A Memphis man, Bradley Robert Dawson, 38, was found guilty 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 United States 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 the cause of his death. such as multiple blunt force injuries to the head.
Prosecutors at the Lautoka High Court alleged Dawson killed his wife during a drunken argument, just two days after the couple arrived on their honeymoon. After the fatal incident, Dawson fled the scene in a kayak to a neighboring island, where he was later arrested.
At the time of his arrest, authorities found personal belongings and his passport, which Fiji Court Judge Riyaz Hamza said indicated a plan to flee the country. Prosecutors detailed that the argument between the couple allegedly began after Christe caught Dawson “dancing inappropriately” with another woman, according to reports. The daily mail.
The lavish honeymoon trip had reportedly been paid for by Christe’s parents, who were regular visitors to the resort. Judge Hamza dismissed Dawson’s defense and firmly rejected his claims that Christe’s death was accidental. “For the aforementioned reasons, I am of the opinion that the defense version cannot be believed and the same version is rejected,” Hamza said.
He added: “Having considered all the evidence in its entirety, I am of the opinion that all the prosecution witnesses were truthful, credible and reliable in their testimony. From the totality of the evidence, I am convinced that the prosecution has rebutted the defense of provocation.”
“Having considered all the evidence in its entirety, I am of the opinion that the prosecution has proven the charge of murder against the accused beyond a reasonable doubt,” the judge concluded.
Throughout the trial, Dawson maintained his innocence and insisted that his wife’s death was a tragic accident. However, Ronald Gordon, the attorney for Christe’s family, described the severity of her injuries and claimed that her body had been beaten so brutally that it could not be embalmed.
As a result, Christe’s remains had to be cremated before his ashes were returned to the United States. Dawson is now awaiting sentencing, scheduled for January 27, 2024, which will bring a somber end to a tragic honeymoon-turned-deadly case.