Newlywed Who Murdered Wife on Honeymoon Confronted by In-Laws

A Tennessee man who murdered his newlywed wife during their honeymoon in Fiji was confronted by his in-laws as he was sentenced to life in prison for her death.

Bradley Dawson, 41, from Memphis, was arrested in July 2022 after his wife, Christe Chen Dawson, 36, was found dead in their private cabana on the Pacific island nation.

On Thursday, the High Court in Lautoka sentenced Dawson to life in prison, with Judge Riyaz Hamza stating that Christe’s death caused “much pain and sorrow” for her family.

In an emotional impact statement, Christe’s mother, Xiao Wei Liu, spoke directly to Dawson. “No mother should have to know this is how her daughter’s life ended, and by the hands of the very person who took a vow to love, honor, and cherish her,” Liu said. “I can only hope that the rest of your life is filled with misery, loneliness, and despair.”

Her father, Tao Chen, shared his grief, saying, “She was my only child, my little girl, and my reason for living. Each day since her death has been a struggle to find meaning in a life that now feels empty.”

Christe’s body was so badly beaten that it could not be embalmed. Her parents had to cremate her before bringing her ashes back to the United States.

The murder occurred after an argument between the newlyweds. Christe had caught Dawson “inappropriately dancing” with another person at a party. The next day, her body was discovered in a disturbing state, slumped beside the toilet in their $3,500-a-night suite at the Turtle Island Resort.

When the couple missed both breakfast and lunch, a housekeeper went to check on them and that is when she found Christie. Dawson was arrested in Matacawalevu Village, found with his passport and personal belongings.

Dawson had always insisted that his wife’s death was an accident. However, Christe’s injuries, including deep lacerations to her head, were so severe that embalming fluid could not be properly used. An autopsy confirmed that her death was a homicide caused by traumatic brain injury.

The couple had met in November 2021 and married just three months later in a whirlwind romance. Christe had previously been engaged, sources revealed. Dawson’s second marriage to Christe followed a previous marriage to another woman in Fiji in September 2019, though details about his separation are unclear.

Christe’s parents, who were regular guests at the luxury resort, had paid for the trip. The night Christe died, the couple attended a “family fun night” party at the resort with island staff and other guests. According to witnesses, tensions rose when Dawson started acting inappropriately with someone else at the party. The couple continued their argument on the beach, and later, back in their private bungalow.

Christe’s parents arrived in Fiji days later, after being notified of her death by the State Department. They later identified her body at the Lautoka morgue before it was cremated.

Christe worked as a pharmacist at Kroger, while Dawson was an IT professional for Youth Villages, a nonprofit organization focused on helping children. Before becoming a pharmacist, Christe had worked as a baker in Colorado.