Tennessee man condemned to lifelong prison for murder of women in Fiji

Tennessee man condemned to lifelong prison for murder of women in Fiji

A man from Memphis, Tennessee, was sentenced to life in prison for murder on his wife during the honeymoon in Fiji in 2022. This was announced by a judicial officer on Friday.

judgment and details on the case

Bradley Robert Dawson, 40 years old, has to serve in prison at least 18 years before he can be considered for a possible release, according to an employee of the Higher Court of Fijis in Lautoka.

Dawson was found to be guilty in December that his wife, Christian, 36 years old, was murdered in the exclusive Turtle Island Resort in the Yasawa Archipelago, just two days after the couple had arrived in the South Pacificland. Then he fled to a nearby island with a kayak.

judicial charges and evidence

The verdict was announced on Wednesday by judge Riyaz Hamza. Hamza found that Dawson took the rights of life and the personal freedom of Chen with feet.

"Your behavior after the incident was hideous. After adding serious and life -threatening injuries to the deceased, they fled from the crime scene and left the injured party alone and helpless," said Hamza according to the Fiji Times.

discovery of the body

The body of Chen was discovered by employees of the resort in the couple's room; She had numerous blunt injuries on the head after the couple was heard, as it argued and did not appear for breakfast or lunch the next morning.

Dawson did not guilty and was put in court over a period of eight days. His lawyer Anil Prasad argued that the public prosecutor had not submitted enough evidence to condemn Dawson, reported the Fiji Broadcasting Corporation.

defense strategy and judicial decision

Prasad pointed out that the public prosecutor claimed that Dawson had planned to leave Fiji, but without recognizing that many personal objects had been left behind in the resort. He also mentioned that Dawson had no injuries that could indicate a physical examination of his wife. Nevertheless, the judge was convinced that Dawson and nobody had committed the crime.

legal provisions and possible exemption

Future view for Dawson

DAVID NAYLOR, an expert in Pacific law from the Australian National University, who has taught in Fiji, said that after 18 years in prison, Dawson could apply to the National Beawriting Commission in order to be released with the pardon of the Fijian President. He could also apply for his lifelong imprisonment to be converted into a fixed prison sentence that would determine a specific discharge date.

profession and background of Dawson

Dawson worked in the IT area of Youth Villages, a non-profit organization for child and youth welfare based in Memphis. An online research showed that there was no prior criminal arrest from Dawson in the Shelby County, which includes Memphis.

The Turtle Island Resort in which the couple lived is an exclusive and remote 500 Acres large island, which only offers 14 couples accommodation. Yasawa is a group of around 20 volcanic islands in the west of Fiji, a country with 930,000 inhabitants