their marriage, Mast said.
“As she told me, ‘Mama, he did everything the court said he had to do,’” her mother recalled.
Mast was referring to an earlier case in which Jason was convicted of assaulting his wife.
In 2024, Susan told an officer that Jason had grabbed her wrist during an argument about money, forcing her to use a Taser to defend herself.
Susan’s adoptive mother, Dorothy Mast, pictured above, urged her not to take the trip, but Susan said she wanted to give her marriage another chance
Jason first denied attacking her, but later pleaded guilty to assault causing bodily injury to a family member.
He received 15 months of probation for the incident.
“He took his anger management classes. He did his counseling. He did his community service,” Mast said.
Mast said Susan had also decided that she would divorce Jason if the cruise did not improve their relationship.
Concerned for her daughter, Mast remained in contact with Susan while she was aboard the ship.
When she could not reach Susan after the ship departed, Mast said she did not immediately become alarmed because she assumed her daughter might be occupied.
“I tried calling her,” she said. “She didn’t answer. So I figured, well, you know, she’s busy.”
It was later determined that Mast’s call came after Susan had allegedly been killed by Jason.
“She was a great daughter and liked to learn,” Mast said while remembering her daughter.
Jason allegedly told the FBI on Monday that he and Susan began arguing during dinner, and that the dispute intensified after they returned to their cabin
The 2024 incident was not the first time Jason allegedly became aggressive with Susan. She told an officer that he grabbed her wrist during an argument about money, prompting her to use a Taser in self-defense
The MSC Seascape departed Galveston on Sunday for a voyage to Mexico and Honduras. By that evening, however, Jason and Susan were arguing over dinner.
Jason left the restaurant angrily and security footage showed him returning alone to the couple’s deck 10 cabin at 7.46pm.
Susan arrived at the cabin at 8.11pm, and the argument continued.
According to the charging affidavit, Jason told investigators that the dispute escalated until he “snapped” and punched Susan in the face several times.
He allegedly struck her with such force that the blows “caused blood to emit from her mouth and onto his shirt, pants, and hands.”
During the alleged attack, he began choking Susan with both hands and “wrapped his right arm around [her] neck from behind while she was lying down.”
“[Jason] stated that he applied pressure to [her] neck for approximately four to five minutes and released his hold only after becoming exhausted,” the affidavit alleged.
Security footage showed Jason leaving the cabin two minutes later in different clothes before sitting on the floor outside and scrolling on his phone.
He did not alert the crew to Susan’s condition, despite her allegedly lying motionless on the floor inside the cabin.
About 10 minutes after the alleged attack, a housekeeper knocked to deliver fresh towels and saw Jason open the door slightly.
The housekeeper immediately notified MSC security that Jason had blood on his hands and pants and that a woman was lying on the cabin floor.
Jason was taken from the ship in handcuffs after it turned around and returned to the port of Galveston, Texas, early Monday morning.
He will remain in custody and is due back in court next Monday for a probable cause hearing.
If convicted, he could face life in prison.
