Local media reported that a Tennessee man was sentenced to a life term in prison after being found guilty of killing his wife during their 2022 honeymoon.
Bradley Dawson, age 40, was found guilty of the murder of Christe Chen (age 36) in December 2024.
He was sentenced to prison for life on Feb. 2. According to the Fiji Times , Justice Riyaz Hamza of Fiji’s Lautoka High Court said that Dawson would have to serve at least 18 years in prison before he could be considered for pardon.
The Fiji Times reported that Hamza stated that the eight-day court trial proved Dawson’s conduct caused Chen to die while they were at an exclusive island retreat. Hamza told the Fiji Times that Dawson either intended to cause Chen’s death, or was reckless in causing it.
Chen, a recent graduate of the University of Tennessee Health Science Center was a pharmacist when she died, CBS affiliate WREG reports.
In 2022, a span class=”link”>a data-invalid-url-rewrittenhttp=”” href=”https://www.cbsnews.com/news/memphis man charged in Fiji with killing his wife on their honeymoon/” target=”_blank>lawyer representing Christe Chen’s parents said that the body of their daughter was so badly damaged that it couldn’t be embalmed for return to the U.S. and her remains were A attorney representing Christe Chen’s parents in 2022 said that their daughter’s body had been so badly damaged it couldn’t be embalmed to return to the U.S., and her remains were buried.
Dawson fled to an island nearby by kayak after killing Chen. The body of Chen was discovered about 36 hours later. His passport and other items were found with him. Hamza claimed that this meant he was planning to flee.
“Your conduct was disgusting after the incident.” Hamza, a member of the Fiji Times, said that after inflicting serious and life-threatening injury to the deceased, you fled the scene, leaving him alone and helpless.
