A Tennessee man who murdered his wife during their honeymoon in 2022 has been sentenced to life in prison in Fiji, according to local media.
In December 2024, 40-year-old Bradley Dawson was convicted of murdering his 36-year-old wife, Christe Chen. On Tuesday in February, Bradley Dawson was sentenced to life in prison.
Lautoka High Court judge Riyaz Hamza said Dawson must serve a minimum of 18 years before pardon can be considered, according to Fiji Times reports.
According to the Fiji Times, Judge Hamza said the eight-day trial made it clear that while Bradley Dawson was at an exclusive island resort, he engaged in conduct that led to Chen’s death. He also said that Dawson intended to cause Chen’s death or was reckless in doing so.
The staff member reported that he had heard the couple arguing before the murder and the next day, resort staff found Chen with multiple serious injuries to his head.
In 2022, a lawyer for Christe Chen’s parents said that their daughter’s body was in too bad a condition to be preserved for repatriation to the United States, and her remains were cremated.
After Chen’s murder, Dawson escaped by kayak to a nearby island and was captured approximately 36 hours after Chen’s body was found. Hamza said Dawson had the passport and other items. This indicated that he had planned to escape.
“Your conduct after the incident was extremely appalling. After causing serious and life-threatening injuries to the deceased, you fled the scene of the crime, leaving him alone and helpless,” Judge Hamza said during sentencing, according to the Fiji Times.
