A Tennessee man will spend the rest of his life behind bars for murdering his wife just days into their picturesque Fiji honeymoon, then fleeing to a nearby island in what officials call an "appalling" crime.
Bradley Robert Dawson, 40, was convicted in December of killing his wife, Christe Chen Dawson, 36, at the exclusive Turtle Island resort in the Yasawa archipelago.
Justice Riyaz Hamza sentenced him to life in prison Wednesday, with the possibility of parole after 18 years.
"Your conduct after the incident was appalling," Hamza said, per The Fiji Times. "Having inflicted serious and life-threatening injuries to the deceased you fled the scene of the crime, leaving the deceased alone and helpless."
Resort staff found Chen's body in the couple's room, battered by multiple blunt force injuries, after she failed to show up for breakfast or lunch. Meanwhile, Dawson had escaped by kayak to a nearby island but was soon captured.
During the eight-day trial, Dawson insisted he was innocent. His lawyer, Anil Prasad, argued that prosecutors lacked solid evidence, pointing to the absence of injuries on Dawson that would indicate a violent struggle. He also noted many of the couple's belongings remained at the resort, contradicting claims that Dawson had planned to flee, per Fijian Broadcasting Corp.
The judge ruled that the evidence overwhelmingly pointed to Dawson as the killer. Under Fijian law, he can apply for parole after serving his minimum sentence, but the parole board remains unstaffed. Dawson could also seek a presidential pardon or request his sentence be converted to a fixed term.
