A Tennessee man is set to spend most of his life behind bars after being convicted of brutally murdering his wife during their honeymoon in Fiji.
Bradley Robert Dawson, 41, was found guilty of killing his wife, 36-year-old Christe Chen, just five months after they got married. The couple had been staying at the luxury Turtle Island resort in the Yasawa Islands, a picturesque spot in Fiji, when their dream vacation turned into a nightmare.
The tragedy happened on July 9, 2022, after an alcohol-fueled argument spiraled out of control. Just two days into their honeymoon, guests at the resort reported hearing loud banging noises from the couple’s room. The next morning, neither Dawson nor Chen showed up for breakfast or lunch, raising concerns among the staff.
Eventually, a hotel manager sent a housekeeper to check on them, despite a “Do Not Disturb” sign hanging on their door. What they discovered was horrifying—Chen was found inside the bathroom, bleeding and covered in broken glass. Blood was splattered across the walls, and her lifeless body was slumped against a broken toilet, with one of her arms hanging inside the water tank.
Dawson, meanwhile, had fled the resort. He paddled away on a kayak and made his way to another island before he was arrested in the city of Nadi.
During the trial, prosecutors painted a chilling picture of what happened that night. A resort worker testified that while tidying up the room, he saw blood through the slats of the bathroom window. When he cautiously pushed the door open, he saw Chen sitting on the floor, leaning against the toilet with her long hair covering her face.
Dawson tried to argue that his wife had simply been too drunk and had fallen during an argument. But the court didn’t buy it. A forensic report showed that Chen had suffered multiple blunt-force trauma injuries, including wounds on her face, arms, back, and legs. The autopsy revealed a deep, gaping wound on her upper back along with several smaller cuts. A pathologist confirmed that these injuries couldn’t have been caused by a simple fall—they were the result of a brutal beating.
The judge, Justice Riyaz Hamza of the High Court of Lautoka, stated that what should have been a joyous occasion had instead caused unimaginable pain to the victim’s family. Dawson received a life sentence, though he will be eligible for parole after 18 years. He has 30 days to appeal the sentence.
Christe Chen was a highly respected pharmacist and an award-winning pharmaceutical scientist. She had graduated from the University of Tennessee Health Science Center and was passionate about researching social health issues, particularly in low-income communities. Before her tragic death, she worked at Kroger pharmacies in the Memphis area.
Her mother, Xiao Wei Liu, delivered a heartbreaking statement in court, saying no mother should have to know that her daughter died at the hands of the person who promised to love and protect her.
“I can only hope that the rest of your life is filled with misery, loneliness, and despair,” she told Dawson.
Her father, Tao Chen, shared that life now feels empty without his daughter and said he hopes Dawson is haunted by the memories of what he did.
With the conviction and sentencing now final, the family can only hope for justice to bring them some measure of peace.
