Tennessee man accused of murdering wife during Fiji honeymoon denied bail

A Tennessee man accused of killing his new wife during a fairy tale honeymoon in Fiji will remain behind bars until his upcoming murder trial, a judge ruled.

Bradley Dawson, an IT specialist from Memphis, was ordered held without bond in a jail Tuesday on the Pacific island nation, Fox News reported. Lautoka High Court Judge Riyaz Hamza also rejected each of his bail sponsors, both Fiji residents, who failed to provide information about their relationships with Dawson.

Dawson pleaded not guilty in August to the murder of his 39-year-old bride, Christe Chen, who was so brutally beaten when she died that her family said they were forced to cremate her remains. A housekeeper at the ritzy Turtle Island Resort discovered Chen dead in the bathroom of her resort room the morning of July 9. The night before, witnesses said they saw the couple drunkenly arguing and later heard banging sounds coming from their room.

Chen’s murder came just months after she tied the knot with Dawson in their hometown of Memphis. A close friend of the couple said she had been looking forward to the romantic getaway with her husband to Turtle Island Resort, which also served as the location for the 1980 film Blue Lagoon, starring Brooke Shields.

Bradley Robert Dawson and Christe Chen

Bradley Robert Dawson and Christe Chen

Dawson was arrested a few days later on a neighboring island. He had $1,000 cash in his wallet, his passport, driver’s license and credit cards belonging to both himself and Chen.

During a subsequent interview with law enforcement, Dawson said he “freaked out,” prompting him to flee in a kayak. Prosecutors said he also confessed to drunkenly fighting with his wife and killing her. His defense attorney, Iqbal Khan, argued that the unsigned statements Dawson made to police, known in Fiji as a “caution interview,” are not valid.

Another hearing has been set for Sept. 26.