WELLINGTON, New Zealand — A man from Memphis, Tennessee has been convicted of murdering his wife while they were on their honeymoon in Fiji in 2022, according to the prosecutor’s office.
Bradley Robert Dawson, aged 40, was found guilty of killing his wife, Christe Chen, 36, at the luxurious Turtle Island resort located in the Yasawa archipelago. This tragic incident occurred just two days after the couple arrived in Fiji, after which Dawson managed to escape in a kayak to a nearby island. Resort staff discovered Chen deceased in their room, having sustained multiple blunt force trauma injuries to her head. She had not been seen at breakfast or lunch the day following their altercation, which was reportedly overheard by others.
Justice Riyaz Hamza delivered the guilty verdict in the Lautoka High Court after a week-long trial. Dawson had attempted to defend himself against the charges. The judge pointed out that when Dawson was arrested, he had his passport and personal belongings, implying he had intentions to flee the jurisdiction. Justice Hamza expressed his firm belief that Dawson was solely responsible for the crime.
Currently remaining in custody in Fiji, Dawson is facing a mandatory life sentence, with a hearing scheduled in January to determine his penalty. Under Fijian law, the presiding judge can establish a minimum time that Dawson must serve before he is eligible for a pardon.
An attorney representing Dawson has yet to provide any comments regarding the conviction. In a previous statement from 2022, a lawyer for Christe Chen’s parents shared the heartbreaking news that her body sustained such severe injuries that it could not be embalmed for her transportation back to the U.S., leading to her cremation. Before returning to school to pursue a career in pharmacy, Chen had worked as a pastry chef and was employed as a pharmacist at a Kroger supermarket in Memphis.
Ronald Gordon, the family’s lawyer, also noted that witnesses had heard the couple arguing over dinner the night leading up to the murder. Dawson held a position in the information technology department at Youth Villages, a nonprofit organization based in Memphis that serves children and families. Records indicate that he had no prior criminal history in Shelby County, where Memphis is located.
The Turtle Island resort, the site of the couple’s stay, is a high-end, secluded island that spans 500 acres and accommodates just 14 couples at any given time. Yasawa is a collection of around 20 volcanic islands situated in the western region of Fiji, a picturesque South Pacific nation home to about 930,000 residents.