American Sentenced for Killing Wife on Luxury Fiji Honeymoon

UPDATE Feb 14, 2025 2:00 AM CST

A Tennessee man was on Friday sentenced to life in prison for the murder of his new bride just two days into their 2022 honeymoon in Fiji. Bradley Robert Dawson, 40, was convicted in Fiji in December, the AP reports. He must serve at least 18 years before he can be considered for release.

Jul 20, 2022 5:28 PM CDT

A Memphis man is accused of murdering his bride while on their honeymoon at a luxe Fiji resort that featured in the 1980 movie The Blue Lagoon. Authorities say Christe Chen Dawson was found dead in her room at Fiji's Turtle Island Resort on July 9. The 36-year-old's cause or manner of death have not been revealed, but husband Bradley Robert Dawson, 38, has been charged with her murder, reports the Fiji Sun. It adds that police sought a court order to obtain Bradley Dawson's DNA sample after he apparently refused to provide one. His lawyer says he maintains his innocence.

The Daily Beast notes the two married on Feb. 18 after a whirlwind romance. The resort—which was the honeymoon destination for former couples Jessica Simpson and Nick Lachey and Britney Spears and Kevin Federline—said in a statement to People, "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." FOX13 reports Christe Chen Dawson was a pharmacist at Kroger; her husband works as an IT specialist. He has a July 27 court date. (More honeymoon stories.)