The mother of a Texas woman allegedly murdered during a cruise with her husband has revealed that she pleaded with her daughter not to take the trip.
Susan Watford, 31, was discovered dead in her cabin Sunday night after her husband allegedly beat and strangled her in front of their young child aboard the MSC Seascape.
“I had asked her not to go,” Dorothy Mast, Watford’s grieving adoptive mother, told KPRC.
Jason Leon Watford, 48, has been charged with murder. According to court documents, an argument that began during dinner escalated after the couple returned to their cabin on the first night of the vacation.
Mast said she tried to reach her daughter during the cruise but did not immediately suspect anything was wrong when Susan failed to answer.
“I tried calling her,” she said. “She didn’t answer. So I figured, well, you know, she’s busy.”
By the time the call came through, investigators believe Susan had already been killed.
Watford, who was reportedly familiar with allegations of domestic abuse, allegedly confessed during questioning by FBI agents. He was charged in federal court overnight.
Susan Watford, 31, was found dead in her cabin by an MSC Seascape employee Sunday night while traveling with her husband
Susan’s husband, Jason Leon Watford, allegedly beat and strangled her in front of their young child during the first night of the cruise
The couple’s toddler was not physically injured and has since been placed in the care of child protective services.
Watford appeared in federal court in Galveston on Tuesday and waived his right to a detention hearing during his initial appearance.
Susan’s adoptive mother, Dorothy Mast, pictured above, urged her daughter to cancel the trip, but Susan wanted to give the marriage another chance
Mast said Susan, a mother of three, knew about her husband’s alleged history of violence but viewed the cruise as a final opportunity to repair their relationship.
“As she told me, ‘Mama, he did everything the court said he had to do,’” Mast recalled, referring to an earlier case in which Jason was convicted of assaulting a family member.
In 2024, Susan told police that Jason had seized her wrist during an argument about money, forcing her to use a Taser to protect herself.
Jason first denied assaulting her but later pleaded guilty to assault causing bodily injury to a family member.
He received 15 months of probation following that incident.
“He took his anger management classes. He did his counseling. He did his community service,” Mast said.
Mast said Susan had planned to seek a divorce if the cruise failed to improve the marriage. Remembering her daughter, she added: “She was a great daughter and liked to learn.”
Jason allegedly told FBI agents Monday that the couple began arguing over dinner before the confrontation intensified inside their cabin
The alleged attack followed an earlier incident in 2024, when Susan told police that Jason grabbed her wrist during a dispute over money and she used a Taser to defend herself
The MSC Seascape departed Galveston on Sunday for a voyage to Mexico and Honduras. That evening, however, Jason and Susan became involved in an argument during dinner.
Security footage allegedly showed Jason leaving the restaurant and returning alone to the couple’s deck 10 cabin at 7.46pm.
Susan arrived at the cabin at 8.11pm, and the dispute continued.
According to the charging affidavit, Jason told investigators that he “snapped” and repeatedly punched Susan in the face as the argument escalated.
The blows allegedly caused blood to spray from her mouth onto his shirt, trousers and hands.
He then allegedly placed both hands around Susan’s neck before wrapping his right arm around her throat from behind as she lay on the floor.
“[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 said.
Security footage allegedly showed him leaving the cabin two minutes later in a change of clothes before sitting on the floor outside and using his phone.
Investigators said he did not alert the crew to Susan’s condition, despite her remaining motionless inside the cabin.
About 10 minutes later, a housekeeper knocked to deliver fresh towels and saw Jason open the door slightly.
The employee immediately reported to MSC security that Jason had blood on his hands and trousers and that a woman was lying on the cabin floor.
The ship turned around and returned to Galveston early Monday, where Jason was taken into custody in handcuffs.
He will remain detained and is due back in court next Monday for a probable cause hearing.
If convicted, he could receive a life sentence.