Luxury Honeymoon Turns Deadly as Tennessee Newlywed Brutally Kills Wife in Hotel Bathroom

Lifestyle
Paul Johns
February 16, 2025
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7 minutes read

The two were on their honeymoon ( Image: Instagram)

A Tennessee man has been sentenced to life in prison for the brutal murder of his newlywed wife during their honeymoon in Fiji. Bradley Robert Dawson, 41, was found guilty of killing Christe Chen, 36, in July 2022, just five months after their marriage.

What was meant to be a romantic getaway at the luxurious Turtle Island resort in Fiji’s Yasawa Islands turned into a scene of horror when Chen’s battered body was discovered in the couple’s blood-soaked hotel bathroom. Her arm was found submerged in the water tank, and she had severe blunt-force trauma to her head, reported CBS News.

Justice Riyaz Hamza of the High Court of Lautoka condemned the crime in his sentencing opinion, stating, “What should have been a truly joyous and memorable vacation was turned into a nightmare for the deceased and her family, causing much pain and sorrow to them.” Dawson received a life sentence with the possibility of parole, and the court determined he would be eligible for release after serving 18 years.

The gruesome crime was uncovered after hotel staff responded to a noise complaint from a fellow guest. The night before, Dawson and Chen were overheard arguing, and the next day, they missed both breakfast and lunch. Other guests recalled that while the couple seemed happy earlier in the evening, loud banging sounds came from their room later that night.

Dawson will spend the the next chunk of his life locked up ( Image: FOX13 Memphis)

A housekeeper, who was sent to check the room despite a Do Not Disturb sign, made the horrifying discovery. Blood spatter covered the bathroom, and Chen’s lifeless body was found propped against the shattered toilet, surrounded by broken glass.

Dawson attempted to claim that his wife had been intoxicated and fell during an argument, but the court dismissed his version of events. An autopsy revealed that Chen had multiple severe injuries, including a gaping wound on her back, indicating she had been punched repeatedly.

Christe Chen, an award-winning pharmaceutical scientist, had dedicated her career to helping underserved communities. She worked as a pharmacist in Memphis before her tragic death.

Her grieving mother, Xiao Wei Liu, expressed her devastation in a victim impact statement, telling Fox News, “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. I can only hope that the rest of your life is filled with misery, loneliness, and despair.”

During the trial, housekeeper Tomas Mawi recalled his chilling testimony. He described looking through the bathroom louvers, where he first saw blood stains on the wall. When he pushed open the bathroom door, he saw Chen’s body, her hair falling over her face, covering the extent of her injuries.

Dawson’s attempts to deny responsibility were ultimately rejected by the court, which ruled that he had inflicted multiple violent blows on his wife, ending her life in a horrific act of domestic violence.