Her Dream Fiji Honeymoon Ended in Her Murder | Bradley Dawson

Love and Murder explores true crime stories where passion turns to betrayal

Now part of the Darkcast network. 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 murder mystery. Today I tell you, the case of Bradley Dawson right now on Love and Murder. Welcome, LaMs. Welcome. Now we know that love can build and love can destroy. Here on Love and Heartbreak to Homicide, we explore true crime stories where passion turns to betrayal and heartbreak be ends in bloodshed. I am 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 case files, join us on patreon.com/loveandmurder. Now let’s grab our butts, uh, grab our delicious glass of apple juice, and let’s get into some love and murder.

Bradley Dawson and Christe Chen mysteriously disappeared in Fiji on July 9, 2022

On July 9, 2022, a housekeeper from the Turtle island resort performed a welfare check on the newlywed couple, 38 year old Bradley Dawson and 36 year old Christe Chen. 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 guest welfare protocols, a manager sent a housekeeper to check on the guests. Knocking got no response. And the unusual silence combined with the missed meals 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 Thomasi Maui found Christe in a blood covered bathroom. She lay propped 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 not be pronouncing either the names or the cities correctly, so please forgive me. So they called the Fiji police force and Dr. Carolyn Murty arrived and pronounced Christe dead at the scene. A postmortem examination revealed the extent of Christe’s injury. Dr. Avikali Mate performed the autopsy and it revealed that Christe had suffered, quote, multiple traumatic injuries, 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 gaping 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, with deep lacerations to both sides of her head, that her body could not be embalmed, and her parents were forced to have her cremated before taking her ashes home to the United States. Now, while Christe’s lifeless body lay in the bungalow. I know we’re all wondering where the crap is, Bradley. Well, Brad had vanished. Christe Xiao Chen was a vibrant and accomplished woman. She started her work in life as a pastry chef at a Colorado bakery, spending several years perfecting baking techniques. She later switched paths 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. Christe focused her research on health issues affecting low income communities, securing grant funding for her work in April 2021. Her talents earned her the Volters Kluwer 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 skills in clinical settings. The pharmacy school publicly celebrated her achievement on their Facebook page. Christe got her pharmacist license in July of 2021 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, and so fun. Her friend Rena Schomberg noted that Christe was an only child who enjoyed traveling with her mother. Christe 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, New York. He worked in the IT department at Youth Villages, which is a, uh, Memphis, Tennessee nonprofit serving 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, ah, aligned. Those who knew him described him as a reserved personality. Brad had previously been married in September of 2019, with that wedding taking place in Yarrow, Fiji. His first marriage lasted about two years. And then Brad filed for divorce in September 2021, uh, citing, quote, irreconcilable differences. No children came from this marriage. Then the divorce became final on January 11, 2022. Brad and Kristy met in November 2021 through Memphis social circles and were married by February 18, 2022. So just to reiterate here, Brad filed for divorce in September 2021, met Christe in November. His divorce became final in January 2022 and Christie in November 2022. 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 I say that. To say, who am I to judge, you know? It was a small ceremony with only about 20 guests. Some of Christe’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 where the movie the Blue Lagoon was filmed. I love that movie, Blue Lagoon. 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 14 couples at a time in villas costing at about $3,500 per night. Christe’s parents, who were regulars at the resort, had paid for the honeymoon. Christe wasn’t aware, however, that Brad had taken his first wife to the same resort in 2019. That fact apparently came up during their 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 or if it wouldn’t and why or why not. For me, 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. Christe’s friend Maurice Aperary said, quote, it was a shock. It happened so quickly. Another friend, Ryan Weiss, said, quote, Christe always wanted to be married. This might explain why things move so quickly between Brad and Christe.Most people who knew Christe barely got to meet Brad before wedding invitations went out. To observers, they seemed like they were very much in love. But few had time to get to know the couple as a unit, which to me also, other than certain family members and certain friends, it’s not anybody’s business, really. Like, sometimes I see on the show that I watch, 90 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 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, who the are you? 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 it’s friends that saw this person cheating or something like that. You know what I’m saying? But this has nothing to do with you. You can only be in people’s business up to so much, you know?

Brad and Christe arrived at Turtle island resort on July 7, 2022

On July 7, 2022, Brad and Christe arrived at the Turtle island resort. And on the night of July 8, they started with the celebration on Turtle Island’s beach. Guests joined what resort staff called Family Fun Night. Turtles Island’s Family Fun Night follows a traditional format. Staff dig a sandpit to prepare food in a, uh, lovo, similar to the Hawaiian luau. And guests gather for drinks in an open air lounge, meet each other, and then enjoy dinner on the beach. I’m an introvert and that sounds terrible. I know extroverted people be like, yeah, Woo. Party. No, no, no, no, no. Leave me alone. I’m fine in my bungalow. That night included kava ceremonies and Fijian dancing. Resort staff noticed that Brad and Christe were, quote, very drunk. As the night went on, they were enjoying themselves and drinking quite a lot. But towards the end, they looked troubled. At first, the couple seemed happy dancing with staff members. And then, uh, trouble reportedly started when Kristy 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 Christe visibly upset. Security staff later testified that the couple left together, walking towards their bungalow called Bure 15. 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 Breesky, an Australian businessman staying next door with his family, said that about 15 minutes after seeing the couple return, Andrew heard disturbing sounds. At roughly 12:40am Andrew M. And other surrounding rooms heard, quote, loud banging sounds followed by, quote, a loud scream coming from the couple’s suite before there was, quote, complete silence. This sudden quiet after such noise worried nearby guests, who complained to hotel staff. This is another reason why the hotel manager sent the housekeeper to check on the couple. The morning of July 9th was when Christe 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 a kayak from the resort. He paddled approximately one mile to the remote Matakawa Levu. I’m so sorry. I probably said that so wrong, but Matakawalevu, uh, island in the Yasawa chain. Local resident Manoa Ratulele 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 fallen 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 mentioned having a fight with his wife. Approximately 36 hours after Christe’s death, police arrested Brad. With Superintendent Ravi Narayan, uh, leading the murder investigation, he was taken back to Turtle island and then to Lautoka on Fiji’s main island, Vidi Levu, where he was charged with murder. During questioning, he claimed he had, quote, de. Escalated the situation by kayaking away, directly contradicting evidence showing that Christy was already fatally injured when he left. Security guards also contradicted this statement, reporting that they saw Brad alone on the beach around 2am which was well after the violent sounds from their bungalow had stopped. Brad told police, quote, our argument moved towards where the toilet was, and that was when Christy pushed me, and that was when I lost it. He said 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 lot of contradictions here. The other damning 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. Huh, so nobody could track you. And his cell phone. Huh, so nobody could call you and track you. But he took his wallet and passport. Now, why would that be? The legal process began, and Brad appeared in court pleading not guilty to Kristi’s murder. Since both Kristi 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 the first marriage showed, uh, no history of violence. Though independent, Fiji’s, uh, legal system followed protocols similar to American standards for collecting and preserving Evidence. Brad’s defense claimed that Kristi’s fatal injuries were the result of a fall while drunk and were self inflicted. She busted up her face like that from falling. Really? Brad’s attorney, Iqbal 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. I mean, I guess, you know, it’s your job to be the defense and protect only your client, and you don’t care about the other side. So. Attorney M. 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, uh, was facing sex crime 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 Christy’s murder. It’s not looking good, dude. Brad’s initial bail application was denied on September 14 after the judge deemed it was 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, uh, also rejected previous requests for pretrial 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 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 voir dire hearing with a, quote, trial within 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 the trial approached, Brad’s lawyers claimed Christie died accidentally. Defense attorney Anil uh Prasad stressed that, quote, Dawson had no injuries to suggest he had been involved in a physical altercation with his wife. Attorney Prasad 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 was bleeding from his hands and feet. Now, he concluded that it was from the coral 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. That’s. That’s exactly what fleeing means. It doesn’t mean I’m going to pack everything and let everybody know I’m leaving. It literally means leaving everything 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 into 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, suggesting he planned to split the country. Basically what I just said.

Brad Dawson was convicted of murdering his wife, Christy, in December 2024

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 91 1. 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 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 beyond reasonable doubt that Dawson and no one else had committed the offense. Brad’s murder trial started in December 2024 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 why wouldn’t you call witnesses like. The prosecution presented a compelling case highlighting the severity and nature of Christy’s injuries, which the pathologist, Dr. Matti, testified could only have been caused by blunt force trauma. Now, his name is spelled M A T, so it could be mate, but I’m guessing it’s probably Fijian, so that’s why I’m saying Mattie. So it could be mate. It could be Matti. I’m not sure. Forensic experts found multiple blunt force trauma wounds, mainly on Christy’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 Christy’s body wedged between the toilet and wall, quote, badly beaten and covered in blood. Christy’s position suggested that she couldn’t protect herself during the attack. Deep cuts marked both sides of her head near, uh, 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 of an accidental fall. The prosecution argued that Brad attacked his wife during a drunken argument. They also explained that Kristi’s body was so badly damaged that she couldn’t be embalmed for return to the U.S. medical staff said the deep cuts around Christy’s eyes were so severe that embalming fluid would leak during transport. And the morgue worker warned traditional embalming would be impossible given her injuries. However, forensic pathologist Dr. 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. So maybe that’s a Fijian thing. I’m not sure, but I understand what Dr. Baden is saying. But either way, that wasn’t in the cards for Christy. Kristen 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 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 going to put this PSA here. You shouldn’t always listen to an ex’s portrayal of the person. I’m not saying that Christie was lying. I’m not saying that at all. But what I’m saying is, if I was a lawyer, I wouldn’t take an ex’s description of the personality trait 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, like that. Like, literally, that’s not us. 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’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. And she probably showed the lawyer evidence. I’m just. I’m just inputting my thoughts here. Now. 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 Prasad also pointed 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 the time the fishermen found him. Prosecutors tore down Brad’s story piece by piece, bringing 14 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 Andrew Briski’s account of what he heard in the bungalow proved crucial in the case. On December 11, 2024, Judge Hamza prepared to announce his decision. Judge Hamza said, quote, having analyzed all the evidence in its totality, I am of the opinion that the prosecution witnesses were all truthful, credible and reliable in their testimony. 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, utter disregard to Shen’s right to life and her personal liberty as key to this finding. Several factors increase the severity of the judgment. Judge Hamza specifically mentioned, quote, the extensive injuries shown in Christy’s autopsy, crime scene photos, and post mortem evidence presented by prosecutors. For the aforementioned reasons, I am of the opinion that the defense’s version cannot be believed and the same version is rejected. Judge Hamza concluded that 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 Christy Xiao Chen at the Turtleneck island Resort on July 9, 2022. The court found Brad either, quote, intended to cause Chen’s death or he was reckless as to causing her death. From the totality of the evidence, I am satisfied that the Prosecution has disproved the defense of provocation. Brad was found guilty of murdering his wife. On February 13, 2025, Christy’s mother, Zhao Wen Liu, delivered a powerful victim impact statement. During Brad’s sentencing hearing. Zhao 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. I hope the memories of what you did to her in her last moments haunt because you are a monster. I can only hope that the rest of your life is filled with misery, loneliness. And Zhao also told the court that she now battles severe anxiety, insomnia, stomach problems and depression, all the results of her losing her only daughter so violently.

Brad Dawson sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum of 18 years before parole

Tao Shen, Christy’s father, then delivered his statement. He described a hole 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 day you killed me as well. I struggle every day to find a purpose to go on. This was his quote to Brad. Justice Hamza noted the deep impact on the crime of Christy’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 AH Lautoka morgue before her cremation. Judge Hamza sentenced Brad to life imprisonment with a minimum of 18 years before parole. Judge Hamza 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 have been a truly joyous and memorable vacation was turned into a nightmare for the deceased and 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 18 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, an Australian National University expert on Pacific law, Fiji currently has no staffed parole board, so early release might not actually be in the cards for Brad, the then 40 year old man will probably stay in Fiji prison until at least 2043 when he turns, uh, 58 years old. And that is the case of Bradley Dawson and the murder of Kristy Chen. 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 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 fishermen, like I said before, thought it was just because he was like walking on the coral, but the fishermen didn’t know actually what happened. So in reality, Brad might not have touched coral at all, but all of these wounds were from what happened with Christe 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 the scene? Literally you went to the remotest island you can find. And. But then he did ask to call 91 1. He had a, had a fight with his wife, but that was well after the time because that was 2am when they found him on the beach walking alone. And then they found him later 36 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, doody, doody do. 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, uh, 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, Christie could have destroyed it all, you know, but they didn’t say that in the defense. And Brad 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 wasn’t just a simple fall. You know, then Brad took all these other steps that showed his guilt. And also he did have those injuries, 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, um, because Brad said he was innocent, but the prosecution said he was guilty, I will pull out a poll question where I’ll ask you, do you think he’s guilty or do you think he’s innocent? You can answer that poll question on the Patreon. Patreon.com/loveandmurder where you can be a free member to answer that question. You don’t have to actually sign up to be a supporter, but it’s going to be public for everyone. Or you could answer that question on the Spotify as well.

Black Ivory: I think the pastor’s judgment was way off in this case

And speaking of polls and comments, let’s get into a couple of your past comments. This first comment comes from, uh, the Case 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, uh, for every case that I mentioned, as usual, the link to 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, uh, is just unbelievable. On the advice to his own daughter, he put her life at risk. Unbelievable. And the type of crime he committed, too. What was the pastor thinking or not thinking? The amount of criminals who cling to religion as a way of redemption, to fool everyone into thinking they’re a changed person is absolutely ridiculous. This should never have happened. The pastor should have been locked up as well. Thanks for your comment, Black Ivory. Um, yeah, I. I think. I don’t know if the pastor should have been locked up as well, but I really think that his judgment was way off. Like, I. I don’t even understand what he was thinking. That man had me baffled throughout the entire case. So craziness.

Emily Wire says sometimes she prefers the AIs over her voice

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 literally was the tldr. Just like Brad, he got on the boat and left. Emily Wire said, quote, I may have almost peed my pants when you said Uzbekistan wasn’t far enough. I was thinking the same thing. Look, Pharrell, nowhere on earth was far enough. You know what I’m saying? So, yeah. Thank you, Emily. Ali Evans said, honestly, I prefer the AIs. Hey, Ali, I’m not going to 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 and edit, so I get it. It would have been less work for me, but a lot of people like hearing my voice, so I can’t unfortunately just do the AIs. But I’m so happy that all the work that I do put into the AIs when I use them as my co host, that you do like them. So thank you so much, Ali.

The trial of Brendan Banfield starts in October and the podcast will follow daily

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 au pair charged with double murder of wife and another man. So basically with this case, uh, 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 poll 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 the trial? And the 100% 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. All right, 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.com/loveandmurder. You can actually sign up to be a free LaM, where you do get some benefits of being a free LaM. Or if you’re looking for ad free episodes, intro, free episodes, bonuses, case files of each episode that I’m doing. If they offer case files and so much more, then don’t forget to join us on patreon at patreon.com/loveandmurder by choosing to become part of the LaM Fam, you will also be a sponsor of Love and Murder and keep the podcast going. Those who are a part of the LaM Fam, I do want to thank you so much for your continued support and ask that anyone else who wants to support Love and Murder and keep the victim stories being told to go ahead and choose one of the bonus tiers that you want to be a part of. Patreon.com/loveandmurder. 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. Y’all. Thanks for joining me. Thanks for being a LaM. Thanks for listening all the way to the end. And stay tuned for my commercial guest. Bye.

Box in the Basement focuses on unsolved murders and disappearances

There are over 200,000 unsolved homicides in 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, 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 Arlene. And I’m Leah. And that is exactly what Box in the Basement sets out to do to shine a light on those forgotten 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 in the Basement. Wherever you find your podcasts.