Her Dream Fiji Honeymoon Ended in Her Murder | Bradley Dawson

A luxury honeymoon. A bloody bathroom. A husband on the run in a stolen kayak.

When Christe Chen didn’t show up for breakfast, resort staff at Turtle Island knocked on her bungalow door. What they found inside sparked a murder investigation across the islands of Fiji. Christe’s new husband, Bradley Dawson, had vanished—but not before leaving behind a trail of blood, broken glass, and unanswered questions.

This is the case of Bradley Dawson

Poll Question: Do you think Brad is guilty or innocent? Share your thoughts on our Patreon or Spotify!

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Podcast Promo: Box in the Basement

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Past Episodes Mentioned in this case:
Man Murders His Entire Family TWICE | The Unbelievable Case of Gregory Green
https://murderandlove.com/man-murders-his-entire-family-twice-the-unbelievable-case-of-gregory-green/

Wisconsin Father Faked His Death to Abandon Wife and 3 Kids?!! Disappearance Case Deep Dive | Ryan Borgwardt
https://www.spreaker.com/episode/wisconsin-father-faked-his-death-to-abandon-wife-and-3-kids-disappearance-case-deep-dive-ryan-borgwardt--64420038

VA Husband and Au Pair Charged with Double Murder of Wife and Another Man | Brendan Banfield
https://murderandlove.com/va-husband-and-au-pair-charged-with-double-murder-of-wife-and-another-man-brendan-banfield/

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Now part of the dark Cast Network.

Speaker 2 (00:03):
Welcome to indie podcasts with a dark side. It was
supposed to be the honeymoon of a lifetime, a luxury
island getaway in the sun, But when hotel staff found
a young bride's bloodied body in the bathroom and her
new husband missing, a dream vacation turned into an international

(00:23):
murder mystery. Today, I tell you the case of Bradley Dawson.

Speaker 1 (00:27):
Right now.

Speaker 3 (00:28):
On Love and.

Speaker 2 (00:29):
Murder, Welcome Lambs, Welcome Now. We know that love can
build and love can destroy. Hair On Love and Murder,

(00:52):
Heartbreak do Homicide, we explore true crime stories where passion
turns to betrayal and heartbreak ends in bloodshed. I'm your host, Kai,
and every week I take you inside a case that
proves that love isn't always what it seems. And if
you want to go even deeper into each case with
ad free episodes, exclusive bonuses, and full access to the

(01:12):
case files, join us on patreon dot com. Forward Slash
Love and Murder Now, let's grab our butts, grab our
delicious glass of apple juice, and let's get into some
love and murder. On July ninth, twenty twenty two, a
housekeeper from the Turtle Island resort performed a welfare check
on the newlywed couple, thirty eight year old Bradley Dawson

(01:34):
and thirty six year old Christy Chin, when they failed
to show up for breakfast and then missed lunch as well.
Hotel staff became worried. A staff member walked to the
couple's private bungalow and found a do not disturb sign
hanging on the door. Following guests welfare protocols, a manager
sent a housekeeper to check on the guests. Knocking got

(01:55):
no response, and the unusual silence, combined with the missed meal,
prompted staff to enter the bungalow. What started as a
routine check quickly turned into an emergency when they saw
what waited for them inside. Hotel worker Thomas C. Maui
found Christie in a blood covered bathroom. She lay propped

(02:15):
against the toilet, unmoving and her body covered with blood
and shards of broken glass. Her body was found quote
squashed and slumped between the tiny space between the toilet
and the wall, badly beaten and covered in blood. One
of her arms was even dangling inside the water tank.
The Fiji Police Force in nearby Lautoka. Now, I might

(02:38):
not be pronounced in either the names or the cities correctly,
so please forgive me. So they called the Fiji Police
Force and doctor Carolyn Murty arrived and pronounced Christie dead
at the scene. A post mortem examination revealed the extent
of Christie's injury. Doctor Vicali Mate performed the autopsy, and
it revealed that Christy had suffered quote multiple traumatic injuries,

(03:02):
including blunt force trauma to the head, severe swelling around
both eyes and her mouth, bruises and cuts all over
her right arm, and a quote large gapin wound on
her back. The cause of death was determined to be
homicide by traumatic brain injury caused by a brain bleed
and severe traumatic head injuries. The injuries were so severe,

(03:23):
with deep lacerations to both sides of her head, that
her body could not be embombed, and her parents were
forced to have her cremated before taking her ashes home
to the United States. Now, while Christie's lifeless body lay
in the bungalow, I know we're all wondering where the
crap is Bradley Well, brad had vanished. Christie Jiaochen was

(03:47):
a vibrant and accomplished woman. She started her work in
life as a pastry chef at a Colorado bakery, spent
in several years perfect in baking techniques. She later switched
past completely, developing an interest in healthcare that led her
to pharmacy school. She enrolled at the University of Tennessee
Health Science Center, where she excelled academically. Christie focused her

(04:11):
research on health issues affecting low income communities, securing grant
funding for her work. In April twenty twenty one, her
talents earned her the Volta's Cluer Clinical Drug Information Award
of Excellence in Clinical Communication. That was a tongue twister,
but it's still amazing. This award recognized her exceptional communication

(04:33):
skills in clinical settings. The Pharmacy School publicly celebrated her
achievement on their Facebook page. Christie got her pharmacist license
in July of twenty twenty one and quickly found work
at a Kroger supermarket in Memphis, Tennessee. Friends described her
as quote super sweet, kind, would do anything for anybody, outgoing, generous,

(04:54):
and so fun. Her friend Rina Schomberg noted that Christy
was an only child who enjoyed traveling with her mother.
Christy had previously been engaged and was excited about this
new chapter in her life. Before traveling to Fiji, she
told a neighbor how thrilled she was for her honeymoon
in the islands. Bradley Robert Dawson was born in Middletown,

(05:15):
New York. He worked in the IT department at Youth Villages,
which is a Memphis, Tennessee nonprofit servant children, so they
kind of have their values in alignment. She wanted to
work with low income people and he wanted to work
with children, so kind of aligned. Those who knew him
described him as a reserved personality. Brad had previously been

(05:37):
married in September of twenty nineteen, with that wedding taken
place in Yarrow, Fiji. His first marriage lasted about two
years and then Brad filed for divorce in September twenty
twenty one. Ciged in quote irreconcilable differences. No children came
from this marriage. Then the divorce became final on January eleventh,
twenty twenty two. Brad and Christie meant in November twenty

(06:01):
twenty one through Memphis social circles and were married by
February eighteenth, twenty twenty two. So, just to reiterate here,
Brad filed through divorce in September twenty twenty one, met
Christy in November. His divorce became final in January twenty
twenty two, and then he married Christy in November twenty

(06:23):
twenty two. That's kind of fast, no time to heal
or get to know each other. But again, I'm not
shaming people who do get married quickly, because I do
know a lot of couples who got married quickly, well
what society would consider quickly, and they're still happy decades
later with no issues, like they're happy. So that's why

(06:45):
I say that to say, who am I to judge?
You know. It was a small ceremony with only about
twenty guests. Some of Christie's family met Brad for the
first time at the wedding. After moving into their new
Memphis home, they planned a July honeymoon at Turtle Island
in Fiji, which is an exclusive property on the island

(07:07):
where the movie The Blue Lagoon was filmed. I love
that movie.

Speaker 1 (07:10):
Blue Lagoon, is.

Speaker 2 (07:11):
Am I the only one? My favorite is the second one,
And then I like the first one like in that order?
Am I the only one? The resort hosts just fourteen
couples at a time in villa's costin at about thirty
five hundred dollars per night. Christy's parents, who were regulars
at the resort, had paid for the honeymoon. Christy wasn't aware, however,

(07:32):
that Brad had taken his first wife to the same
resort in twenty nineteen. That fact apparently came up during
the trip, probably starting an argument. Now, quick question that
I want you to answer in the comments below. If
your husband took you on a honeymoon where he'd taken
his first wife, would this piss you off? Let me
know if it would piss you off in the comments below,

(07:54):
or if it wouldn't, and why or why not?

Speaker 1 (07:56):
For me?

Speaker 2 (07:57):
It just depends on different factors, So I can't say yes,
definitely it will piss me off. It just depends on
the reason why, the background and everything like that, So
it might it might not. Christy's friend Maurice Apperary said, quote,
it was a shock, it happened so quickly. Another friend,
Ryan Weiss, said, quote, Christy always wanted to be married.

(08:19):
This might explain why things move so quickly between Brad
and Christy, most people who knew Christy barely got to
meet Brad before wedding invitations went out. To observers, they
seemed like they were very much in loved, but few
had time to get to know the couple as a unit,
which to me also, other than certain family members and

(08:40):
certain friends, it's not anybody's business really, Like sometimes I
see on the show that I watch, ninety Day Fiance,
those friends are way too much in their business, like
way too Like one friend was crying because the dude
cheated on the girl, and the girl didn't tell her
that she knew the dude cheated on her, and her

(09:01):
friend was crying like she was the one who was
cheated on and she's telling this dude that you should
have told me, Like.

Speaker 1 (09:07):
Who the are you?

Speaker 2 (09:08):
So I say this to say that some people it's
none of your business. And even family and other friends
you only need to know up to a certain extent. Now,
parents and siblings, yeah, they need to tell you the
character of this person or if his friends that saw
this person cheating or something like that. You know what
I'm saying, But this has nothing to do with you.

(09:29):
You could only be in people's business, up to so much,
you know. On July seventh, twenty twenty two, Brad and
Christie arrived at the Turtle Island Resort, and on the
night of July eighth, they started with the celebration on
Turtle Island's beach. Guests joined what resort staff called quote
Family Fun Night. Turtle's Island's Family Fun Night follows a

(09:51):
traditional format. Staff dig a sandpit to prepared food in
a lovo similar to the Hawaiian luau, and guests gather
for rings in an open air lounge, meet each other,
and then enjoyed dinner on the beach. I'm an introvert
and that sounds terrible. I know. Extroverter people will be like, yeah,
wholla party. No no, no, no, no, leave me alone.

(10:13):
I'm finding my bungalow. That night included kava ceremonies and
Fijian dance in resort staff noticed that Brad and Christie
were quote very drunk as the night went on. Quote
they were enjoying themselves and drinking quite a lot, but
towards the end they looked troubled. At first, a couple
seemed happy dancing with staff members, and then trouble reportedly

(10:36):
started when Christy learned that Brad had previously visited the
same island with his ex wife on their honeymoon. Then
the mood changed even more when Brad started dancing quote
inappropriately with another guest. This made Christy visibly upset. Security
staff later testified that the couple left together walking towards

(10:57):
their bungalow called Buer fifteen. Their argument continued along the beach,
loud enough for other guests to hear. The fighting got
worse when they reached their bungalow around midnight. Mark Andrew Brisky,
an Australian businessman staying next door with his family, said
that about fifteen minutes after seeing the couple return, Andrew

(11:18):
heard disturbing sounds. At roughly twelve forty am. Andrew and
other surrounding rooms heard quote loud banging sounds followed by
quote a loud scream come in from the couple's sweet
before there was quote complete silence. This sudden quiet after
such noise worried nearby guests, who complained to hotel staff.

(11:40):
This is another reason why the hotel manager sent a
housekeeper to check on the couple the morning of July
ninth was when Christy and Brad didn't show up for
breakfast or lunch. So remember that Brad is currently missing,
right well. Investigators discovered that Brad had stolen in a
kayak from the resort. He paddled approximately one mile to

(12:04):
the remote matta Kawa Levu. I'm so sorry I probably
said that so wrong, but Mattakwalevu island in the Yesawa Chain.
Local resident Manoa Rattulele found the stranger on the small
island and noticed he was quote bruised and bleeding from
his palms and feet, which were injuries possibly caused by

(12:27):
falling onto the nearby coral. Brad quote appeared disturbed and
initially refused food and water, but eventually asked to call
the police, saying quote, please, I need to call the police.
Manoa also noted that Brad smelled of alcohol and repeatedly said, quote,
we had a fight, Manoa told police. Quote he repeatedly

(12:47):
mentioned having a fight with his wife. Approximately thirty six
hours after Christie's death, police arrested Brad, with Superintendent Ravi
Narayan leading the murder investigation. He was taken back to
Turtle Island and then to Laotoka on Fiji's main island,
Viti Levu, where he was charged with murder drew. In questioning,

(13:09):
he claimed he had quote de escalated the situation by
kayakin away, directly contradicting evidence showing that Christie was already
fatally injured when he left. Security guards also contradicted this statement,
reporting that they saw Brad alone on the beach around
two a m. Which was well after the violent sounds

(13:29):
from their bungalow had stopped. Brad told police, quote, our
argument moved towards where the toilet was, and that was
when Christie pushed me, and that was when I lost it.

Speaker 1 (13:39):
He said.

Speaker 2 (13:40):
The bathroom fight turned destructive. Brad claimed, quote the back
of the toilet broke, the glass of the window broke,
and the toilet was a mess. He insisted that Christy
was alive when he left, saying that she was quote
sitting down with blood and a cut on her face,
which we know the forensic evidence contradicted what he said also,
So it seems like a a lot of contradictions here.

(14:02):
The other damn in pieces of evidence was what Brad
took with him and what he left when he went
on his kayak ride. He left behind his GPS watch. Hummm,
so nobody could track you and his cell phone. Hmmm,
so nobody could call you and track you. But he
took his wallet and passport, Now why would that be?

(14:24):
The legal process began, and Brad appeared in court, pleading
not guilty to Christie's murder. Since both Christian and Brad
were American citizens, Fiji police worked with US officials through
diplomatic channels. The Fijian Office of the Director of Public
Prosecutions supervised the case directly. Officers stayed in contact with
American authorities to learn about Brad's background, so records from

(14:48):
the first marriage showed no history of violence. Though independent Fiji,
the legal system followed protocol similar to American standards for
collecting and preserving evidence. Brad's defense claimed that Christie's fatal
injuries were the result of a fall while drunk and
were self inflicted. She busted up her face like that

(15:09):
from falling.

Speaker 1 (15:10):
Really.

Speaker 2 (15:12):
Brad's attorney, Ikbal Khan, sought bail for his client multiple times,
citing reasons such as Brad's mother being financially dependent on
him and that she was likely to quote mentally suffer
if he remained in jail, as well as Brad's own
health concerns and his need for medication. Yeah, but it's
like you're considering his mom, but you're not considering her family.

(15:35):
I mean, I guess you know it's your job to
be a defense and protect only your client and you
don't care about the other side. So Attorney Khan offered
conditions for Brad's release, including living with an American family
friend in Fiji until the trial. However, prosecutor Alvin Singh
pointed out that that family friend was facing sex crime

(15:57):
charges of their own. Wow. It was also revealed that
two of Brad's proposed bond sponsors had no real ties
to him, having only met him the day of Christie's murder.
It's not looking good, dude. Brad's initial bail application was
denied on September fourteenth, after the judge deemed it was

(16:17):
unsuitable for him to stay with someone while he was
facing murder charges and they were facing sex crime charges
so no. Judge riaz Hamza also rejected previous requests for
pre trial release, citing concerns that Brad was a flight risk,
especially given that he took his passport and wallet when
he initially ran. Brad's defense also challenged the admissibility of

(16:40):
statements he made to police after his arrest, claiming his
constitutional rights may have been breached. During questioning. He had
allegedly admitted to killing Christy in an unsigned quote caution interview,
but later retracted his statement After seeking legal advice, Brad's
lawyer applied for vaid hearing with a quote trial within

(17:02):
a trial to address the admissibility of the interview. And yes,
from every lawyer that I've heard, anytime police bring you
in or try and question you or anything, always ask
for your lawyer. Always ask for your lawyer. Immediately answer
no questions until your lawyer gets there. As a trial approached,
Brad's lawyers claimed Christy died accidentally. Defense attorney and Neil

(17:26):
Prosad stressed that quote Dawson had no injuries to suggest
he had been involved in a physical altercation with his wife.
Attorney Prossad also pointed out that many personal items remained
at the resort, arguing against claims that Brad had planned
to leave the country. Okay, so let's pause there. Number one,
When he got off the boat, the guy said he

(17:47):
was bleeding from his hands and feet. Now he concluded
that it was from the quarrel, but we can also
think that it's from the glass and everything that was
going on in the hotel number two. Don't give me
that shit that everything was like. That's that's exactly what
fleeing means. It doesn't mean I'm gonna pack everything and
let everybody know I'm leaving. It literally means leaving everything

(18:07):
behind except the stuff that you need to get out
of the situation, which was his wallet where all his
money was, his credit cards and everything, and his passport
which will get him back in the United States. So
that's a weak argument. So Judge Hamza found three key
facts that destroyed Brad's story. First, Brad had his passport
and personal items when caught, suggested he planned to split

(18:31):
the country, basically what I just said. Second, he chose
to escape by kayak instead of getting help for his
supposedly injured wife, as he said, exactly because you said
your wife was sitting there bleeding and you didn't even
call nine one one. Yeah, you said you tried to
de escalate the situation, which is all fine and dandy.
You didn't have to stay in that volatile situation. But

(18:52):
any person with integrity would have at least called emergency
personnel to go make sure that your wife or whoever
you're with is okay, especially if you saw them bleeding
from the head. So yeah, And third, the forensic evidence
showing multiple blunt force trauma wounds made a simple fall
impossible exactly. Judge Hamza concluded that he was quote satisfied

(19:17):
beyond reasonable doubt that Dawson and no one else had
committed the offense. Brad's murder trial started in December twenty
twenty four and took place over eight days at Lautoka
High Court. Brad chose not to testify in his defense
and did not call any witnesses. Now, if you are
so innocent, why wouldn't you testify in your defense, and

(19:38):
why wouldn't you call witnesses?

Speaker 3 (19:40):
Like?

Speaker 2 (19:41):
The prosecution presented a compelling case highlighting the severity and
nature of Christie's injuries, which the pathologist, doctor Matty, testified
could only have been caused by blunt force trauma. Now,
his name is spelled Mte, so it could be Mate,
but I'm guessing it's probably Fijian. So that's why I'm
saying Matty, So it could be made. It could be Mattie.
I'm not sure. Forensic expert found multiple blunt force trauma wounds,

(20:07):
mainly on Christie's head. Investigators also photographed widespread injuries across
her body and shoulders. The bathroom itself showed signs of
violent struggle. The toilet cistern lid was cracked and broken.
Staff found Christie's body wedged between the toilet and wall,
badly beaten and covered in blood. Christie's position suggested that

(20:31):
she couldn't protect herself during the attack. Deep cuts marked
both sides of her head near her eyes, showing that
she suffered repeated hard blows rather than a single fall,
as Brad's defense team argued. Then they focus on Brad's
decision to flee the scene rather than seek help for
his newlywed wife, arguing that this action contradicted his claim

(20:54):
of an accidental fall. The prosecution argued that Brad attacked
his wife during a drunken argument. They also explained that
Christie's body was quote so badly damaged that she couldn't
be embalmed for return to the US. Medical staff said
the deep cuts around Christie's eyes were so severe that
embomb and fluid would leak during transport, and the mor

(21:17):
worker warren traditional embalment would be impossible given her injuries. However,
forensic pathologist doctor Michael Baden later questioned this assessment, saying
that bodies of soldiers killed in combat routinely travel internationally,
so that didn't make sense to him, which I understand that.

(21:37):
So maybe that's a Fijian thing. I'm not sure, but
I understand what doctor Baden is saying. But either way,
that wasn't in the cards for Christy. Kristin Baker, who
dated Brad during college at the University of Tennessee, pointed
out concerning traits, quote when he drinks, he becomes someone else.
He would blackout and do stuff that he didn't even

(21:58):
know he did the next day. She also called him
quote very manipulative, and said he quote always wanted to
have a lot of money to travel and live extravagantly.
Now I'm gonna put this PSA here. You shouldn't always
listen to an ex's portrayal of the person. I'm not
saying that Christy was lying. I'm not saying that at all.
But what I'm saying is, if I was a lawyer,

(22:21):
i wouldn't take an ex's description of the personality trade
of this person unless they had hard facts, like they
could show me hard facts, because I know each and
every one of us listening to this episode today have
an ex that would describe us in a way that
doesn't even make sense, that like, literally, that's not us.

(22:44):
But in their mind, they've made up this story that
this is how we are. So that's why, as a lawyer,
I just wouldn't go to an ex unless they had
hard evidence to show me and back up their claims
of what they're saying of this person. You understand what
I'm saying. But again, I I'm not saying that Kristin
lied at all. I'm just saying as a lawyer, I
wouldn't do that. She probably had evidence to back it up,

(23:06):
and she probably showed the lawyer evidence. I'm just input
in my thoughts here.

Speaker 1 (23:11):
Now.

Speaker 2 (23:11):
The defense maintained that Christy had fallen while drunk, and
while she was arguing with Brad this argument escalated into
a scuffle in the bathroom quote. On the evidence that
they have presented so far, there's no proof of the
charge of murder with intention to kill or premeditation on
the face of it, it looks like an accident. This
was a statement by Attorney Khan. Attorney Prossad also pointed

(23:35):
out that Brad quote had no injuries to suggest he
had been involved in a physical altercation with his wife,
questioning how he could cause such damage without getting hurt himself,
which again, remember what the fisherman said. So I don't
know why they're acting like he didn't have damages. He
was literally bleeding from the hands and the feet at

(23:55):
the time the fishermen found him. Prosecutors tore down Brad's
story peace by peace, bringing fourteen witnesses who contradicted all
of his claims. They showed a clear sequence of events
the couple argued at dinner about Brad's ex wife, returned
drunk to their bungalow and fought violently until Christy died,
and also Mark and Grewbriski's account of what he heard

(24:18):
in the bungalow proved crucial in the case. On December eleventh,
twenty twenty four, Judge Hamsa prepared to announce his decision.
Judge Hamsa said, quote, having analyzed all the evidence in
his totality, I am of the opinion that the prosecution
witnesses were all truthful, credible, and reliable in their testimony.

(24:39):
This court cannot accept this version of the accused. A
reasonable person would have tried to help rather than left
her body propped up against a toilet. The judge applied
strict legal standards to reach his decision. First, he determined
whether Brad's actions met the requirement for murder under Fiji law.
The court pointed to Brad's quote uttered disregard to Shen's

(25:02):
right to life and her personal liberty as key to
this finding. Several factors increased the severity of the judgment.
Judge Hemsa specifically mentioned quote the extensive injuries shown in
Christie's autopsy, crime scene photos, and post mortem evidence presented
by prosecutors. Quote. For the aforementioned reasons, I am of

(25:24):
the opinion that the defense's version cannot be believed and
the same version is rejected. Judge Hemsa concluded that quote
the prosecution has proved the charge of murder against the
accused beyond reasonable doubt. He said that the evidence clearly
showed Brad quote engaged in conduct which caused the death
of Christie Jiao Chin at the Turtleneck Island Resort. On

(25:45):
July ninth, twenty twenty two, the court found Brad either
quote intended to cause Sheen's death or he was reckless
as to cause in her death. From the totality of
the evidence, I am satisfied that the prosecution has disproved
the defense of private. Brad was found guilty of murdering
his wife on February thirteen, twenty twenty five. Christie's mother,

(26:07):
Jiao wen Lu, delivered a powerful victim impact statement during
Brad's sentence. In herring, Jao stared directly at her daughter's
killer as she spoke. She told Brad, quote, no mother
should have to know. This is how her daughter's life ended,
and by the hands of the very person who took
a vow to love her, honor her, and cherish her.

(26:28):
I hope the memories of what you did to her
in her last moments haunt you, because you are a monster.
I can only hope that the rest of your life
is filled with misery, loneliness. And Jiao also told the
court that she now battles severe anxiety, insomnia, stomach problems,
and depression, all the results of her losing her only

(26:48):
daughter so violently Taoshin, Christie's father, then delivered his statement.
He described a whole left by his daughter's murder. Quote,
she was my only child, my little girl, and my
reason for living. Each day since her death has been
a struggle to find meaning in a life that now
feels empty. The day you killed my daughter was the

(27:10):
day you killed me as well. I struggle every day
to find a purpose to go on. This was his
quote to Brad. Just as Hemza noted the deep impact
on the crime of Christie's parents, who had rushed to
Fiji after a midnight call from the State Department. They
had to view their daughter's badly beaten body at the
Lautoka Morgue before her cremation. Judge Hemsa sentenced Brad to

(27:33):
life imprisonment with a minimum of eighteen years before parole.
Judge Hemsa told Brad, quote, your conduct after the incident
was appalling. Having inflicted serious and life threatening injuries to
the deceased, you fled the scene of the crime, leaving
the deceased alone and helpless in your room. What should

(27:53):
have been a truly joyous and memorable vacation was turned
into a nightmare for the deceased. In her family, causing
much pain and sorrow to them. He also said that
Brad's escape attempt by the kayak with his passport clearly
showed consciousness of guilt. Now, Brad's life sentence has very
specific rules under Fijian law. He must serve at least

(28:16):
eighteen years before he can apply for any form of release,
and after that minimum term he has limited options. He
could ask Fiji's National Mercy Commission for a presidential pardon,
or he could request that his life sentence be converted
to a fixed term with a set release date. However,
even these possibilities are theoretical because, according to David Naylor

(28:40):
on Australian National University expert on Pacific Law, Fiji currently
has no staffed parole board, so early release might not
actually be in the card for Brad. The then, a
forty year old man will probably stay in Fiji prison
until at least twenty forty three, when he turns fifty
eight years old. And that is the case of Bradley

(29:02):
Dawson and the murder of Christy Chin. What do you
think about that case? To me, it was clear evidence
that this wasn't an accident. I know the defense kept
pointing out that, you know, Brad didn't have any wounds
that would have said that he did any of this.
But I don't know why everybody glossed over the fact

(29:23):
that the fisherman said he was bleeding from his hands
and feet like that, to me was clear evidence that
he was in some sort of scuffle. The fisherman, like
I said before, thought it was just because he was
like walking onto coral. But the fisherman didn't know actually
what happened, So in reality, Brad might not have touched

(29:43):
coral at all. But all of these wounds were from
what happened with Christy in the room. And then everything
he did after that was like why did you not
call for help? Why did you take your passport and
everything and then just flee this Literally you went to
the remotest island you can find. And but then he

(30:05):
did ask to call nine one one. Had a fight
with his wife, but that was well after the time,
because that was two a m. When they found him
on the beach walking alone, and then they found him
later thirty six miles away. You know what I'm saying.
So if you knew your wife was hurt, you should
have called earlier. Because she could have just bled out
there and you're just like, doruty, do what you do.

(30:26):
Or I tried to de escalate the situation. You know,
it's just And then if you're just trying to de
escalate the situation, why did you take your passport and
everything with you? But then I guess if I was
on the defense, I would say he probably took his
most important possessions with him because in the heat of
the moment, Christy could have destroyed it all, you know,
But they didn't say that in the defense and Brad

(30:47):
didn't take the stand for himself. Either way, all the
evidence pointed to Christy didn't fall like she would have
had to have fallen from the top of a mountain
to the bottom of the mountain to basically get the
injuries that she'd gotten, So it was just a simple fall,
you know. Then Brad took all these other steps that
showed his guilt, and also he did have those injuries,

(31:08):
which I don't understand why everybody glossed over that part.
So what did you think about that case? Let me
know your thoughts in the comments below. And because Brad
said he was innocent, but the prosecution said he was guilty,
I will pull out a pole question where I'll ask
you do you think he's guilty or do you think
he's innocent. You could answer that poll question on the

(31:30):
Patreon patreon dot com forward slash Love and Murder, where
you can be a free member to answer that question.
You don't have to actually sign up to be a supporter,
but he's going to republic for everyone, or you could
answer that question on the Spotify as well. And speaking
of poles and comments, let's get into a couple of
year past comments. This first comment comes from the case

(31:51):
of Gregory Green, which the title was man murders his
entire family twice. Now the TLDR literally is what it says.
This guy murdered his first family, went to prison, got
out of prison, murdered his second family. Like, you have
to listen to that case. It was crazy. And for
every case that I mentioned, as usual, the link to

(32:12):
those cases are in the show notes below, So if
you didn't remember those cases, if you've never heard those
cases before, you could easily just click on the link
and listen to those cases. Black Ivory said, this is
just unbelievable. On the advice to his own daughter, he
put her life at risk unbelievable and the type of

(32:33):
crime he committed to. What was the pastor thinking or
not thinking? The amount of criminals who cling to religion
as a way of redemption to fool everyone and to
think in their changed person is absolutely ridiculous. This should
never have happened. The pastor should have been locked up
as well. Thanks very comment, Black Ivory. Yeah, I think

(32:57):
I don't know if the pastor should have been locked
up as well, but I think that his judgment.

Speaker 1 (33:02):
Was way off.

Speaker 2 (33:02):
Like I, I don't even understand what he was thinking.
That man had me baffled throughout the entire case, so craziness.
The next comment comes from the case of Ryan Borgwatt,
which the case's title was Wisconsin father faked his death
to abandon his wife and three kids, and the title

(33:23):
literally was the TLDR. Just like Brad, he got on
the boat and left. Emily Weyer said quote, I may
have almost peed my pants when you said Yuzbekistan wasn't
far enough. I was thinking the same thing. Look for real,
nowhere on Earth was far enough. You know what I'm saying.
So yeah, thank you, Emily. Ali Evan said, honestly, I

(33:46):
prefer the AIS. Hey, Ali, I'm not gonna be for everybody.
My brother listened to my podcast. He said, your voice
is annoying. But then again he grew up with me,
so my voice is annoying to him. Sometimes I prefer
the AIS. I don't have to record an edit, so
I get it. It would have been less work for me,
but a lot of people like hear in my voice,
so I can't, unfortunately, just do the AIS. But I'm

(34:07):
so happy that all the work that I do put
into the AI when I use them as my co hosts,
that you do like them, So thank you so much, Ali.
And the last set of comments I'm going to read
today comes from the case of Brendan Banfield, which the
title of that episode was VA husband and O pier
charged with double murder of wife and another man. So basically,

(34:28):
with this case, that was a bunch of twists and turns,
and it was two people trying to get away with murder,
but they weren't smarter than the average beer so they
didn't get away with it. And the pole question that
I asked you for this one was once the trial starts,
do you want me to follow the trial daily or
wait till the end and give you the summary of

(34:48):
the trial. And the one hundred percent consensus was they
want me to follow it daily. So the trial starts
in October, and that's what I will do. I will
follow the trial daily and then just give you a
summary of that day's proceedings. So I need to make
sure that I put that in my October schedule.

Speaker 1 (35:08):
All right.

Speaker 2 (35:08):
So that's all the comments I'm going to read for
you today, and that is also all I have for
you today. Be sure to stop by the Patreon Patreon
dot com Forward Slash, Love and Murder. You can actually
sign up to be a free lamb where you do
get some benefits of being a free lamb. Or if
you're looking for ad free episodes, intro free episodes, bonuses,
case files of each episodes that I'm doing. If they

(35:30):
offer case files and so much more, then don't forget
to join us on Patreon at Patreon dot com, Forward
Slash and Love and Murder. By choosing to become part
of the lambfam, you will also be a sponsor of
Love and Murder and keep the podcast going. Those who
are a part of the lambfam, I do want to
thank you so much for your continued support, and ask

(35:51):
that anyone else who wants to support Love and Murder
and keep the victims stories being told to go ahead
and choose one of the bonus tiers that you want
to be a part of Patreon Forward slash a Love
and Murder, and as we close out each full episode,
I want to remind you that it's say it with
me now, all love and no murder.

Speaker 3 (36:10):
Y'all.

Speaker 2 (36:11):
Thanks for joining me, thanks for being a lab, thanks
for listening all the way to the end, and stay
tuned for my commercial guests.

Speaker 1 (36:17):
Bye.

Speaker 3 (36:35):
There are over two hundred thousand unsolved homicides in the
United States justice system right now, and many of those
cases haven't seen the light of day in years, decades.
In some instances, the case files and evidence are sitting
in a box on a dusty shelf in a basement,

(36:57):
forgotten by law enforcement and the media, while the families
and friends left behind wait for answers and fight for justice.
Sometimes there is nobody left to remember or to speak
up on behalf of the victim. I'm Marlene and I'm Leah,
and that is exactly what Box and the Basement sets
out to do. To shine a light on those forgotten

(37:20):
victims and to bring attention to unsolved murders and disappearances.
We want to help families tell their stories, and we
want to assist the families and friends of victims find
the resources and support they need to continue their fight
for justice. Join us every Thursday for new episodes of
Box and the Basement wherever you find your podcasts