Tragic twist after newlywed bride killed on Fiji honeymoon

Tara Meakins
·News Reporter
·2-min read

Shocking new details have emerged around the devastating slaying of a newly married bride in Fiji.

Christie Chen, from Tennessee in the US, was on her honeymoon when she was allegedly killed by her husband Bradley Robert Dawson.

It’s now been revealed that her body was so badly beaten that her family weren’t able to bring her home due to the “nature of her injuries”.

The family’s lawyer, Ronald Gordon, told the Daily Mail the 36-year-old suffered “major blows” to her body.

Pictured is Christie Chen on her wedding day with her husband and her sitting on the ground on the right.
Christie Chen's husband has been accused of murder during their honeymoon in Fiji. Source: Instagram/Facebook

“So she had to be cremated here in Fiji and her ashes were taken back,” he said.

He added that Ms Chen’s parents were so shocked at the news of their daughter’s death, that “they thought it was a prank call” when authorities informed them.

“She is the only child of her parents and obviously they are quite devastated and they want to ensure that justice is given to her.”

From island paradise to horror

The newlyweds had been staying at an exclusive beachside resort on Turtle Island when Ms Chen’s beaten body was discovered.

She was found in the bathroom by a staff member on July 9, lying in a pool of blood.

According to a post-mortem report viewed by the Mail, Ms Chen had multiple traumatic injuries, including blunt force trauma to the head.

Pictured is Christe Chen and Bradley Dawson.
Mr Dawson claims his new wife's death was an accident, however he has been charged with her murder. Source: Instagram via the New York Post

Mr Dawson was arrested two days later on the country’s main island and charged with his new wife’s murder.

He claims her death was an accident and maintains his innocence.

But Mr Gordon says it appeared to have followed an argument between the honeymooners.

The pair were married in February after dating for just three months.

Mr Gordon explained that Ms Chen was Mr Dawson’s second wife, and that he had taken his first bride to Fiji as well in 2020.

Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@yahoonews.com.

You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Twitter and download the Yahoo News app from the App Store or Google Play.

Our goal is to create a safe and engaging place for users to connect over interests and passions. In order to improve our community experience, we are temporarily suspending article commenting

Latest stories

  • TikTok trend terrifies children

    Toddlers around the world have been the target of the prank.

  • Author Nicholas Evans dies at 72

    Nicholas Evans, the British author who penned the bestselling novel "The Horse Whisperer," has died aged 72.United Agents said Evans died "suddenly" on August 9 following a heart attack.

  • Greens want Vic coal plants' early closure

    The last of Victoria's coal-fired power plants would be shut within the next decade if the Greens have their way, with experts saying the deadline may be feasible.A bill is expected to be introduced to state parliament on Tuesday, proposing Victoria's three remaining coal plants close by 2030, ahead of the current anticipated 2046 time frame.

  • US lawmakers land in Taiwan in 'confronting' move

    Just 12 days after Nancy Pelosi's visit to Taiwan, the US lawmakers have landed in Taiwan despite repeated warnings from China.

  • Music festival turns deadly as chaos erupts: 'Moment of horror'

    A festival goer has been killed and a dozen more injured after 'violent' winds tore down part of a stage at a music festival in Spain. Find out what happened.

  • Hawthorn accused of misconduct, hypocrisy

    Hawthorn Football Club has been accused of unlawful discrimination by an ex-employee, who claims she was forced to resign due to alleged misconduct.Sophia Salmon-Abbott recently began legal proceedings against the Victorian AFL club, claiming she was isolated and demoted last year due to her mental health struggles.

  • Freya the walrus delighted crowds in Norway

    Source: Knut Karlsen via Storyful

  • Deadly fireworks blast at Armenian market

    A strong explosion tore through a popular market in Armenia's capital, killing at least one person, injuring 36 others and setting off a large fire.The early afternoon blast from a fireworks storage area at Surmalu market in Yerevan on Sunday sent a towering column of smoke over the centre of the capital.

  • Aust drivers' fuel costs hit $100 a week

    Cash-strapped Australians filling up at the fuel pump paid an extra $5 a week over the course of the past three months, according to new figures.The Australian Automobile Association's latest Transport Affordability Index, released on Sunday, shows average weekly fuel costs across the nation rose to $100.

  • Terrifying videos emerge as 7 killed in flash flooding

    A pleasant day out by a babbling river turned into a sudden fight for survival as disaster struck. Watch the video.

  • Woolworths adds 40 new suburbs to 60-minute delivery service - is yours on the list?

    Is your suburb on the list? Find out here.

  • Egyptian church fire kills at least 41

    An electrical fire swept through an Egyptian Coptic Christian church during Mass, causing a stampede and killing at least 41 people.The blaze started during a Sunday morning service in the Abu Sifin church in the city of Giza where about up to 1,000 people had gathered.

  • Dutton not told of Morrison ministry roles

    Opposition Leader Peter Dutton said he wasn't aware former prime minister Scott Morrison had secretly sworn himself into three ministerial portfolios while in government.But while he wasn't party to the move and didn't know about it until it was revealed in the media in recent days, it was a matter for the former prime minister.

  • Wheat would save Aust from nuclear famine

    If nuclear war broke out, Australia may be the best place to survive.Researchers have analysed the impact nuclear weapon detonation would have on global food supply, finding massive fires and soot in the atmosphere would lead to food shortages and famine.

  • Nation remembers WWII Pacific 'atrocity'

    Federal Veterans' Affairs Minister Matt Keogh has paid tribute to the spirit of mateship at the site of what he called the "single greatest atrocity" committed against Australians in World War II.Monday marks Victory in the Pacific Day, commemorating the 77th anniversary of Japan's Emperor Hirohito announcing his country would accept the Allies' ultimatum it surrender unconditionally.

  • Wall St closes up for fourth straight week

    Wall Street has closed higher as signs that inflation may have peaked in July increased investor confidence that a bull market could be under way and spurred the S&P; 500 and the Nasdaq to post their fourth straight week of gains.5 per cent from a mid-June low, with the latest gains coming from data this week showing a slower-than-expected rise in the consumer price index and a surprise drop in producer prices last month.

  • Revenge attack fear after Sydney shootings

    Police are bracing for revenge attacks after two women were gunned down in an unprecedented gangland attack on a southwest Sydney street.The women, identified in reports as 48-year-old mother of two Lametta Fadlallah and Amy Hazouri, 39, were killed on Saturday night when the car they were sitting in was peppered with bullets.

  • NT schools to open during strike

    Northern Territory schools to be hit by strike action this week will all remain open, authorities say.The NT Department of Education says it has been advised of the four-hour industrial action planned for Friday over the public sector's four-year pay freeze.

  • Russian forces pound Ukraine's Donetsk

    Ukrainian forces have reported heavy Russian shelling and attempts to advance on several towns in the eastern region of Donetsk that has become a key focus of the near six-month war, but said they had repelled many of the attacks.The General Staff of Ukraine's armed forces also reported Russian shelling of more than a dozen towns on the southern front - particularly the Kherson region, mainly controlled by Russian forces, but where Ukrainian troops are steadily capturing territory.

  • Stocks struggle as China rate cut hits oil

    Global shares have struggled to advance while investors digested news of an unexpected cut in Chinese interest rates as data pointed to faltering growth in the world's second-largest economy, sending oil prices nearly two per cent lower.Weaker US stock index futures also weighed on sentiment, while a steadier dollar knocked gold.