Christe Chen and Bradley Dawson tied the knot just a few months after meeting, before jetting off on a pricey foreign getaway for their honeymoon - but neither of them would return home. The couple met in November 2021 and got married just months later in February 2022, after then-38-year-old Dawson had finalised a divorce from his first wife. They moved in together in Memphis, Tennessee, and flew to the extravagant Turtle Island Resort in Fiji in July - a gift from 36-year-old Christe's parents.

While some of her family and friends were surprised by the quick progression of their relationship, Christe had often spoken about her desire to get married and have children, so those close to her hoped she had finally found a fairytale ending, The Mirror reports. However, only a few days after arriving at the resort, on a private 500-acre island in the Yasawa archipelago which costs around £2,900 ($3,500) a night and hosted Britney Spears on her honeymoon, tragedy struck.

Staff at the exclusive hotel noticed on July 9 that the newlyweds hadn't appeared for breakfast or lunch - and late in the afternoon, a staff member was dispatched to check if they were at their villa.

They found Christe's dead body in the property's bathroom, collapsed in the small space between the toilet and the wall, with the cistern lid broken. She was covered in blood and had sustained multiple injuries including blunt force trauma to the head and lacerations to the face. Her new husband was nowhere to be found.

It later emerged that other guests at Turtle Island Resort had seen the pair drinking and arguing at an event the night before, with "disturbing" noises later heard from their villa.

After a brief manhunt, police tracked Dawson down on a nearby island, where he had managed to escape after paddling for about a mile in a kayak.

He had his passport, some personal belongings and cash with him and was apprehended by officers. He claimed during a trial in December 2024 that he had left his wife to "cool off" after an argument, but authorities believe he had been trying to flee.

Dawson was convicted of murder and handed a life sentence in a Fiji jail, with law requiring that he serve at least 18 years of his term before being eligible for a pardon.

Meanwhile, Christe's body was so badly damaged that it couldn't be embalmed for transportation back to the US and was instead cremated in Fiji.

"Your conduct after the incident was appalling," a judge told the murderer. "Having inflicted serious and life-threatening injuries to the deceased, you fled the scene of the crime, leaving [her] alone and helpless".