Man Described Newlywed Bride as His 'Everything.' But He'd Actually Murdered Her on Their Honeymoon in Fiji

Mar. 15, 2025

A photo of Bradley Dawson and Christe Chen.Photo: Christe Dawson/Instagram

A judge in Fiji has found a Tennessee man guilty ofmurdering his wifewhile the couple was on their honeymoon in the country in 2022.

“For the aforesaid reasons I am of the opinion that the defense’s version cannot be believed and the same version is rejected,” he said, per the outlet. “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."

“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,” he added.

Dawson and Chen tied the knot on Feb. 18, 2022, before traveling to Fiji for their honeymoon that July. A friend toldTheDailyBeastthat Chen, a pharmacist, and Dawson, a nonprofit IT employee, had a  “whirlwind romance” leading up to the nuptials.

The couple checked in at the luxury Turtle Island Resort, which served as the location for the 1980Brooke ShieldsfilmThe Blue Lagoon. On July 9, two days after arriving at their honeymoon destination, a resort housekeeper found Chen dead in the couple’s hotel room with several severe injuries to her head.

A photo of Christe Chen obtained from Facebook.Christe Dawson Facebook

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When asked about an alleged confession, Dawson’s lawyer Iqbal Khan toldFOX News, “At the moment, it is complete denial – he did not murder his wife. As it is, there’s nothing implicating him.”

Dawson maintained his innocence in court and told the outlet that the couple “never had any physical arguments in [their] relationship.” He also said at the time that he was “praying every day” for Chen, who he also described as his “everything.”

Turtle Island Resort told PEOPLE in a statement: “We can confirm that an incident took place between a couple at the Island on July 9th, which has resulted in a tragic outcome and charges being laid. We cooperated fully with the police who conducted a thorough investigation and have now left the Island.”

Dawson’s sentencing is scheduled for Jan. 27, per theFijiTimes.

If you are experiencing domestic violence, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233, or go tothehotline.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.

source: people.com