By Daily Mail (U.S.) | Created at 2024-12-13 22:26:49 | Updated at 2024-12-24 12:21:02
1 week ago
A Memphis man charged with the murder of his newlywed wife while the two were on an idyllic honeymoon in Fiji was found guilty on Thursday.
Bradley Robert Dawson, now 40, was convicted of murdering his new wife, Christe Chen Dawson, 36, in July 2022 after authorities found her brutally maimed inside the couple's luxurious honeymoon suite at the Turtle Island Resort in Yasawa.
The 36-year-old victim was found squashed and slumped in between a tiny space next to the toilet and the wall, inside the suite, badly beaten and covered in blood on July 9 at the secluded $3,500-a-night Turtle Island Resort, which only hosts 14 guests at a time.
The next day, Dawson was arrested at Matacawalevu Village with his passport and personal belongings.
Fijian Court Justice Riyaz Hamza believed that having such items on his person at the time of his arrest indicated that the 40-year-old intended to flee after committing the horrific act.
'For the aforesaid reasons, I am of the opinion that the defense’s version cannot be believed, and the same version is rejected,' Hamza said.
'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 disapproved of 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.'
Bradley Robert Dawson (left), now 40, was convicted of murdering his new wife, Christe Chen Dawson (right), 36, after authorities found her brutally maimed inside the couple's luxurious honeymoon suite at the Turtle Island Resort in Yasawa
Dawson, now 40, was arrested the day after the fatal beating as law enforcement found the Memphis native with his passport and personal belongings
Dawson has maintained that his wife's death was an accident. He is scheduled to be sentenced in Fiji on January 27
Dawson has maintained that his wife's death was an accident. The Memphis native is scheduled to be sentenced in Fiji on January 27.
A lawyer for Chen's family, Ronald Gordon, said that her body was so badly beaten that she was unable to be embalmed and her parents had to cremate her before bringing her ashes back to the United States.
He added that she suffered such deep lacerations to both sides of her head, near her eyes, that the embalming fluid would have leaked.
The tragic killing was reported to have happened after Chen Dawson shared a drunken argument with her husband after she caught him 'inappropriately dancing' with another person at a party, DailyMail.com revealed.
The couple, who met in November 2021, married three months later after a whirlwind romance. Chen had previously been engaged, sources revealed.
She was Dawson's second wife. He'd married his first in Fiji in September 2019, according to a wedding registry. It's unclear when he separated from his first wife.
Chen was found dead just two days after they checked into the elite private resort, which her parents - who were regulars there - had paid for.
The night Chen died, she and Dawson had attended a party - dubbed 'family fun night' - with island staff and other guests on the beach where both were 'very drunk.'
The 36-year-old was found squashed and slumped in between a tiny space next to the toilet and the wall, inside the suite, badly beaten and covered in blood at the secluded $3,500-a-night Turtle Island Resort, which only hosts 14 guests at a time
The Turtle Island Resort is located on a private island off the coast of Fiji
Witnesses told DailyMail.com that tensions arose between the couple when Dawson started acting inappropriately with someone else at the party.
'They were enjoying themselves and drinking quite a lot but towards the end they looked troubled,' the source, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said.
It's understood the couple then left the party and their argument continued on the beach before they headed back to their private bungalow about midnight, where the fight continued.
'Not long after that, guests in the bungalow next door said they heard arguing, a loud scream, and then silence,' a source told DailyMail.com.
DailyMail.com revealed that Chen was found bloodied on the bathroom floor by a personal butler around midday.
She had suffered multiple traumatic injuries to her body and shoulders, lacerations to her face and blunt force trauma to the head, according to a post-mortem exam report.
A source told DailyMail.com that the lid of the toilet's cistern was cracked and broken. The couple's personal butler found her body squashed and slumped between the tiny space between the toilet and the wall, badly beaten and covered in blood, according to sources.
A lawyer for Chen's family said that her body was so badly beaten that she was unable to be embalmed and her parents had to cremate her before bringing her ashes back to the United States
Chen's parents arrived in Fiji days later after being informed of her death by the State Department in a midnight phone call.
It's understood they also viewed her badly battered body in the Lautoka morgue before she was cremated.
Chen worked as a pharmacist at Kroger while Dawson worked as an IT professional for Youth Villages, a non-profit which helps children.
She had previously worked as a baker in Colorado before moving to Tennessee to pursue studying pharmacy.
