A Tennessee man has been convicted of murder after allegedly beating his wife to death on their honeymoon in Fiji and attempting to flee in a kayak, according to police.
On Wednesday, a Fijian court convicted Bradley Robert Dawson of murder. The Fiji Times reported the discovery of Dawson’s wife, Christe Chen Dawson, dead in their hotel room on July 9, 2022.
Dawson was arrested the following day. Officers apparently discovered Dawson’s passport on him, leading them to assume he was planning to exit the country.
A local man told the Daily Mail in 2022 that Dawson had arrived in the village by kayak and told him he had gotten into a fight with his wife.
Ronald Gordon, the family’s lawyer, stated that Chen had various injuries, including blunt force damage to the head. At the time, he informed the Daily Mail that the nature of her injuries prevented the return of her body to her hometown of Memphis, so they cremated her in Fiji before transporting her back.
Iqbal Khan, Dawson’s attorney, told the outlet in July 2022 that he thought “it looks like an accident,” adding that the evidence submitted did not provide “proof” of “intention to kill or premeditation.”
However, Justice Riyaz Hamza thought the evidence provided proved Dawson’s guilt “beyond reasonable doubt.” “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,” Hamza told the court, as reported by the Fiji Times.
Chen’s family verified Dawson’s conviction to WREG on Thursday.
Dawson will return to court on January 27 to receive his sentence.