Federal authorities have charged an East Texas man with murder after he allegedly beat and strangled his wife aboard a cruise ship off the Texas coast - and investigators confirmed a child was found inside the room where the killing allegedly took place.

Jason Watford, 48, now faces a federal murder charge in connection with the death of his wife, Susan, aboard the MSC Seascape.

The massive cruise liner was forced to turn back to its home port in Galveston so the FBI could investigate, hours after the ship departed for Mexico and Honduras.