February 10, 2025 • 46 mins
The courtroom is silent as the jury takes their seats, the weight of their responsibility settling in. In this gripping episode, Juror #11 takes us inside the first day of the trial of State of Tennessee v. Jason Chen, where the prosecution and defense lay out their opening statements, each painting vastly different pictures of what happened to Jasmine Pace.
District Attorney General Coty Wamp commands the room, using powerful visuals—including the very suitcase in which Jasmine’s body was found—to drive home the brutality of the crime. The defense, led by Joshua Weiss, counters with a carefully crafted narrative, arguing that Jason Chen’s actions were not premeditated but rather an act of panic.
As the prosecution calls its first witnesses, including Jasmine’s mother, the emotional toll of the case becomes undeniable. Tension builds as evidence begins to emerge—surveillance footage, crime scene photos, and chilling details that begin to unravel the truth.
This episode immerses listeners in the heart of the courtroom, revealing the strategies, emotions, and pivotal moments that set the stage for what’s to come.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:01):
Music Before we begin, please beadvised that this episode
contains graphic descriptions ofviolence as presented during the
trial. Please take care whilelistening. It's Monday morning,
January 13, 2025 6am, I hear aknock at my door at 627, I
(00:23):
emerge from my hotel room andmake my way down to the
elevator, where four deputiesand my fellow jurors are already
gathered. We are countedmultiple times before piling
into the elevator. Once in thehotel lobby dining room, we grab
breakfast, coffee, waffles,whatever we can stomach, while
other hotel guests glance at UScuriously, their eyes shifting
(00:46):
between us and the uniformedofficers standing guard. After
breakfast, we are counted again,collected and then sent back up
the elevators to our rooms so wecan get ready for the day. By
8am we are loaded into ourdesignated vans and driven to
the courthouse. Upon arrival atthe courthouse, we are escorted
(01:07):
inside and led directly to ourjury room. We would spend a lot
of time in this room. Startingthat morning, the bailiff
informs us that pre trialmatters are still being handled,
and the judge will let them knowwhen it's time for us to enter
the courtroom. In the meantime,we are to remain in this room.
If we need anything at all, weare told to knock on the door,
(01:28):
but otherwise we wait. The roomis small, maybe 20 feet long by
10 feet wide on the wallopposite of the door, three
windows overlook Cherry Streetfrom our third floor vantage
point, we have a direct view ofthe Stark, windowless walls of
the former Hamilton County Jail,which now sits vacant. In the
(01:49):
center of the room, a largewooden conference table
dominates the space, surroundedby 14 black cushioned office
chairs. Against the right wallin the far corner sits a small
counter with just enough roomfor a sink and a commercial
coffee maker. Above it, a set ofcabinets on the floor. Next to
the counter stands a filteredwater dispenser in a trash can.
(02:10):
Beside the trash can, a smallopening in the wall reveals a
coat rack hanging between twobathroom doors. A deputy rolls
two more chairs into the roomand reminds us again to knock on
the door if we need anything.The 16 of us claim a chair and
begin to settle in. Someimmediately dive into books.
Others close their eyes, and afew initiate a game of UNO.
(02:31):
Thankfully, I'd come preparedwith board games, a deck of
cards and an ample supply ofwinter Green Life Savers, which
everyone appreciated. Luncharrives at noon, and we are
escorted down the hall intoanother, larger room to eat with
full bellies and hours ofwaiting behind us, we are ready
to get this trial underway. Thenat 1:26pm, the bailiff knocks on
(02:55):
the jury room door. The judge isready for us. You
This is sequestered a juror'sperspective on the murder trial
for Jasmine. Pace, I'm Sarah,juror number 11 each episode,
I'll take you inside thecourtroom, behind the scenes,
(03:17):
and into the weighty moments ofthis trial as we honor Jasmine's
life and navigate thecomplexities of seeking justice.
Let's begin.
This is episode two. The trialbegins. I
(03:42):
everyone is standing as thejurors enter the courtroom,
waiting for each of us toshuffle into the jury box and
take our seats. Judge Pattersoninvites the room to be seated
and welcomes the jury. Thebailiff swears us in next a line
of deputies moves in front ofour jury box, standing shoulder
to shoulder and facing thejudge, they too are sworn in,
(04:05):
not just as officers of thecourt, but as our protectors for
the duration of the trial, avisible reminder of the weight
of our role and the seriousnessof the case before us. Then
judge Patterson delivers anannouncement the jurors will be
allowed to submit anonymousquestions to witnesses
throughout the trial. This wouldturn out to be quite a unique
(04:25):
opportunity for us.
What's interesting in this caseis that Judge Boyd Patterson
actually lets the jurors asktheir own questions. If there's
something that they want to hearmore on or they didn't get to
hear on, they will send up apiece of paper, the attorneys
will go up and read thequestions, and then judge
Patterson will ask thosequestions of the witness
(04:51):
as we step into the HamiltonCounty courtroom, the layout
immediately defines the spacewhere the trial will unfold.
Judge. Patterson's bench, sitsup off the ground and is
positioned diagonally in the farleft corner of the room, facing
the courtroom entry doors. Fromthis vantage point, he has a
direct line of sight to thedefense table, where attorneys
(05:13):
Joshua Weiss and Amanda Morrisonsit alongside the defendant
Jason Chen, directly to theirleft at the prosecution's table
sit District Attorney GeneralCody WAMP and chief homicide
prosecutor Paul Moyle. Besidethem is a third person when we
would later learn to be leadinvestigator, Zachary Crawford,
a key figure in the case. To theright of the defense team,
(05:37):
positioned along the right wallis the jury. We sit in 16 blue
office chairs, 14 of which arebolted to the ground and all of
which are in dire need of WD, 40at the back of the courtroom,
centered between the jury boxand the judge's bench, sits the
witness stand it faces forward,positioned so that the
(05:57):
attorneys, the judge, the juryand the gallery of onlookers can
all see whoever takes the seat.This is where we would spend the
next several days watching,listening and waiting to unravel
the truth. One of the jurors, anarchitect in his real life,
sketched a detailed layout ofthe courtroom during the trial.
(06:18):
If you want to see exactly howthe room was arranged. You can
check out his drawing on ourwebsite. Judge Patterson begins
by reading his opening commentsstating the official charges
from the state of Tennessee,
(06:39):
violations of state law forsentence 315228, 315228, charge
defendant, two, defenses, firstdegree premeditated murder.
315228, the defendant pleads notguilty. The defendant presumes
to be innocent for the chargeagainst him, he may not be found
guilty unless I'm curious allthe evidence and instructions of
(07:03):
law. 12 jurors in this caseunanimously fine. The state has
proven its case beyondreasonable doubt.
He emphasizes that Jason Chen ispresumed innocent and can only
be found guilty if theprosecution proves his guilt
beyond a reasonable doubt. Heoutlined the trial process,
explaining that evidence willinclude witness testimony,
(07:26):
documents and physical exhibits,and that the jurors may submit
questions. He instructed jurorsto avoid media coverage outside
research and discussions aboutthe case until deliberations
begin. He also clarified that ifa guilty verdict is reached for
first degree murder, a separatesentencing hearing will
(07:46):
determine whether Chen receiveslife in prison or life without
parole. He then invites DistrictAttorney General Cody WAMP to
the stand. General WAMP stoodand commanded the room with a
poised and confident presence,slender with long, blondish
brown hair and expressive browneyes. She was smartly dressed,
(08:07):
exuding professionalism andauthority. Her confident
demeanor was complimented by herclear, articulate speech, which
carried both conviction andemotion, leaving no doubt about
her intelligence andpreparation, standing tall and
maintaining steady eye contact,she conveyed both strength and
approachability, embodying thefocus and determination of a
(08:29):
seasoned prosecutor. She begins
state of Tennessee CriminalCourt for Hamilton County, 2023
count, one the grand jurors upontheir oath do present that Jason
Chen on or about the 23rd day ofNovember, 2022 in Hamilton
(08:49):
County, Tennessee, and beforethe finding of this indictment,
did, unlawfully, intentionallyand with premeditation, inflict
mortal injuries on Jasmine case,which resulted in the debt of
Jasmine case on or about the23rd day of November, 2023 in
violation of Tennessee COVIDannotated, 39 dash 13, dash 202,
(09:11):
against the peace and dignity ofthe state.
When da Cody WAMP began heropening statement. She didn't
just tell us what happened toJasmine pace. She showed us. She
begins her opening statement byputting on blue medical gloves
(09:34):
and pulling a large suitcase outof a cardboard box. She rolled
the suitcase intently, stoppingjust in front of the jury box.
My stomach dropped. This wasn'tjust a suitcase, this was the
suitcase, the very one that hadcarried Jasmine's body. It
served as a stark andunrelenting reminder of the
(09:55):
crime, and we would see thesuitcase many times throughout
the trial. With the suitcase infront of us want began laying
out the horrific details.Jasmine's body was discovered on
suck Creek Road, a remote,winding roadway that runs along
the Tennessee River known forits scenic views. The area's
(10:16):
isolation made it an eerie andunsettling place for such a
discovery inside the suitcase.Jasmine had been handcuffed and
shackled in the fetal position,then wrapped in three black
trash bags before being zippedinside and discarded along the
river's edge. Her wounds wereextensive, 60 stab and incised
(10:37):
wounds in total, one of thewounds going straight through
her neck, severing vitalstructures as it passed from
right to left. Another wasdelivered with such force that
the tip of the chef's knife usedin the attack broke off inside
of her lung, a detail themedical examiner would later
uncover during the autopsy.Here's a clip of general Cody
(10:59):
wamps opening statement.
The suitcase
was located in a brushy areajust yards from the bank of the
Tennessee River, and right offof stuff Creek Road in it was
(11:21):
the body of Jasmine pace who hadbeen placed in a fetal position
inside of three black trashbags. Her right ankle was
handcuffed to her right wrist,her left ankle had been shackled
(11:46):
to her right arm. Her woundswere extensive. You will hear
from Doctor coswell, the medicalexaminer from Hamilton County,
who will describe those woundsin great detail, he stabbed her
over and over and over again,not seven times, not 29 times,
(12:10):
not 43 times, but 16 stabwounds. One wound a through
Andrea from the right side ofthe neck all the way through the
left another so deeplypenetrated her rib cage that the
(12:30):
tip of the knife broke off intoher Lung. You will see the tip
of that knot eventually, andonly because of the
relentlessness of Jasmine pacesfamily, the Chattanooga Police
(12:52):
Department's homicide divisionexecuted a search warrant hit
Jason Chen's apartment onNovember 28 2020 The missing
persons investigation quicklybecame a homicide investigation
when even despite his bestefforts to clean it up, Jasmine
(13:15):
paces, blood upon The executionof a search warrant was located
all over Jason Chin's
heart.
And when you think that you haveseen enough evidence that Jason
chin killed Jasmine face, youwill be convinced that he
(13:38):
stuffed her body in thissuitcase after placing it in
trash bags, because you willhear from a fingerprint expert.
The fingerprint experts willtell you that Jason Chen's
fingerprints were found on theinner most trash bag that
(14:00):
surrounded
hearing these details for thefirst time was gut wrenching,
and it was only the beginning. Iremember trying to sit up
straight and focus on takinggood notes, attempting the
process the sheer violence of itall was out of the question. It
(14:20):
was terrible knowing that thisyoung woman's life had ended in
such a brutal and senseless way.But as a juror, my job wasn't to
react, it wasn't to grieve orexpress outrage. It was to
listen, to absorb the facts andassess them without bias. The
prosecution would go on to layout what they had intended to
(14:41):
prove that Jasmine's death wasnot accidental or impulsive, but
a deliberate, premeditated act,and that Jason Chen was the one
responsible. You.
(15:01):
Defense Attorney Joshua Weisstook the stand next presenting a
stark contrast to General wampscommanding presence, dressed in
a blue suit with a white shirtand a muted plaid tie, Weiss had
more of a relaxed appearance.His shaggy hair and full beard
gave him somewhat of anunpolished every guy, look think
(15:22):
Zach Galifianakis, he probablygets that a lot. His demeanor
was calm, but lacked the sheenand confidence of his opposing
counsel. Speaking in a low tone,his delivery came across as more
of over her story than acompelling argument, leaving an
impression of restraint ratherthan authority. Still, the
(15:44):
defense's opening statement tooka vastly different approach.
Weiss wasted no time inadmitting that Jason Chen had
killed Jasmine, but he insistedthat it wasn't premeditated
murder. Instead, he framed it asvoluntary manslaughter, a crime
of passion. Weiss painted Jasonas someone who acted out of
(16:06):
fear, shame and emotionaldistress. He claimed that what
happened wasn't a calculatedact, but a tragic moment that
had spiraled out of control.According to the defense,
Jasmine became enraged afterdiscovering Tinder messages on
Jason's phone in response, Weissalleged she grabbed a broken
wine bottle and attacked Jasonin the chaos, Jason stabbed
(16:29):
Jasmine, not with the intent tokill, but in self defense the
way Weiss told it, Jason wasn'ta murderer, he was simply a man
caught In an emotionally chargedmoment reacting out of panic.
Here's a clip of attorney JoshuaWeiss's opening statement,
(16:51):
early hours on November 23 2022Jason killed jazz. He didn't do
it with a remeditation. Hedidn't do it with a
premeditation. This is avolunteering in November of 2022
he was succeeding the yearbefore he and Jasmine started
(17:13):
communicating. They met on tapein 2021 they dated for a few
months, but they lost touch. Butthen about eight months later,
in May of 2022 you'd be cutewith that relationship, and
started dating, seeing eachother more and more, and you're
going to see through the textmessages, someone I was
obviously going to thisrelationship, Jasmine started
(17:36):
getting feelings for Jason, seethrough those text messages, and
Jason kept reciprocate that asmuch. Then he come to the beach
of November 22 it wasThanksgiving. Jasmine and her
family lost their grandpa. Shewas and on the night of November
(17:58):
22 around 11pm she came over toJason's house, and they did.
They always fly on the night ofNovember, the 22nd they were
doing flying that bedroom inorder to open one bottles of
(18:18):
wine and bedroom Jason had to goto the kitchen and get a kitchen
burner and take off that plasticwrap and burst around the top of
wine bottles. So he was able toget off the top of the wine
bottle of passenger. He placedit on his side. At a certain
point, they finish off thebottle of wine and Jasmine goes
back into the kitchen to getanother bottle, and there on the
(18:41):
counter is Jason Selva, thatfamiliar Tinder date that
Jasmine and Jason do so well,because that's how they met.
Jasmine looked at his phone andsaw all these messages about the
girls, and this was security toher. She was already in Greece,
(19:05):
and they sent her in anger. Usedto rage, and they started
yelling, biting further, Jasoncame into the kitchen. Jasmine
attacked Jason with an emptywine bottle. And reaction, Jason
kicked her and she fellbatteries, knocking over wine
glasses. She picked up one ofthe wine glasses and ran towards
(19:28):
Jason. Jason treated going fromthe kitchen to his bedroom,
which helped she chased afterthat. He was trying to close the
door to the bathroom and put itbecause the bathroom then tried
to run from the bathroom intothe bedroom, but there is a
pocket door, and it's impossibleto close. Army is back into the
bedroom. Jasmine's right therecoming at him as well glass.
(19:54):
Jason sees the knife, exceptthis. Blacked out. Your heart is
racing. You're in that fight orflight response. Your adrenaline
is rushing. You're in a panic.You're in fear. You don't know
what's going to happen next.Laying over Genesis body
(20:21):
signified Jason crawls on hishands and knees after rose up.
He lays there and it was, andthen he goes back into a room
and sees where he's done, scaredin a panic, and he doesn't know
what. And I wish I was tellingyou right now that call nine one
(20:42):
that he called the police fromthere, chasing the sides the
guest cover the side, yes, thehigh places, jazz and trash puts
the handcuffs On her after sheis fit, so that way she fit into
(21:03):
the trash, and so they put herinto that suitcase, where he
then takes her body in thatsuitcase and drops her by the
banks. He then sets on board totry to clean up the apartment.
To his best of his ability, hetries to hide the fact that what
he did by testing in a dozenparents pretending to be here on
(21:26):
social media, whatever he cando, selfish, and it's wrong, but
he panicked, and he thought thiswas the best Jason. Jason is
guilty, but he's not guilty ofthe violence charge.
(21:51):
I remember writing furiouslyduring the defense's statement,
every word felt critical. Iwanted to document each of the
defense's claims so that I canweigh them against the evidence
I knew was yet to come. I neededto see if the facts aligned with
the story Weiss was trying tosell, or if the truth would tell
us something entirely different.You
(22:24):
after the opening statements,the prosecution called their
first witnesses, one of the moreemotional moments came when
Jasmine's mother, Katrina bean,took the stand. The weight of
the moment was heavy. Da WAMPsays
the state is going to cause usKatrina be
but before she could take thestand, Katrina asked for a
(22:44):
moment and stepped out of thecourtroom to compose herself. It
wasn't until after the trialthat I had fully grasped the
gravity of this moment. Justearlier during the defense's
opening statement, Katrina hadheard for the first time that
Jason Chen was admitting tomurdering her daughter, and then
almost immediately, she wascalled to take the stand as the
(23:05):
first witness in the trial forthat very murder. Yeah, I would
have needed a moment too. Theweight of that revelation still
hung in the air as she returnedto the room and took her seat in
the witness stand she was swornin. When she finally began, her
voice was unsteady and thickwith grief. The emotion in the
(23:26):
room was palpable, and it wasimpossible not to feel the sheer
heartbreak of a mother beingforced to relive the worst
moment of her life in front of ajury, in front of the man
responsible.
Jasmine's mother was the firstwitness to testify, bean had to
take a moment before coming upto the stand, because in the
(23:46):
defendant's opening statement,it was the first time she had
heard Chen's attorney admit thatChen had killed her daughter.
You've
never heard this defendant admitthat he heard your daughter.
Ever
first time he heard us say yes?So
(24:12):
Katrina recounted the last timeshe saw Jasmine alive, painting
a vivid picture of herdaughter's vibrant spirit. She
spoke about Jasmine's energy,her kindness, her plans for the
future, each word a painfulcontrast to the brutal reality
of why we were all in thatcourtroom. The jury listened
intently, some shifting in theirseats, others taking notes in
(24:35):
quiet concentration. Katrina'stestimony reminded everyone that
this wasn't just a murder case,it was a family's worst
nightmare, a mother's unbearableloss and a young life stolen far
too soon. One significant detailin this case was the passing of
Jasmine Pace's great grandmotheron her mother's side, a woman
(24:58):
Jasmine was deeply. Close to onNovember 22 just hours before
Jasmine was last seen, her greatgrandmother was taken to the
emergency room, where she passedaway later that evening. By all
accounts, this loss weighedheavily on Jasmine and was
mentioned during the trial as apossible factor in her emotional
state leading up to herdisappearance. The defense
(25:22):
argued that Jasmine's griefplayed a role in seeking comfort
in her interactions with JasonChen, ultimately leading her to
visit his apartment that night.While the prosecution didn't
directly link this event to thecrime, it added another layer of
complexity in understandingJasmine's mindset in her final
hours, a reminder that she wasnot only a victim of violence,
(25:43):
but also a young woman carryingthe weight of profound personal
loss.
At some point after hergrandmother
passed away, were you not ableto get in touch with Jessica
perfect next day, were youcalling her? I was calling. I
(26:03):
didn't even answer. I sentmessages. Was that at all
tonight from Jasmine, yes, andfor her not to be there for her
family? Yes,
Katrina was desperate to findher daughter. Days had gone by
without any communication, andas each hour passed, her fear
(26:27):
grew. She refused to sit backand wait. So she became an
investigator herself on November26 determined to track Jasmine's
movements, Katrina went to aVerizon store and had her
daughter's account loaded into anew iPhone. It was a brilliant
move, because doing so gave heraccess to Jasmine's my Chevy
app, allowing Katrina to see thevehicle's recent location and
(26:50):
movements. They started with thelast recorded address, 900
mountain creek road. Jasmine'ssister Gabby called their father
Travis pace, and they all rushedto the parking lot, gathering in
front of Jasmine's white ChevyEquinox. The vehicle sat there,
locked and undisturbed, butJasmine was nowhere to be found.
(27:13):
A wave of panic set in as theyrealized this wasn't just a
misunderstanding. Something wasseriously wrong. Desperation
took over. The family spranginto action, banging on
apartment doors, calling outJasmine's name and questioning
residents, hoping for even thesmallest clue leading to her
whereabouts. Some tenants barelycracked their doors open, groggy
(27:34):
and confused. Others shook theirheads, saying they hadn't seen
anything. Each dead end,heightening their fear time was
slipping away and Jasmine wasstill missing,
we went to
100 located.
(27:57):
Eventually, Katrina called thepolice officer Pierre of the
Chattanooga Police Departmentwas dispatched and met the
family near Jasmine's vehicle totake a statement. While officer
Pierre was on site, Katrinaturned to the Verizon phone logs
on Jasmine's account, searchingfor any clue, scrolling through
the recent calls, she noticedone number that stood out.
(28:18):
Jasmine had spent 71 minutes onthe phone with this person on
the evening of November 22Katrina didn't know who the
number belonged to, but shedialed a man answered and
identified himself as JasonChen. From the start, something
fell off. Jason played coy,acting casual, almost
indifferent, claiming that hehadn't seen or spoken to Jasmine
(28:41):
in a while. But Katrina knewthat wasn't true. She was
staring at the phone recordsthat proved otherwise when she
pressed him for details, Jasongave her an address, 500 Tremont
Street. The family would latercheck that address and discover
it was a vacant house stillunder construction. One thing
was clear, Jason was lying.Officer Pierre was still
(29:04):
standing by and overheard theconversation. After reviewing
the phone records himself, heconfirmed what Katrina already
knew. Jason had spoken toJasmine on the night of the 22nd
and now he was trying to coverit up. After gathering these
details, Officer Pierre wouldleave the family to sort through
having the vehicle towed back totheir house. Later that night,
(29:26):
he would officially enterJasmine into the national
database for missing persons,ensuring law enforcement
agencies across the countrywould be alerted to her
disappearance, waiting for thecar to be towed, Katrina
continued searching for answers,and something clicked. Scrolling
through her text thread withjasmine, she noticed a location
pin that Jasmine had sent her at2:18am on the morning of
(29:49):
November 23 she had missedseeing this before because the
text just above was a pin thatKatrina had sent Jasmine from
the hospital where her grandmawas admitted the afternoon
prior. Her the text messagesmust have blurred together, but
now, staring at her phone,Katrina can clearly see that
Jasmine had sent this newlocation. Sadly, this would have
(30:11):
been the last text that Jasmineherself would ever send her mom,
a final text that in many wayswould help solve her own murder.
And we went back to apartmentsto do this tree footage for all
doing so kind of looked back atmy and Jasmine's messages, okay,
(30:33):
and seeing that she had sent mea pin and draw her location. And
what, why we went to the 110,three month,
what caused you to look back atyour adjustments, and when you
say conversations, you need atext thread? Yes, our text
thread. What caused you to goback and look at that? Don't
(30:55):
remember we were trying to getthe footage burping at the
apartment, and I didn't noticeit before, because I had sent
her a head drop on the 22ndbecause we normally had been
taken my grandmother to thehospital downtown, and we didn't
(31:20):
that day, and so I had sent herpin drop showing her What
hospital we were at. So and Ididn't notice that she had sent
a pin drop by her.
If you didn't catch that lastpart, Katrina said, so I sent
her a pin drop showing her Whathospital we were at, so I didn't
(31:42):
notice she had sent me a pindrop, because I thought it was
the pin drop I sent to her. Thepin Jasmine sent led to an
address at 110 Tremont street, athree story apartment building
housing over 50 individualunits. It was the middle of the
night, but that didn't stopthem. They moved through the
(32:03):
first floor, knocking on doorsand showing photos of Jasmine to
groggy tenants, hoping someonehad seen her. As they made their
way to the second floor, theyencountered a neighbor who
mentioned something chillinglate on November 22 he had heard
a woman scream coming fromapartment 210 with fear and
urgency mounting, they knockedon the door of 210 much more
(32:25):
emphatically than the others, noresponse. Taking matters into
their own hands, they forcedentry, desperate to find any
clue that could lead them toJasmine. Once inside, they found
startling evidence, Jasmine'sdriver's license and credit
cards were tucked neatly insideof a desk drawer. Her travel bag
(32:48):
sat on the counter untouched. Itwas undeniable. Jasmine had been
here. Immediately they exitedthe apartment and called 9112,
officers arrived and performed awalk through of apartment. 210,
photos later, taken from theofficers body cam footage showed
the front door and the deskwhere Jasmine's ID and credit
cards were now placed out in theopen, intentionally positioned
(33:11):
for the police to see uponentry. Yet despite this
evidence, the officers concludedthat they found nothing
suspicious inside. They saidthey would pass the information
along, and they left feelingunheard and unsupported.
Jasmine's family refused tostand by. In fact, Katrina would
re enter the apartment multipletimes over the following days,
(33:33):
taking crucial belongings withher, Jasmine's ID and credit
cards, her travel bag and someclothing. She also collected a
box containing four smartphones,a tablet, a Polaroid camera, and
a number of spiral boundnotebooks, items she thought
might hold the answers thepolice had failed to pursue.
(33:54):
What was your reaction when yousaw this girl? I was scared
because that was my normalstuff. So that never sent me a
location overnight at
the time that you saw thelocation drop. Did you know of
anybody that's lived or nofrequented this this building?
(34:15):
Yeah. So you travel to thislocation, do you recall what the
address was.
It's 110, three, one street, andit's an apartment building. Is
that correct? Yes,
okay, everybody's together. Andso how did you get into the
apartment
building? Appreciate it like Joemay not live there. She let us
(34:35):
in, and
that something caused you toarrive at
apartment 210, yes, what wasthat spoke to a neighbor that
said that he heard a womanscream within several minutes of
the pin drop that I had receivedfrom my daughter and I. Jason's
(35:00):
apartment door was the only onethat someone didn't answer. So
the person told you that thescreen account from a certain
department was that a purpose of10 it was and did you and your
family knock on that door? Wedid
not answer it. Okay,
explain to the jury what you andyour family members, they first
(35:23):
used
to do, were you going into thefunding? I just, I knew, I knew
something is too close to wheremy daughter said her Coronavirus
were almost exact. Was anybodythere? No. Where'd you start
doing
when you got to the apartment?You
(35:45):
got to bet stores. Found mydaughter's ID and credit cards
today singing on the counter alittle travel bag of hers.
She located some Jackson's wall.I did I
defense attorney Weiss wouldhave his chance to question
(36:08):
Katrina Bean on the stand nextduring his cross examination,
Weiss would highlightinconsistencies in Katrina's
testimony. She admitted toinitially lying to police,
stating that they had knocked onJason Chen's door with enough
force for it to open. However,she later testified that
Jasmine's father Travis pace hadused a credit card to open the
(36:31):
door when pressed about aspecific moment at Chen's door
involving a police officer,Katrina candidly replied, I've
spent two years trying not toremember every detail of that
night. In all fairness, I don'tremember her response
underscored the emotional tollof the case and the strain of
reliving those events as day oneof the trial progressed, we
(36:55):
would hear from key witnesseswho provided crucial
surveillance footage that helpedpiece together Jason Chen's
actions after Jasmine'sdisappearance. Megan bean, a
Walmart asset protectionemployee, and Kelsey Campbell, a
Walgreens manager, bothtestified about store records
and receipts showing videofootage of Chen purchasing items
(37:15):
like band aids, isopropylalcohol and hydrogen peroxide at
various times in the afternoonhours of November 23 coinciding
with the timeline of his cleanupefforts, surveillance footage
from Walmart clearly shows Chenat the register purchasing these
items with an eerily calmdemeanor. The prosecution keen
(37:36):
to point out a number of notableitems in the shot, such as the
red and white honey thing goeshat, a pair of white laced van
shoes on his feet and the cardholder on his iPhone case with a
logo of Boston College on it.
Scott Miller, a security officerfor the signal view apartments
(37:56):
and condos, took the stand nexthe described collecting and
reviewing footage from a parkinglot security camera that
captured Jasmine's car passingby the front office of the
signal view condos at 900mountain creek road. The footage
from the evening hours ofNovember 23 showed the white
Chevy Equinox quickly driving inand out of the camera's frame of
view, then minutes later, a darkcolored Toyota Prius follows the
(38:21):
same route. Footage from the RTIC or Arctic cams will later
show this Prius dropping off apassenger about 12 minutes later
in front of the lofts at Tremontat 110 Tremont Street. These
pieces of evidence were criticalin building the prosecution's
case, further demonstratingChen's calculated attempts to
(38:41):
cover his tracks and misleadauthorities.
Before the Court adjourned forthe evening, the prosecution
called their sixth witness tothe stand, lead investigator
Zachary Crawford of theChattanooga Police Department,
(39:02):
Crawford took the stand, gavehis oath and spoke his name for
the record. He then explainedhis professional background and
experience in law enforcement onSunday evening, November 27
while at home with his family, acolleague prompted him to look
at some Facebook posts aboutJasmine Pace's disappearance,
(39:22):
the posts, along with emergingdetails around her
disappearance, immediatelycaught his attention. By 7pm
that night, the case had beenescalated to a homicide
investigation, and Crawfordwould be assigned as the lead
investigator on the case. Withcareful prompting from Da Cody
WAMP investigator, Crawfordbegan walking the jury through
the extensive crime sceneinvestigation. He detailed the
(39:46):
search efforts that involvedmultiple units, including
homicide, crime scene, fugitiveinvestigations, the FBI and
canine teams. The warrant for110 Tremont Street, apartment
210 was granted. Visit at11:45pm on November 27 allowing
investigators to enter and begintheir search. Crawford
(40:08):
methodically explained how crimescene investigators process
Jason Chen's apartment. Uponentry, the apartment was empty,
but the evidence left behindtold its own story, as Crawford
testified, a series of photostaken during the search are
presented, including images ofChen's hallway, front entrance
and bathroom tiles, all of whichshowed positive reactions to
(40:32):
blue star, a forensic agent usedto detect hidden blood. He
described the removal of acarpet sample due to a dark red
stain blood trapped in the groutof the bathroom floor and the
eerie void inside Chen's closetexactly the size of a suitcase.
Additionally, Crawford clarifiedthere were no signs of forced
(40:53):
entry in the apartment,contradicting any claims of a
struggle initiated by Jasmine.He also noted that despite the
defense's previous statements,there was no detectable smell of
marijuana in the unit. As hewalked the jury through 56
photos of evidence, theprosecution carefully built the
foundation for their case. JasonChen had not acted out of panic,
(41:16):
but instead had taken deliberatesteps to cover up his crime.
Listening to all this, Icouldn't help but imagine how
devastating it must have beenfor Jasmine's family to sit in
that courtroom and hear thesedetails unfold. The sheer
brutality of what happened toher contrasted sharply with the
(41:38):
defense's attempts to downplaythe severity of the crime,
shifting the blame onto Jasmineherself. It felt unjust,
unsettling, like an attempt torewrite her story. But the
prosecution would methodicallylay out the evidence piece by
piece, and it would become clearthat Jasmine's truth was
undeniable. It was the evidenceitself that would speak the
(42:01):
loudest on her behalf. By now,it was after 6pm and judge
Patterson noted that it would bea good stopping point for the
day. He reminded the jurors oftheir obligation not to discuss
the case or seek any outsideinformation, and the court was
(42:21):
adjourned, set to reconvene at9:30am the following morning,
the courtroom stood as the 16 ofus rose and exited out the back
door. Soon, we would be pilinginto our 15 passenger vans and
being shuttled off to dinnerwith our four deputies, who were
quickly becoming our friendlysupport system. Day one was
(42:46):
emotionally exhausting, aharrowing introduction to the
weight of the case we would beasked to deliberate on. The
prosecution had already begunpiecing together the final
moments of Jasmine's life, andwith each new revelation, the
gravity of our role as jurorsbecame more real. This was not
just a story anymore. It was atragedy with real lives impacted
(43:10):
forever.
Next week on sequestered,
when you arrived at the home the
parents of Jason, I advised themthat I had a search warrant for
(43:34):
the residents. Was Jason Chan,the residents youth was
the evidence begins to stack upas investigators uncover blood
stains, suspicious items nearthe dumpster and chilling
handwritten notes that tightenthe case against Jason Chen,
leading to his arrest at hisparents' house In nolensville,
Tennessee, the story continues.Stay with us. You.
(44:05):
Up. Thank you for listening tosequester a juror's perspective
on the murder trial for Jasminepace, each episode brings us
closer to understanding thetrial, the people involved, and
the weight of seeking justice.If this story speaks to you,
please follow, share andcontinue the conversation with
us. Jasmine's story deserves tobe remembered. This is a BP
(44:29):
production. The show is written,edited and produced by me Sarah
Reed, with CO production byAndrea Kleid. News clips
featured in this episode weresourced from wtbc News Channel
Nine, local three news,Chattanooga and the law and
crime network. Music and sounddesign are curated to reflect
(44:49):
the gravity and sensitivity ofthis story, and with the intent
to honor Jasmine, her family andthe community affected by her
death, for more information orto connect with us. US visit
sequestered pod.com or follow uson Instagram at sequestered pod.
Thank you for listening untilnext time, stay curious and stay
(45:10):
safe. You
Music Before we begin, please beadvised that this episode
contains graphic descriptions ofviolence as presented during the
trial. Please take care whilelistening. It's Monday morning,
January 13, 2025 6am, I hear aknock at my door at 627, I
(00:23):
emerge from my hotel room andmake my way down to the
elevator, where four deputiesand my fellow jurors are already
gathered. We are countedmultiple times before piling
into the elevator. Once in thehotel lobby dining room, we grab
breakfast, coffee, waffles,whatever we can stomach, while
other hotel guests glance at UScuriously, their eyes shifting
(00:46):
between us and the uniformedofficers standing guard. After
breakfast, we are counted again,collected and then sent back up
the elevators to our rooms so wecan get ready for the day. By
8am we are loaded into ourdesignated vans and driven to
the courthouse. Upon arrival atthe courthouse, we are escorted
(01:07):
inside and led directly to ourjury room. We would spend a lot
of time in this room. Startingthat morning, the bailiff
informs us that pre trialmatters are still being handled,
and the judge will let them knowwhen it's time for us to enter
the courtroom. In the meantime,we are to remain in this room.
If we need anything at all, weare told to knock on the door,
(01:28):
but otherwise we wait. The roomis small, maybe 20 feet long by
10 feet wide on the wallopposite of the door, three
windows overlook Cherry Streetfrom our third floor vantage
point, we have a direct view ofthe Stark, windowless walls of
the former Hamilton County Jail,which now sits vacant. In the
(01:49):
center of the room, a largewooden conference table
dominates the space, surroundedby 14 black cushioned office
chairs. Against the right wallin the far corner sits a small
counter with just enough roomfor a sink and a commercial
coffee maker. Above it, a set ofcabinets on the floor. Next to
the counter stands a filteredwater dispenser in a trash can.
(02:10):
Beside the trash can, a smallopening in the wall reveals a
coat rack hanging between twobathroom doors. A deputy rolls
two more chairs into the roomand reminds us again to knock on
the door if we need anything.The 16 of us claim a chair and
begin to settle in. Someimmediately dive into books.
Others close their eyes, and afew initiate a game of UNO.
(02:31):
Thankfully, I'd come preparedwith board games, a deck of
cards and an ample supply ofwinter Green Life Savers, which
everyone appreciated. Luncharrives at noon, and we are
escorted down the hall intoanother, larger room to eat with
full bellies and hours ofwaiting behind us, we are ready
to get this trial underway. Thenat 1:26pm, the bailiff knocks on
(02:55):
the jury room door. The judge isready for us. You
This is sequestered a juror'sperspective on the murder trial
for Jasmine. Pace, I'm Sarah,juror number 11 each episode,
I'll take you inside thecourtroom, behind the scenes,
(03:17):
and into the weighty moments ofthis trial as we honor Jasmine's
life and navigate thecomplexities of seeking justice.
Let's begin.
This is episode two. The trialbegins. I
(03:42):
everyone is standing as thejurors enter the courtroom,
waiting for each of us toshuffle into the jury box and
take our seats. Judge Pattersoninvites the room to be seated
and welcomes the jury. Thebailiff swears us in next a line
of deputies moves in front ofour jury box, standing shoulder
to shoulder and facing thejudge, they too are sworn in,
(04:05):
not just as officers of thecourt, but as our protectors for
the duration of the trial, avisible reminder of the weight
of our role and the seriousnessof the case before us. Then
judge Patterson delivers anannouncement the jurors will be
allowed to submit anonymousquestions to witnesses
throughout the trial. This wouldturn out to be quite a unique
(04:25):
opportunity for us.
What's interesting in this caseis that Judge Boyd Patterson
actually lets the jurors asktheir own questions. If there's
something that they want to hearmore on or they didn't get to
hear on, they will send up apiece of paper, the attorneys
will go up and read thequestions, and then judge
Patterson will ask thosequestions of the witness
(04:51):
as we step into the HamiltonCounty courtroom, the layout
immediately defines the spacewhere the trial will unfold.
Judge. Patterson's bench, sitsup off the ground and is
positioned diagonally in the farleft corner of the room, facing
the courtroom entry doors. Fromthis vantage point, he has a
direct line of sight to thedefense table, where attorneys
(05:13):
Joshua Weiss and Amanda Morrisonsit alongside the defendant
Jason Chen, directly to theirleft at the prosecution's table
sit District Attorney GeneralCody WAMP and chief homicide
prosecutor Paul Moyle. Besidethem is a third person when we
would later learn to be leadinvestigator, Zachary Crawford,
a key figure in the case. To theright of the defense team,
(05:37):
positioned along the right wallis the jury. We sit in 16 blue
office chairs, 14 of which arebolted to the ground and all of
which are in dire need of WD, 40at the back of the courtroom,
centered between the jury boxand the judge's bench, sits the
witness stand it faces forward,positioned so that the
(05:57):
attorneys, the judge, the juryand the gallery of onlookers can
all see whoever takes the seat.This is where we would spend the
next several days watching,listening and waiting to unravel
the truth. One of the jurors, anarchitect in his real life,
sketched a detailed layout ofthe courtroom during the trial.
(06:18):
If you want to see exactly howthe room was arranged. You can
check out his drawing on ourwebsite. Judge Patterson begins
by reading his opening commentsstating the official charges
from the state of Tennessee,
(06:39):
violations of state law forsentence 315228, 315228, charge
defendant, two, defenses, firstdegree premeditated murder.
315228, the defendant pleads notguilty. The defendant presumes
to be innocent for the chargeagainst him, he may not be found
guilty unless I'm curious allthe evidence and instructions of
(07:03):
law. 12 jurors in this caseunanimously fine. The state has
proven its case beyondreasonable doubt.
He emphasizes that Jason Chen ispresumed innocent and can only
be found guilty if theprosecution proves his guilt
beyond a reasonable doubt. Heoutlined the trial process,
explaining that evidence willinclude witness testimony,
(07:26):
documents and physical exhibits,and that the jurors may submit
questions. He instructed jurorsto avoid media coverage outside
research and discussions aboutthe case until deliberations
begin. He also clarified that ifa guilty verdict is reached for
first degree murder, a separatesentencing hearing will
(07:46):
determine whether Chen receiveslife in prison or life without
parole. He then invites DistrictAttorney General Cody WAMP to
the stand. General WAMP stoodand commanded the room with a
poised and confident presence,slender with long, blondish
brown hair and expressive browneyes. She was smartly dressed,
(08:07):
exuding professionalism andauthority. Her confident
demeanor was complimented by herclear, articulate speech, which
carried both conviction andemotion, leaving no doubt about
her intelligence andpreparation, standing tall and
maintaining steady eye contact,she conveyed both strength and
approachability, embodying thefocus and determination of a
(08:29):
seasoned prosecutor. She begins
state of Tennessee CriminalCourt for Hamilton County, 2023
count, one the grand jurors upontheir oath do present that Jason
Chen on or about the 23rd day ofNovember, 2022 in Hamilton
(08:49):
County, Tennessee, and beforethe finding of this indictment,
did, unlawfully, intentionallyand with premeditation, inflict
mortal injuries on Jasmine case,which resulted in the debt of
Jasmine case on or about the23rd day of November, 2023 in
violation of Tennessee COVIDannotated, 39 dash 13, dash 202,
(09:11):
against the peace and dignity ofthe state.
When da Cody WAMP began heropening statement. She didn't
just tell us what happened toJasmine pace. She showed us. She
begins her opening statement byputting on blue medical gloves
(09:34):
and pulling a large suitcase outof a cardboard box. She rolled
the suitcase intently, stoppingjust in front of the jury box.
My stomach dropped. This wasn'tjust a suitcase, this was the
suitcase, the very one that hadcarried Jasmine's body. It
served as a stark andunrelenting reminder of the
(09:55):
crime, and we would see thesuitcase many times throughout
the trial. With the suitcase infront of us want began laying
out the horrific details.Jasmine's body was discovered on
suck Creek Road, a remote,winding roadway that runs along
the Tennessee River known forits scenic views. The area's
(10:16):
isolation made it an eerie andunsettling place for such a
discovery inside the suitcase.Jasmine had been handcuffed and
shackled in the fetal position,then wrapped in three black
trash bags before being zippedinside and discarded along the
river's edge. Her wounds wereextensive, 60 stab and incised
(10:37):
wounds in total, one of thewounds going straight through
her neck, severing vitalstructures as it passed from
right to left. Another wasdelivered with such force that
the tip of the chef's knife usedin the attack broke off inside
of her lung, a detail themedical examiner would later
uncover during the autopsy.Here's a clip of general Cody
(10:59):
wamps opening statement.
The suitcase
was located in a brushy areajust yards from the bank of the
Tennessee River, and right offof stuff Creek Road in it was
(11:21):
the body of Jasmine pace who hadbeen placed in a fetal position
inside of three black trashbags. Her right ankle was
handcuffed to her right wrist,her left ankle had been shackled
(11:46):
to her right arm. Her woundswere extensive. You will hear
from Doctor coswell, the medicalexaminer from Hamilton County,
who will describe those woundsin great detail, he stabbed her
over and over and over again,not seven times, not 29 times,
(12:10):
not 43 times, but 16 stabwounds. One wound a through
Andrea from the right side ofthe neck all the way through the
left another so deeplypenetrated her rib cage that the
(12:30):
tip of the knife broke off intoher Lung. You will see the tip
of that knot eventually, andonly because of the
relentlessness of Jasmine pacesfamily, the Chattanooga Police
(12:52):
Department's homicide divisionexecuted a search warrant hit
Jason Chen's apartment onNovember 28 2020 The missing
persons investigation quicklybecame a homicide investigation
when even despite his bestefforts to clean it up, Jasmine
(13:15):
paces, blood upon The executionof a search warrant was located
all over Jason Chin's
heart.
And when you think that you haveseen enough evidence that Jason
chin killed Jasmine face, youwill be convinced that he
(13:38):
stuffed her body in thissuitcase after placing it in
trash bags, because you willhear from a fingerprint expert.
The fingerprint experts willtell you that Jason Chen's
fingerprints were found on theinner most trash bag that
(14:00):
surrounded
hearing these details for thefirst time was gut wrenching,
and it was only the beginning. Iremember trying to sit up
straight and focus on takinggood notes, attempting the
process the sheer violence of itall was out of the question. It
(14:20):
was terrible knowing that thisyoung woman's life had ended in
such a brutal and senseless way.But as a juror, my job wasn't to
react, it wasn't to grieve orexpress outrage. It was to
listen, to absorb the facts andassess them without bias. The
prosecution would go on to layout what they had intended to
(14:41):
prove that Jasmine's death wasnot accidental or impulsive, but
a deliberate, premeditated act,and that Jason Chen was the one
responsible. You.
(15:01):
Defense Attorney Joshua Weisstook the stand next presenting a
stark contrast to General wampscommanding presence, dressed in
a blue suit with a white shirtand a muted plaid tie, Weiss had
more of a relaxed appearance.His shaggy hair and full beard
gave him somewhat of anunpolished every guy, look think
(15:22):
Zach Galifianakis, he probablygets that a lot. His demeanor
was calm, but lacked the sheenand confidence of his opposing
counsel. Speaking in a low tone,his delivery came across as more
of over her story than acompelling argument, leaving an
impression of restraint ratherthan authority. Still, the
(15:44):
defense's opening statement tooka vastly different approach.
Weiss wasted no time inadmitting that Jason Chen had
killed Jasmine, but he insistedthat it wasn't premeditated
murder. Instead, he framed it asvoluntary manslaughter, a crime
of passion. Weiss painted Jasonas someone who acted out of
(16:06):
fear, shame and emotionaldistress. He claimed that what
happened wasn't a calculatedact, but a tragic moment that
had spiraled out of control.According to the defense,
Jasmine became enraged afterdiscovering Tinder messages on
Jason's phone in response, Weissalleged she grabbed a broken
wine bottle and attacked Jasonin the chaos, Jason stabbed
(16:29):
Jasmine, not with the intent tokill, but in self defense the
way Weiss told it, Jason wasn'ta murderer, he was simply a man
caught In an emotionally chargedmoment reacting out of panic.
Here's a clip of attorney JoshuaWeiss's opening statement,
(16:51):
early hours on November 23 2022Jason killed jazz. He didn't do
it with a remeditation. Hedidn't do it with a
premeditation. This is avolunteering in November of 2022
he was succeeding the yearbefore he and Jasmine started
(17:13):
communicating. They met on tapein 2021 they dated for a few
months, but they lost touch. Butthen about eight months later,
in May of 2022 you'd be cutewith that relationship, and
started dating, seeing eachother more and more, and you're
going to see through the textmessages, someone I was
obviously going to thisrelationship, Jasmine started
(17:36):
getting feelings for Jason, seethrough those text messages, and
Jason kept reciprocate that asmuch. Then he come to the beach
of November 22 it wasThanksgiving. Jasmine and her
family lost their grandpa. Shewas and on the night of November
(17:58):
22 around 11pm she came over toJason's house, and they did.
They always fly on the night ofNovember, the 22nd they were
doing flying that bedroom inorder to open one bottles of
(18:18):
wine and bedroom Jason had to goto the kitchen and get a kitchen
burner and take off that plasticwrap and burst around the top of
wine bottles. So he was able toget off the top of the wine
bottle of passenger. He placedit on his side. At a certain
point, they finish off thebottle of wine and Jasmine goes
back into the kitchen to getanother bottle, and there on the
(18:41):
counter is Jason Selva, thatfamiliar Tinder date that
Jasmine and Jason do so well,because that's how they met.
Jasmine looked at his phone andsaw all these messages about the
girls, and this was security toher. She was already in Greece,
(19:05):
and they sent her in anger. Usedto rage, and they started
yelling, biting further, Jasoncame into the kitchen. Jasmine
attacked Jason with an emptywine bottle. And reaction, Jason
kicked her and she fellbatteries, knocking over wine
glasses. She picked up one ofthe wine glasses and ran towards
(19:28):
Jason. Jason treated going fromthe kitchen to his bedroom,
which helped she chased afterthat. He was trying to close the
door to the bathroom and put itbecause the bathroom then tried
to run from the bathroom intothe bedroom, but there is a
pocket door, and it's impossibleto close. Army is back into the
bedroom. Jasmine's right therecoming at him as well glass.
(19:54):
Jason sees the knife, exceptthis. Blacked out. Your heart is
racing. You're in that fight orflight response. Your adrenaline
is rushing. You're in a panic.You're in fear. You don't know
what's going to happen next.Laying over Genesis body
(20:21):
signified Jason crawls on hishands and knees after rose up.
He lays there and it was, andthen he goes back into a room
and sees where he's done, scaredin a panic, and he doesn't know
what. And I wish I was tellingyou right now that call nine one
(20:42):
that he called the police fromthere, chasing the sides the
guest cover the side, yes, thehigh places, jazz and trash puts
the handcuffs On her after sheis fit, so that way she fit into
(21:03):
the trash, and so they put herinto that suitcase, where he
then takes her body in thatsuitcase and drops her by the
banks. He then sets on board totry to clean up the apartment.
To his best of his ability, hetries to hide the fact that what
he did by testing in a dozenparents pretending to be here on
(21:26):
social media, whatever he cando, selfish, and it's wrong, but
he panicked, and he thought thiswas the best Jason. Jason is
guilty, but he's not guilty ofthe violence charge.
(21:51):
I remember writing furiouslyduring the defense's statement,
every word felt critical. Iwanted to document each of the
defense's claims so that I canweigh them against the evidence
I knew was yet to come. I neededto see if the facts aligned with
the story Weiss was trying tosell, or if the truth would tell
us something entirely different.You
(22:24):
after the opening statements,the prosecution called their
first witnesses, one of the moreemotional moments came when
Jasmine's mother, Katrina bean,took the stand. The weight of
the moment was heavy. Da WAMPsays
the state is going to cause usKatrina be
but before she could take thestand, Katrina asked for a
(22:44):
moment and stepped out of thecourtroom to compose herself. It
wasn't until after the trialthat I had fully grasped the
gravity of this moment. Justearlier during the defense's
opening statement, Katrina hadheard for the first time that
Jason Chen was admitting tomurdering her daughter, and then
almost immediately, she wascalled to take the stand as the
(23:05):
first witness in the trial forthat very murder. Yeah, I would
have needed a moment too. Theweight of that revelation still
hung in the air as she returnedto the room and took her seat in
the witness stand she was swornin. When she finally began, her
voice was unsteady and thickwith grief. The emotion in the
(23:26):
room was palpable, and it wasimpossible not to feel the sheer
heartbreak of a mother beingforced to relive the worst
moment of her life in front of ajury, in front of the man
responsible.
Jasmine's mother was the firstwitness to testify, bean had to
take a moment before coming upto the stand, because in the
(23:46):
defendant's opening statement,it was the first time she had
heard Chen's attorney admit thatChen had killed her daughter.
You've
never heard this defendant admitthat he heard your daughter.
Ever
first time he heard us say yes?So
(24:12):
Katrina recounted the last timeshe saw Jasmine alive, painting
a vivid picture of herdaughter's vibrant spirit. She
spoke about Jasmine's energy,her kindness, her plans for the
future, each word a painfulcontrast to the brutal reality
of why we were all in thatcourtroom. The jury listened
intently, some shifting in theirseats, others taking notes in
(24:35):
quiet concentration. Katrina'stestimony reminded everyone that
this wasn't just a murder case,it was a family's worst
nightmare, a mother's unbearableloss and a young life stolen far
too soon. One significant detailin this case was the passing of
Jasmine Pace's great grandmotheron her mother's side, a woman
(24:58):
Jasmine was deeply. Close to onNovember 22 just hours before
Jasmine was last seen, her greatgrandmother was taken to the
emergency room, where she passedaway later that evening. By all
accounts, this loss weighedheavily on Jasmine and was
mentioned during the trial as apossible factor in her emotional
state leading up to herdisappearance. The defense
(25:22):
argued that Jasmine's griefplayed a role in seeking comfort
in her interactions with JasonChen, ultimately leading her to
visit his apartment that night.While the prosecution didn't
directly link this event to thecrime, it added another layer of
complexity in understandingJasmine's mindset in her final
hours, a reminder that she wasnot only a victim of violence,
(25:43):
but also a young woman carryingthe weight of profound personal
loss.
At some point after hergrandmother
passed away, were you not ableto get in touch with Jessica
perfect next day, were youcalling her? I was calling. I
(26:03):
didn't even answer. I sentmessages. Was that at all
tonight from Jasmine, yes, andfor her not to be there for her
family? Yes,
Katrina was desperate to findher daughter. Days had gone by
without any communication, andas each hour passed, her fear
(26:27):
grew. She refused to sit backand wait. So she became an
investigator herself on November26 determined to track Jasmine's
movements, Katrina went to aVerizon store and had her
daughter's account loaded into anew iPhone. It was a brilliant
move, because doing so gave heraccess to Jasmine's my Chevy
app, allowing Katrina to see thevehicle's recent location and
(26:50):
movements. They started with thelast recorded address, 900
mountain creek road. Jasmine'ssister Gabby called their father
Travis pace, and they all rushedto the parking lot, gathering in
front of Jasmine's white ChevyEquinox. The vehicle sat there,
locked and undisturbed, butJasmine was nowhere to be found.
(27:13):
A wave of panic set in as theyrealized this wasn't just a
misunderstanding. Something wasseriously wrong. Desperation
took over. The family spranginto action, banging on
apartment doors, calling outJasmine's name and questioning
residents, hoping for even thesmallest clue leading to her
whereabouts. Some tenants barelycracked their doors open, groggy
(27:34):
and confused. Others shook theirheads, saying they hadn't seen
anything. Each dead end,heightening their fear time was
slipping away and Jasmine wasstill missing,
we went to
100 located.
(27:57):
Eventually, Katrina called thepolice officer Pierre of the
Chattanooga Police Departmentwas dispatched and met the
family near Jasmine's vehicle totake a statement. While officer
Pierre was on site, Katrinaturned to the Verizon phone logs
on Jasmine's account, searchingfor any clue, scrolling through
the recent calls, she noticedone number that stood out.
(28:18):
Jasmine had spent 71 minutes onthe phone with this person on
the evening of November 22Katrina didn't know who the
number belonged to, but shedialed a man answered and
identified himself as JasonChen. From the start, something
fell off. Jason played coy,acting casual, almost
indifferent, claiming that hehadn't seen or spoken to Jasmine
(28:41):
in a while. But Katrina knewthat wasn't true. She was
staring at the phone recordsthat proved otherwise when she
pressed him for details, Jasongave her an address, 500 Tremont
Street. The family would latercheck that address and discover
it was a vacant house stillunder construction. One thing
was clear, Jason was lying.Officer Pierre was still
(29:04):
standing by and overheard theconversation. After reviewing
the phone records himself, heconfirmed what Katrina already
knew. Jason had spoken toJasmine on the night of the 22nd
and now he was trying to coverit up. After gathering these
details, Officer Pierre wouldleave the family to sort through
having the vehicle towed back totheir house. Later that night,
(29:26):
he would officially enterJasmine into the national
database for missing persons,ensuring law enforcement
agencies across the countrywould be alerted to her
disappearance, waiting for thecar to be towed, Katrina
continued searching for answers,and something clicked. Scrolling
through her text thread withjasmine, she noticed a location
pin that Jasmine had sent her at2:18am on the morning of
(29:49):
November 23 she had missedseeing this before because the
text just above was a pin thatKatrina had sent Jasmine from
the hospital where her grandmawas admitted the afternoon
prior. Her the text messagesmust have blurred together, but
now, staring at her phone,Katrina can clearly see that
Jasmine had sent this newlocation. Sadly, this would have
(30:11):
been the last text that Jasmineherself would ever send her mom,
a final text that in many wayswould help solve her own murder.
And we went back to apartmentsto do this tree footage for all
doing so kind of looked back atmy and Jasmine's messages, okay,
(30:33):
and seeing that she had sent mea pin and draw her location. And
what, why we went to the 110,three month,
what caused you to look back atyour adjustments, and when you
say conversations, you need atext thread? Yes, our text
thread. What caused you to goback and look at that? Don't
(30:55):
remember we were trying to getthe footage burping at the
apartment, and I didn't noticeit before, because I had sent
her a head drop on the 22ndbecause we normally had been
taken my grandmother to thehospital downtown, and we didn't
(31:20):
that day, and so I had sent herpin drop showing her What
hospital we were at. So and Ididn't notice that she had sent
a pin drop by her.
If you didn't catch that lastpart, Katrina said, so I sent
her a pin drop showing her Whathospital we were at, so I didn't
(31:42):
notice she had sent me a pindrop, because I thought it was
the pin drop I sent to her. Thepin Jasmine sent led to an
address at 110 Tremont street, athree story apartment building
housing over 50 individualunits. It was the middle of the
night, but that didn't stopthem. They moved through the
(32:03):
first floor, knocking on doorsand showing photos of Jasmine to
groggy tenants, hoping someonehad seen her. As they made their
way to the second floor, theyencountered a neighbor who
mentioned something chillinglate on November 22 he had heard
a woman scream coming fromapartment 210 with fear and
urgency mounting, they knockedon the door of 210 much more
(32:25):
emphatically than the others, noresponse. Taking matters into
their own hands, they forcedentry, desperate to find any
clue that could lead them toJasmine. Once inside, they found
startling evidence, Jasmine'sdriver's license and credit
cards were tucked neatly insideof a desk drawer. Her travel bag
(32:48):
sat on the counter untouched. Itwas undeniable. Jasmine had been
here. Immediately they exitedthe apartment and called 9112,
officers arrived and performed awalk through of apartment. 210,
photos later, taken from theofficers body cam footage showed
the front door and the deskwhere Jasmine's ID and credit
cards were now placed out in theopen, intentionally positioned
(33:11):
for the police to see uponentry. Yet despite this
evidence, the officers concludedthat they found nothing
suspicious inside. They saidthey would pass the information
along, and they left feelingunheard and unsupported.
Jasmine's family refused tostand by. In fact, Katrina would
re enter the apartment multipletimes over the following days,
(33:33):
taking crucial belongings withher, Jasmine's ID and credit
cards, her travel bag and someclothing. She also collected a
box containing four smartphones,a tablet, a Polaroid camera, and
a number of spiral boundnotebooks, items she thought
might hold the answers thepolice had failed to pursue.
(33:54):
What was your reaction when yousaw this girl? I was scared
because that was my normalstuff. So that never sent me a
location overnight at
the time that you saw thelocation drop. Did you know of
anybody that's lived or nofrequented this this building?
(34:15):
Yeah. So you travel to thislocation, do you recall what the
address was.
It's 110, three, one street, andit's an apartment building. Is
that correct? Yes,
okay, everybody's together. Andso how did you get into the
apartment
building? Appreciate it like Joemay not live there. She let us
(34:35):
in, and
that something caused you toarrive at
apartment 210, yes, what wasthat spoke to a neighbor that
said that he heard a womanscream within several minutes of
the pin drop that I had receivedfrom my daughter and I. Jason's
(35:00):
apartment door was the only onethat someone didn't answer. So
the person told you that thescreen account from a certain
department was that a purpose of10 it was and did you and your
family knock on that door? Wedid
not answer it. Okay,
explain to the jury what you andyour family members, they first
(35:23):
used
to do, were you going into thefunding? I just, I knew, I knew
something is too close to wheremy daughter said her Coronavirus
were almost exact. Was anybodythere? No. Where'd you start
doing
when you got to the apartment?You
(35:45):
got to bet stores. Found mydaughter's ID and credit cards
today singing on the counter alittle travel bag of hers.
She located some Jackson's wall.I did I
defense attorney Weiss wouldhave his chance to question
(36:08):
Katrina Bean on the stand nextduring his cross examination,
Weiss would highlightinconsistencies in Katrina's
testimony. She admitted toinitially lying to police,
stating that they had knocked onJason Chen's door with enough
force for it to open. However,she later testified that
Jasmine's father Travis pace hadused a credit card to open the
(36:31):
door when pressed about aspecific moment at Chen's door
involving a police officer,Katrina candidly replied, I've
spent two years trying not toremember every detail of that
night. In all fairness, I don'tremember her response
underscored the emotional tollof the case and the strain of
reliving those events as day oneof the trial progressed, we
(36:55):
would hear from key witnesseswho provided crucial
surveillance footage that helpedpiece together Jason Chen's
actions after Jasmine'sdisappearance. Megan bean, a
Walmart asset protectionemployee, and Kelsey Campbell, a
Walgreens manager, bothtestified about store records
and receipts showing videofootage of Chen purchasing items
(37:15):
like band aids, isopropylalcohol and hydrogen peroxide at
various times in the afternoonhours of November 23 coinciding
with the timeline of his cleanupefforts, surveillance footage
from Walmart clearly shows Chenat the register purchasing these
items with an eerily calmdemeanor. The prosecution keen
(37:36):
to point out a number of notableitems in the shot, such as the
red and white honey thing goeshat, a pair of white laced van
shoes on his feet and the cardholder on his iPhone case with a
logo of Boston College on it.
Scott Miller, a security officerfor the signal view apartments
(37:56):
and condos, took the stand nexthe described collecting and
reviewing footage from a parkinglot security camera that
captured Jasmine's car passingby the front office of the
signal view condos at 900mountain creek road. The footage
from the evening hours ofNovember 23 showed the white
Chevy Equinox quickly driving inand out of the camera's frame of
view, then minutes later, a darkcolored Toyota Prius follows the
(38:21):
same route. Footage from the RTIC or Arctic cams will later
show this Prius dropping off apassenger about 12 minutes later
in front of the lofts at Tremontat 110 Tremont Street. These
pieces of evidence were criticalin building the prosecution's
case, further demonstratingChen's calculated attempts to
(38:41):
cover his tracks and misleadauthorities.
Before the Court adjourned forthe evening, the prosecution
called their sixth witness tothe stand, lead investigator
Zachary Crawford of theChattanooga Police Department,
(39:02):
Crawford took the stand, gavehis oath and spoke his name for
the record. He then explainedhis professional background and
experience in law enforcement onSunday evening, November 27
while at home with his family, acolleague prompted him to look
at some Facebook posts aboutJasmine Pace's disappearance,
(39:22):
the posts, along with emergingdetails around her
disappearance, immediatelycaught his attention. By 7pm
that night, the case had beenescalated to a homicide
investigation, and Crawfordwould be assigned as the lead
investigator on the case. Withcareful prompting from Da Cody
WAMP investigator, Crawfordbegan walking the jury through
the extensive crime sceneinvestigation. He detailed the
(39:46):
search efforts that involvedmultiple units, including
homicide, crime scene, fugitiveinvestigations, the FBI and
canine teams. The warrant for110 Tremont Street, apartment
210 was granted. Visit at11:45pm on November 27 allowing
investigators to enter and begintheir search. Crawford
(40:08):
methodically explained how crimescene investigators process
Jason Chen's apartment. Uponentry, the apartment was empty,
but the evidence left behindtold its own story, as Crawford
testified, a series of photostaken during the search are
presented, including images ofChen's hallway, front entrance
and bathroom tiles, all of whichshowed positive reactions to
(40:32):
blue star, a forensic agent usedto detect hidden blood. He
described the removal of acarpet sample due to a dark red
stain blood trapped in the groutof the bathroom floor and the
eerie void inside Chen's closetexactly the size of a suitcase.
Additionally, Crawford clarifiedthere were no signs of forced
(40:53):
entry in the apartment,contradicting any claims of a
struggle initiated by Jasmine.He also noted that despite the
defense's previous statements,there was no detectable smell of
marijuana in the unit. As hewalked the jury through 56
photos of evidence, theprosecution carefully built the
foundation for their case. JasonChen had not acted out of panic,
(41:16):
but instead had taken deliberatesteps to cover up his crime.
Listening to all this, Icouldn't help but imagine how
devastating it must have beenfor Jasmine's family to sit in
that courtroom and hear thesedetails unfold. The sheer
brutality of what happened toher contrasted sharply with the
(41:38):
defense's attempts to downplaythe severity of the crime,
shifting the blame onto Jasmineherself. It felt unjust,
unsettling, like an attempt torewrite her story. But the
prosecution would methodicallylay out the evidence piece by
piece, and it would become clearthat Jasmine's truth was
undeniable. It was the evidenceitself that would speak the
(42:01):
loudest on her behalf. By now,it was after 6pm and judge
Patterson noted that it would bea good stopping point for the
day. He reminded the jurors oftheir obligation not to discuss
the case or seek any outsideinformation, and the court was
(42:21):
adjourned, set to reconvene at9:30am the following morning,
the courtroom stood as the 16 ofus rose and exited out the back
door. Soon, we would be pilinginto our 15 passenger vans and
being shuttled off to dinnerwith our four deputies, who were
quickly becoming our friendlysupport system. Day one was
(42:46):
emotionally exhausting, aharrowing introduction to the
weight of the case we would beasked to deliberate on. The
prosecution had already begunpiecing together the final
moments of Jasmine's life, andwith each new revelation, the
gravity of our role as jurorsbecame more real. This was not
just a story anymore. It was atragedy with real lives impacted
(43:10):
forever.
Next week on sequestered,
when you arrived at the home the
parents of Jason, I advised themthat I had a search warrant for
(43:34):
the residents. Was Jason Chan,the residents youth was
the evidence begins to stack upas investigators uncover blood
stains, suspicious items nearthe dumpster and chilling
handwritten notes that tightenthe case against Jason Chen,
leading to his arrest at hisparents' house In nolensville,
Tennessee, the story continues.Stay with us. You.
(44:05):
Up. Thank you for listening tosequester a juror's perspective
on the murder trial for Jasminepace, each episode brings us
closer to understanding thetrial, the people involved, and
the weight of seeking justice.If this story speaks to you,
please follow, share andcontinue the conversation with
us. Jasmine's story deserves tobe remembered. This is a BP
(44:29):
production. The show is written,edited and produced by me Sarah
Reed, with CO production byAndrea Kleid. News clips
featured in this episode weresourced from wtbc News Channel
Nine, local three news,Chattanooga and the law and
crime network. Music and sounddesign are curated to reflect
(44:49):
the gravity and sensitivity ofthis story, and with the intent
to honor Jasmine, her family andthe community affected by her
death, for more information orto connect with us. US visit
sequestered pod.com or follow uson Instagram at sequestered pod.
Thank you for listening untilnext time, stay curious and stay
(45:10):
safe. You
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