A Tennessee man was convicted in Fiji last week for killing his wife while they were honeymooning at a luxury resort on the island.
Bradley Robert Dawson, 40, was found guilty by the High Court in Lautoka, Fiji of the killing of 36-year-old Christie Chen, the Fiji Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions told USA TODAY.
She was found dead on July 9, 2022, inside the couple's bungalow with multiple traumatic injuries and blunt force trauma to the head, the Memphis Commercial Appeal, part of the USA TODAY Network, reported.
The case gained international attention as it took place on the resort featured in the controversial 1980 movie "The Blue Lagoon," starring a young Brooke Shields.
Dawson was found guilty of one count of murder and now faces sentencing, scheduled for January 27, the Fiji Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions said.
The killing took place at Turtle Island Fiji , a luxury resort that offers private villas to 14 couples at a time. Guests typically arrive by seaplane and each villa comes with a personal concierge and gourmet meals, according to the resort's website.
"We can confirm an incident took place between a married couple at the resort on July 9th, resulting in a tragic outcome and charges being laid," the resort management said in an emailed statement to the Memphis Commercial Appeal in 2022. "We cooperated with the authorities during the investigation and the police left the island over a week ago. It is our understanding that charges have been filed in the case."
According to the Fiji Times , Justice Riyaz Hamza said that Dawson had his passport and personal belongings with him when he was arrested, indicating he intended to flee the country after the offense.
While delivering the judgment, Hamza said he was satisfied beyond reasonable doubt that Dawson was the one who committed the offense.
Dawson and Chen were married in February 2022, months before her murder and one month after Dawson finalized the divorce from his first wife. At the time, Dawson was working at a Memphis charity while Chen worked as a pharmacist at a Memphis-area Kroger, according to the Memphis Commercial Appeal.
Chen was also a recent graduate of the University of Tennessee Health Science Center in Memphis.
USA TODAY was not able to immediately find a lawyer representing Bradley Robert Dawson.
Fernando Cervantes Jr. is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach him at fernando.cervantes@gannett.com and follow him on X @fern_cerv_.
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Bradley Robert Dawson, 40, was found guilty by the High Court in Lautoka, Fiji of the killing of 36-year-old Christie Chen, the Fiji Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions told USA TODAY.
She was found dead on July 9, 2022, inside the couple's bungalow with multiple traumatic injuries and blunt force trauma to the head, the Memphis Commercial Appeal, part of the USA TODAY Network, reported.
The case gained international attention as it took place on the resort featured in the controversial 1980 movie "The Blue Lagoon," starring a young Brooke Shields.
Dawson was found guilty of one count of murder and now faces sentencing, scheduled for January 27, the Fiji Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions said.
What happened to Christie Chen?
The killing took place at Turtle Island Fiji , a luxury resort that offers private villas to 14 couples at a time. Guests typically arrive by seaplane and each villa comes with a personal concierge and gourmet meals, according to the resort's website.
"We can confirm an incident took place between a married couple at the resort on July 9th, resulting in a tragic outcome and charges being laid," the resort management said in an emailed statement to the Memphis Commercial Appeal in 2022. "We cooperated with the authorities during the investigation and the police left the island over a week ago. It is our understanding that charges have been filed in the case."
According to the Fiji Times , Justice Riyaz Hamza said that Dawson had his passport and personal belongings with him when he was arrested, indicating he intended to flee the country after the offense.
While delivering the judgment, Hamza said he was satisfied beyond reasonable doubt that Dawson was the one who committed the offense.
Dawson and Chen were married in February 2022, months before her murder and one month after Dawson finalized the divorce from his first wife. At the time, Dawson was working at a Memphis charity while Chen worked as a pharmacist at a Memphis-area Kroger, according to the Memphis Commercial Appeal.
Chen was also a recent graduate of the University of Tennessee Health Science Center in Memphis.
USA TODAY was not able to immediately find a lawyer representing Bradley Robert Dawson.
Fernando Cervantes Jr. is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach him at fernando.cervantes@gannett.com and follow him on X @fern_cerv_.
