A Memphis man, Bradley Robert Dawson, 38, was found guilty on Thursday of the brutal July 2022 murder of his newlywed wife, Christe Chen Dawson, while they were on their honeymoon at a luxury resort in Fiji.
The case, which shocked both the U.S. and Fiji, unfolded when Christe Chen Dawson, a 36-year-old pharmacist from Memphis, Tennessee, was discovered dead at the exclusive Turtle Island Resort on July 9, 2022. Authorities confirmed her cause of death as multiple blunt force injuries to the head.
Prosecutors in the High Court of Lautoka alleged that Dawson killed his wife during a drunken argument, just two days after the couple arrived for their honeymoon. Following the fatal incident, Dawson fled the scene in a kayak to a neighboring island, where he was later apprehended.
At the time of his arrest, authorities found personal belongings and his passport on him, which, according to Fijian Court Justice Riyaz Hamza, indicated a plan to flee the country. The prosecution detailed that the argument between the couple allegedly began after Christe caught Dawson “inappropriately dancing” with another woman, as reported by The Daily Mail.
The luxury honeymoon trip had reportedly been paid for by Christe’s parents, who were regular visitors to the resort. Justice Hamza dismissed Dawson’s defense, firmly rejecting his claims that Christe’s death was accidental. “For the aforesaid reasons, I am of the opinion that the defense’s version cannot be believed, and the same version is rejected,” Hamza stated.
He added, “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. From the totality of the evidence, I am satisfied that the prosecution has disproved the defense of provocation.”
“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,” the judge concluded.
Throughout the trial, Dawson maintained his innocence, insisting that his wife’s death was a tragic accident. However, Ronald Gordon, the attorney for Christe’s family, described the severity of her injuries, stating that her body had been beaten so badly it could not be embalmed.
As a result, Christe’s remains had to be cremated before her ashes were returned to the United States. Dawson is now awaiting sentencing, scheduled for January 27, 2024, bringing a grim end to a tragic case of a honeymoon that turned deadly.