Tennessee Man Arrested For Murdering Pharmacist Wife During Their Honeymoon In Fiji

A trip intended to celebrate marital bliss has ended with the wife dead and the husband in handcuffs.

Tennessee couple Bradley Robert Dawson and Christe Chen had gone to Fiji for their honeymoon in July but, on July 9, Chen was found murdered inside their resort hotel room, the Fiji Sun reports.

Their room was located at Turtle Island Resort, a spot in the Yasawa Islands that advertises "pure indulgence, relaxation and romance at one of the most sought-after destinations in the world," on its website. It was the location for the 1980 film “The Blue Lagoon,” which starred Brooke Shields.

Dawson, 38, was charged with one count of murder last week in the Pacific island nation.

It’s not clear how Chen was killed. Dawson’s attorney, Iqbal Khan, told FOX 13 Memphis that he could not confirm how she died, but did say that his client maintains his innocence.

Khan did not immediately responded to Oxygen.com’s request for comment.

Chen, a University of Tennessee graduate, worked as a pharmacist at a Kroger in the Memphis area, where the newlyweds lived, Fox 13 Memphis reports. She was an award-winning pharmaceutical scientist. She was also a Community Pharmacy Resident at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center. She recently received a grant that would help her improve "patient care by building deeper relationships."

"I am excited to see the improvement in medication adherence after patients receive resources to help their disparities," she said after receiving her grant. "The grant will give me a way to deliver training to pharmacy personnel, as well as present this idea to other pharmacists throughout the nation. "

Dawson worked as an information technology professional at Youth Villages, a non-profit that works with children. He has been suspended as a result of the allegations.

The case was transferred to Fiji's High Court in Lautoka last week. Dawson is scheduled to appear there on July 27, according to the Sun.

“She was a fun person who has so many friends and always wanted everyone to feel included,” Chen’s friend Jenna Bostick, told Law&Crime of the slain woman “She was warm and kind, loved her family, and loved dogs. People across the country are missing her.