Man Described Newlywed Bride as His 'Everything.' But He'd Actually Murdered Her on Their Honeymoon in Fiji
Bradley Robert Dawson, 40, was found guilty of murdering wife Christe Chen at a Yasawa Islands resort in July 2022
A judge in Fiji has found a Tennessee man guilty of murdering his wife while the couple was on their honeymoon in the country in 2022.
Bradley Robert Dawson, 40, was found guilty by Justice Riyaz Hamza of murdering his wife Christe Chen at a Yasawa Islands resort in July 2022. The conviction came on Thursday, Dec. 12, after a weeklong trial in the Lautoka High Court, the Director of Public Prosecutions confirmed to the Associated Press, USA Today and the Fiji Times.
Dawson claimed in court that he had taken a kayak to a nearby island to give his wife time to cool down after they had gotten into an argument on the day she was murdered. However, Hamza said the fact that Dawson was apprehended with his passport and personal belongings the following day indicated that he was planning to flee the country after the crime, the Fiji Times reported.
“For the aforesaid reasons I am of the opinion that the defense’s version cannot be believed and the same version is rejected,” he said, per the outlet. “Having analyzed all the evidence in its totality, I am of the opinion that the prosecution witnesses were all truthful, credible and reliable in their testimony."
Related: Man Who Allegedly Killed His Wife During Their Honeymoon Charged with Her Murder
“Having considered all the evidence in its totality, I am of the opinion that the prosecution has proved the charge of murder against the accused beyond reasonable doubt,” he added.
Dawson and Chen tied the knot on Feb. 18, 2022, before traveling to Fiji for their honeymoon that July. A friend told The Daily Beast that Chen, a pharmacist, and Dawson, a nonprofit IT employee, had a "whirlwind romance" leading up to the nuptials.
The couple checked in at the luxury Turtle Island Resort, which served as the location for the 1980 Brooke Shields film The Blue Lagoon. On July 9, two days after arriving at their honeymoon destination, a resort housekeeper found Chen dead in the couple’s hotel room with several severe injuries to her head.
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Dawson was then apprehended on July 11 in the nearby Matacawalevu Village. Authorities told ABC News that he allegedly confessed to killing Chen before he retained a lawyer.
When asked about an alleged confession, Dawson’s lawyer Iqbal Khan told FOX News, "At the moment, it is complete denial – he did not murder his wife. As it is, there's nothing implicating him.”
Dawson maintained his innocence in court and told the outlet that the couple "never had any physical arguments in [their] relationship." He also said at the time that he was "praying every day" for Chen, who he also described as his “everything.”
Turtle Island Resort told PEOPLE in a statement: "We can confirm that an incident took place between a couple at the Island on July 9th, which has resulted in a tragic outcome and charges being laid. We cooperated fully with the police who conducted a thorough investigation and have now left the Island.”
Dawson's sentencing is scheduled for Jan. 27, per the Fiji Times.
If you are experiencing domestic violence, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233, or go to thehotline.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.
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