April 7, 2025 • 42 mins
In the final episode of SEQUESTERED: A Juror’s Perspective on the Murder Trial for Jasmine Pace, Sara reflects on the journey from jury duty to podcast creation and the immense emotional and mental weight of seeking justice. Joined by co-producer Andrea, Sara revisits the pivotal moments of the case and shares new insights from prosecutors Coty Wamp and Paul Moyle, whose dedication to Jasmine’s family left a lasting impression.
Listeners hear from fellow jurors as they grapple with their own experiences and reflections following the trial. Sara answers heartfelt listener questions, offering a glimpse into her motivations for making the podcast and her hopes for how Jasmine’s story will be remembered.
The episode closes with a poignant reminder: Jasmine’s story doesn’t end here. Sara and Andrea pledge to continue their search for answers, including following Jason Chen’s upcoming appeal. This powerful and emotional conclusion to the series leaves listeners with a call to remember Jasmine Pace for who she was—a vibrant, loving person whose story deserves to be told with compassion and respect.
Here is the blog for this episode on our website.
On our website, you can see more photos, videos, and blogs about each day of the trial, organized by episode. Go to SequesteredPod.com
Website: sequesteredpod.com
Instagram: @sequesteredpod
TikTok: @sequesteredpod
Thank you for listening.
SEQUESTERED is a BP Production.
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Episode Transcript
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(00:02):
Welcome to the final episode ofsequestered, a juror's
perspective on the murder trialfor Jasmine pace. I'm Sarah,
juror number 11, and I can'tbelieve we're here. This journey
began months ago, but it feelslike it's been a lifetime. In
January, 2025 I was chosen toserve on the jury for the state
(00:26):
of Tennessee versus Jason Chen,and what I expected to be a
civic duty became a profound,life altering experience. This
case has been like agravitational force, something I
couldn't shake even after theverdict was delivered. From the
moment I returned home toNashville, it was like my mind
(00:49):
and my heart couldn't leaveChattanooga behind. I was home
for less than a day before my coproducer Andrea and I were
writing and recording thetrailer for this podcast, and
just three days later, we weredriving back to Chattanooga to
retrace Jasmine's steps, to seethe places that had only been
(01:09):
described to us in court.Sometimes a force so immense
comes into your life, and youjust have to step into its
current. This felt like a giantship pulled up alongside of me,
and I just climbed aboardwithout hesitation. Saying yes
to this journey was likestepping onto that ship and
(01:30):
committing fully to wherever itwould take me. I mean, I could
have opted out. I could havefound a way to avoid serving on
the jury, or even walked awayonce the trial was over, but
something deeper pushed meforward. It felt like all of
this aligned for a reason, andsaying yes wasn't just a
(01:52):
decision. It was a commitment, acommitment to Jasmine's story, a
commitment to honoring her lifeThis experience has reshaped my
perspective in ways I neveranticipated. I'll share a lot
about that in this episode, andnow, as we close out this
(02:16):
podcast, we're going to explorethe journey we've taken
together. Today, we'll dive intothe questions you our listeners
have asked along the way. We'llrevisit key moments and share
insights from a couple of myfellow jurors, journalist
latricia Thomas from NewsChannel Nine, and a conversation
(02:36):
we had with district attorneys,Cody WAMP and Paul Moyle. It's a
special episode that we hoperesonates with you. This is
sequestered a juror'sperspective on the murder trial
for Jasmine pace. I'm Sarah,juror number 11, each episode,
(02:58):
I'll take you inside thecourtroom, behind the scenes and
into the weighty moments of thistrial as we honor Jasmine's life
and navigate the complexities ofseeking justice, Let's begin.
This is Episode 10 after theverdict
(03:29):
leaving Chattanooga feltsurreal. My world had shifted on
its axis. I had spent nine daysso deeply entrenched in the
details of Jasmine's death andlife. And then suddenly it was
over. The case was finished, butnothing felt resolved. I
(03:50):
returned home, but life didn'tsnap back to normal. Everything
had changed. Instead ofunwinding, I felt compelled to
throw myself into this projectalmost immediately, there was
this urgency, like if we didn'tstart piecing everything
together now, the details wouldslip away forever. I'd been
(04:13):
journaling in my hotel roomduring the trial, trying to
capture everything I could, butmost of my notes were kept in a
notebook that I was required toleave at the courthouse. I took
a lot of notes throughout thetrial, pages and pages of
details, timelines, testimonies.I had no idea those notebooks
(04:34):
would be collected and lockedaway as soon as the trial ended.
That was a huge loss for me, butthankfully, the trial had been
live streamed, and even more,thankfully, I had people back
home in Nashville watching it inreal time every single day. One
of those people was Andrea, myco producer. When I told her I
(04:56):
was going to be on a sequesteredjury, she was immediately
hooked. On the case, and endedup watching the entire trial
online as it was happening eachday, taking all of her own notes
along the way. The realizationthat this might become a
podcast, it hit me like alightning bolt on day four of
the trial, in the evening, I wassitting in my hotel room working
(05:20):
on this ridiculous miniaturehouse of a greenhouse garden a
Christmas gift I'd receivedyears ago. It's this delicate
model building project with1000s of pieces, tiny plants,
paper, rugs, doll sizedfurniture. Think building a
model plane or assembling a shipin a bottle, something that
(05:41):
would take hundreds of hours ofsolitude to complete perfect for
a 10 to 14 day sequestration,right? I was deep into
assembling some little detailwhen it happened, my hands
stopped the tiny paper rugbetween my fingers fell to the
table, and I heard myself sayout loud, oh, my God, we have to
(06:02):
do a podcast about this. It feltlike a switch flipped, like my
brain had suddenly connected allthe pieces I'd been holding. I
shot up, grabbed a notebook andwrote down the words,
sequestered a podcast from ajuror's perspective, it wasn't
until after listening to da WAMPclosing statement that the title
(06:24):
became what it is a juror'sperspective on the murder trial
for Jasmine pace. This wasn'tjust about processing what had
happened to me, to Jasmine, toher family, to the community. It
was about honoring her story,about refusing to let her name
fade away. As we drove back toChattanooga to visit the sites
(06:50):
from the trial, we saw themthrough fresh eyes. We stopped
at each of the places mentioned,110 Tremont Street, 900 mountain
creek road, Walmart andWalgreens and, of course, suck
Creek Road. Standing in eachplace, we tried to absorb the
(07:10):
atmosphere and tried tounderstand the perspective of
Jasmine's story that each spaceheld the trailer for this
podcast had practically spilledout of us. We had so much to
talk about, me experiencing itfrom the inside, and Andrea
watching it from the outside. Weboth had two entirely different
(07:33):
perspectives of this case, thetwo hour drive back to Nashville
became a brainstorm session. Wemapped out episodes, sketched
ideas and decided how we wantedto tell this story. We had this
grandiose plan of writing andrecording all the episodes in
quick succession, releasing themwhile the trial was still fresh
(07:53):
on everyone's mind, but wequickly realized how much effort
each episode not only demandedbut deserved, and what started
as a seemingly simple projectturned into something we poured
our whole hearts into. Insteadof batch recording 10 episodes
for quick release, we ended updevoting over 40 hours a week
(08:16):
each to researching, writing,editing, producing, blogging and
building a place for Jasmine'sstory to be shared. It's just
the two of us aligned with adeep passion for this case and
for ensuring Jasmine's story isknown and heard. I have
experience in the podcastindustry, but I've never done a
(08:39):
podcast like this before thistime of sequestration has
changed my life, though, and Ifelt compelled to share my
unique perspective of thisexperience. And now here we are,
the final episode, nearly threemonths since the day I walked
into my first day of juryselection, and I feel like I'm
(09:01):
only beginning to understand theweight of it all. Many of you
have reached out withthoughtful, heartfelt questions.
I've tried to gather them intosome common themes, and I think
a natural place to start is withthe emotional toll this case
took not just on Jasmine'sfamily and loved ones, but on
(09:25):
everyone connected to the trial.Shortly after I returned from
Chattanooga, I had the chance tosit down with latricia Thomas
from News Channel Nine. She hadinterviewed me for the network,
but once the cameras were off, Iwas able to ask her a few
questions of my own. One of themwas about the community impact
(09:46):
and what this case meant to thepeople of Chattanooga. Letrisha
had covered this case for overtwo years, not only that, she
had reported on every detail ofthe trial as it was happening
for each of the nine. Days itwas broadcast. Needless to say,
she had a lot of context on thiscase, and that was my biggest
(10:07):
curiosity. I loved her answer.
Chattanooga had been followingthis case since Jasmine's body
was found, so for more than twoyears, and I think there was so
much, just so many eyes on it,because they wanted to see what
(10:27):
really happened to her, and theywanted to see if the family felt
like they got justice in theend, because the family had been
so vocal in the beginning,trying to look for her, trying
to find her, trying to get, youknow, the police, to back them
up. And so I think that reallytouched a lot of people's hearts
(10:49):
and minds in Chattanooga, andwanted to see how it played out.
This story captivatedChattanooga because Jasmine was
so young. Jasmine had all thesefriends and family speaking out
for her, looking for her, andthen just the gruesome way that
she died and was found.Thankfully, it doesn't happen
(11:12):
often, and to have such a younglife and in such a tragic and
horrible way. I think everybodywants it to mean something in
the end, if at all, it to have aconclusion in a way that you can
rest a little easier at nightknowing all of those graphic
(11:35):
details. You know, there was aconclusion and a story that was
just so hard to hear and hard totalk about,
the way latricia described it,the intensity of the community's
concern, the emotionalinvestment it struck me. It made
(11:57):
me realize how many peopleoutside of that courtroom were
waiting and watching, hoping foranswers and for justice. It was
clear to see the reach of thiscase extended far beyond the
courthouse walls. Of course, ithad impacted Jasmine's family
and friends, but also her entirecommunity. I've been able to
(12:20):
stay in touch with many of thejurors after the trial, and some
have graciously volunteered toshare their thoughts and voice
memos. Here's juror number eightsharing a summary of his
experience serving on this jury.
Serving on this jury was areally sober and humbling
experience. Everyone in thegallery was reliving one of the
(12:41):
most traumatic experiences oftheir lives in excruciating
detail, and then everyone not inthe gallery was really patient
with us as they explained themost elementary concepts of
criminal procedure and explainedall the details of a case they
had been working on for over Twoyears, for probably the 100th
time, the decision we made wasstraightforward, but it was
(13:04):
solemn, and several of the morecompassionate members of the
jury cried just about thesituation that we were in.
It affected us, each indifferent ways. Some of us
carried it like a weight wecouldn't shake, while others
tried to compartmentalize theexperience and just get through
(13:25):
the day. Processing somethinglike this is messy and
imperfect, and we all felt it.Juror number one described his
experience like this.
While the trauma was going on, Ididn't have super strong
emotions about the details ofthe case themselves, even with
(13:47):
some of the more intensetestimony, like the medical
examiner, it sort of felt like Iwas clocked into work and I
really didn't have Time to sortof process emotionally what I
was seeing. It wasn't untilafter I got home and sort of
(14:08):
spent some time by myself, forthe first time in two weeks,
that I began to sort of processeverything that had happened. I
actually realized this as I wasdriving to work, the day after
we returned, and I sort ofstarted to get a little choked
up on the drive. And then aftergetting to work, when the first
(14:32):
person asked me how the trialwas, I kind of broke down and
started to cry. I tried to holdit together as best I could, but
I was a little teary, and so mycoworkers told me they would
just handle the rest of mycaseload for the day, since
they'd already planned on mebeing away for the full two
(14:54):
weeks, and that I should just gohome and take some time to
process it.
All people have asked me howI've been able to process
everything after this, how I wasable to see all of that graphic
detail or carry the weight ofthe responsibility. And I think
(15:14):
the simple answer is, I haven't,not entirely processing
something like this isn't a taskyou can complete or cross off a
list, it's something you carryand revisit over and over, and
the people connected to thiscase feel its weight in
different ways and at varyingdegrees. I've learned a lot
(15:40):
about myself throughout thisprocess. I mean, what a wild
experience I went through.There's no way I could be the
same person after something likethis. And I say all of that
knowing that not every jurorleaves their civic duty and
immediately spends the next 10weeks making a podcast about the
(16:00):
very thing they were just semiforced to live for 10 days. What
surprised me the most throughoutthe trial was how much I was
drawn to the judicial processitself, from the legal
formalities to the structure ofthe proceedings, the purpose
behind each witness and thestrategic introduction of every
(16:21):
piece of evidence. It's allmeticulously crafted. The entire
trial is a story being unfoldedin real time, with twists and
turns and revelations, and inthe end, at least in this case,
it's the jury who decides howthe story concludes, being a
(16:42):
part of that process. Holdingsomeone's fate in your hands was
heavy, and I knew even then thatI couldn't just walk away from
it. I had to share about it. I
(17:09):
you know, during sequestration,I had a lot of time to think,
and honestly, I kept wishing Ihad a speaker so that I could
just listen to a great book.That's why I love audiobooks,
whether I'm driving, walking thedogs or traveling, I can just
press play and get lost in anamazing story anytime and
anywhere. One of my all timefavorites is New York by Edward
(17:32):
Rutherford. This epic historicalnovel spans over 400 years,
following generations offamilies through the city's most
pivotal moments from its Dutchsettlement days and all the way
to 911 it was one of the firstaudio books I had ever listened
to. It felt like the narratorwas reading the story, just for
(17:53):
me. I was completely hooked.Here's some good news. You can
listen to New York or any otherbook for free. Audible is giving
sequestered listeners a freeaudiobook with a 30 day trial.
Just go to audible trial.com.Forward slash sequestered,
that's one free book yours tokeep forever. So find something
(18:16):
you love and get listening. Goto audible trial.com. Forward
slash, sequestered.
Next Andrea and I had theopportunity to sit down and
(18:39):
speak with the prosecutors whofought tirelessly to bring
justice to Jasmine Pace'sfamily. District Attorneys
General, Cody WAMP and PaulMoyle, had been at the forefront
of this case from the verybeginning, determined to ensure
that Jasmine's story was heardand that her killer was held
accountable. This conversationwas especially impactful for me,
(19:05):
because both of them had becomesuch sources of inspiration,
particularly da WAMP, herpassion for Jasmine was so
evident throughout the entiretrial, you can just tell that
she's someone who walks throughlife with justice as a guiding
principle. Our conversation withthem was candid and emotional.
(19:29):
We gathered in da wamps office,her and Moyle in a set of cozy
chairs, and the two of us on acomfortable couch with a long
coffee table splitting thedifference between us all.
Everyone was in casual attire,Berks, flannel. It was nice, the
opposite of official. But whatstruck me most was how willing
(19:52):
they were to share theirperspectives, not only as legal
professionals, but as humanbeings who were. Only affected
by the weight of this case. Wediscussed the trial, shared our
own questions and curiositiesand reflected on what it all
meant, hearing their insights,especially after diving so
(20:15):
deeply into this podcast,brought another layer of
understanding to everything. Weended our conversation with them
with a couple of questions, andwe wanted to share their
responses with you. The firstwas for da WAMP about her
advocacy for victims rights. Iwanted to know what drove her
(20:35):
passion in this area and how itshaped the way she approaches
cases like this one, here's herresponse.
I think that that's what thisjob is. This this office, any
prosecutor's office, should bevictim focused. Or why are we
all here? And certainly crimesmatter that don't have victims.
(20:58):
You can argue that there's a lotof crimes that do have victims
that we don't necessarilycategorize like that, but we
should all prioritize crimeswith victims as prosecutors, and
that's what my message is tothis office all the time, we
have to make sure we're takingcare of this community, not just
(21:18):
public Safety, but taking careof people in this community. And
so in these cases, when youprepare for a trial like this
one, or any, any trials that wehave where we spend years
preparing, you really get toknow the victim well. And so by
the time you get to trial, youknow their family. You know what
they were like when they were 15years old. You've heard all the
(21:41):
stories. You really get a sensefor better, for worse. Sometimes
you learn bad things, you know,but you get to know them, and so
by the time you get to trial, itreally is like for me, personal,
but you know this person, youknow their family, they're in
your office. You know they,they've you've seen struggle
(22:02):
throughout the last two years,since their daughter died.
You've seen the ups and thedowns to a certain extent. So it
is personal. By the time you getto trial, in my opinion, all you
really want to do is fight forthem, because you've been
through this process seeing itfrom their point of view. And so
it is, it's, it's hard to notmake it too personal for me. I
have to remind myself to justtake a step back sometimes,
(22:24):
because it it can affect you,and it will affect you if you if
you let it. But to a certainextent, I think that's a good
thing. I hope that I always feelthat way, and if I don't care,
like I do now, I hope that I'llleave this job to do something
else
and sort of along the samelines, I also asked her what
(22:45):
moments from her career remindedher of why she does this work. I
was curious to know if therewere cases, experiences, or even
particular moments thatreinforced her commitment to
advocating for victims and theirfamilies, what fuels her passion
and keeps her going, even whenthe work feels heavy,
(23:07):
any cases involving children,the rape of a child, case that I
tried in Bradley County was oneof my first big trials, and
being able to get a Victory fora child like that, who
afterwards will say, I didn'tthink anybody was going to
believe me, because kids don'tcome forward often, because they
(23:27):
don't think anybody's going tobelieve them, and they're
scared. And so to have a victoryfor a child where the system
believed them and protected themlike we're supposed to, it makes
you feel like this is not just aprofession. It's a passion. It
is, you know, it's for me, it'ssort of who I am. But any, any
(23:49):
case with children, but a caselike this, with a with a victim
who really was just 1,000%innocent in all of this and did
not deserve to die, and was notinvolved in any type of criminal
activity. And you know, this wasjust so random and did not have
to happen that it it makes it areal privilege to be able to to
(24:13):
fight for her. But any of thesetrials, and most of the trials
I've tried, have to do withvictims, most of the cases in my
office tries have to do withvictims. We try drug cases here
and there. We've tried a theftin the last year, but for the
most part, we focus on victims,and that means that we take
these cases to trial.
Finally, I asked both da WAMPand da Moyle what they hope
(24:36):
people will take away from thistrial, for Jasmine, for her
family and for the broader fightfor justice. Here's how they
each replied.
I hope that the closing argumentresonated with people across the
country. First of all, I thinkthat there's more victims of
(24:59):
crime across than. Nation andacross our state, then people
realize, until it happens toyou, and whether you're just a
victim of a burglary or you're avictim of a violent crime like
this one, there's a lot ofvictims throughout our and
survivors throughout ourcommunity that we forget about.
You know, something may happentwo years ago, and the person
(25:20):
goes through the court process,and then, over time, they're
they're forgotten about, andnobody around them really
understands what they wentthrough or the fact that they're
a survivor of this type ofcrime. So I hope, I hope that
the community realizes thatthere are people fighting for
victims, and especially victimsand survivors. I hope that they
(25:40):
can say, and we've gotten someof this feedback, like, I was a
victim, or I was a survivor, andmy my boyfriend did this to me
in 2009 and some of the greatestemails I got were those kind of
emails, like, I was in tearsduring the jury verdict, because
this happened to me, and Ididn't think anybody cared. And
that really, that really means alot to me like that's that's a
(26:01):
reminder of of why we're doingthis. So I hope the community
knows that there are officeslike ours that are are doing it
for all the right reasons.
I think that
people to take away from thisand to realize is that we see
names on the news individualswho are charged with crime,
(26:23):
sometimes the news will tell usthe names of the victim, but at
the end of the day, people needto realize that crime has a real
impact on people outside ofthose that are named on the
nightly news, that for Every onevictim of a crime, there's a
family, father, a mother,brothers and sisters, cousins,
(26:47):
people who are deeply andnegatively affected by the
criminal acts of another, eventhough they're not the actual
target of the criminal conduct.And that's something that I
think that most people don'trealize is just the sheer scope
of crime and how it affects,really the entire community. I
(27:08):
think such an example of thatfrom this trial, when it it was
a little bit early on to reallyhit home for the jury, because
Katrina was our first witness,but how identical she looks to
her daughter so much always,yeah. And, I mean, always stood
out to me is like, oh my gosh,she is up there on the
Wednesday, she looks exactlylike her daughter. We're going
(27:30):
to show her driver's license sothat you can see. But they are
real people. They have moms thatsometimes look just like them,
that are willing to testify ontheir on their behalf, and so,
yeah. I mean, what a momenty'all didn't know as much about
the case at that point in time,because she was our first
witness. But looking back, Imean, oh yeah, when a mother
looks exactly like her daughter,who's this has happened to? And
(27:51):
I thought that that. I mean,honestly, I think it's a sweet
moment for me to to see her onthe stand. And what a mom, you
know, what a mom. Katrina Venusis the moment we all aspire to
be. So I thought that was sweetmoment.
And I think also one other thingis that I know that a lot of
times that we focus on thenegatives with people that work
(28:14):
in the public sector andgovernment, but there are
dedicated professionals outthere like general WAMP who
believe in the rule of law, whobelieve in seeking justice for
those who no longer have a voiceand people don't need to forget
(28:35):
that every day across thiscountry, across This state,
there are people who arefighting for victims, and
general wonk is one of thosepeople.
I gotta tell y'all if, if I wasin Katrina beans spot, you guys
are who I would want, fightingfor me truly. Thank you.
(29:01):
Their passion for seekingjustice was evident. They didn't
just see this as another case onthe docket. It was personal for
them, individually and as ateam, and their dedication left
an impression on me that Icontinue to carry. Hearing their
words, their resolve, theircompassion, only deepened my own
(29:25):
sense of responsibility. It mademe reflect on why I felt so
compelled to create this podcastin the first place, to honor
Jasmine's story, to make sureher name is remembered, and to
acknowledge the tireless work ofthe people fighting for justice
every single day. This journeyreally has changed me, and as we
(29:50):
come to the end of this podcast,I want to share some of the
personal reflections and lessonsI've taken away from all of this
through. Throughout thisjourney, we have heard from so
many of you listeners who havebeen moved by Jasmine's story,
who followed this case closely,or who've simply had questions
(30:11):
about the process. And as Ireflect on everything we've
shared, I wanted to take sometime to answer a few of the
questions that have come up themost questions that I've been
asking myself too, one of themost common questions I've heard
is, why did I decide to makethis podcast instead of just
moving on? And my answer issimple, these stories need to be
(30:35):
told. We talk about serialkillers and we make them heroes
in our society, we talk aboutwhat they did to the victim as
if that moment defines someonelike Jasmine pace, and that's
just simply not the case. I knowthat cases like this and worse
happen across the globe everysingle day. It's such a tragedy,
(30:56):
this one could have passed meby, and I might have started my
new year never knowing Jasmine'sname or hearing her story, but
january 2025, presented me witha very different set of
circumstances. I couldn't justgo back to my normal life after
going through this experience,it has changed me. Another
(31:21):
question I've been asked is,What do I hope people take away
from this podcast? I think aboutda WAMP closing statement here,
specifically when she sopassionately delivers the words
about how victims matter.Victims
matter. Jasmine pace is not justsome girl listed in the autopsy
(31:42):
report. She is not the photosthat you have seen. Don't
minimize her to a name on anindictment. She is a person. She
had family that loved her. Shewas a friend. She was a
granddaughter. Please don'tminimize this trial to the trial
(32:03):
from him.
She's absolutely right. We heara lot about the perpetrator in
cases like this, their names arethe ones splashed across the
headlines, their actionsdissected and analyzed. But what
often gets lost is the victim,the person whose life was
stolen. When it comes to crimeslike this, we need to say the
(32:27):
names of the victims and thesurvivors more often. They
deserve to be remembered for whothey were, not just for what
happened to them. So I guess myhope for this podcast is the
same as da wants that somewheredown the line, when you think
about this case or hear it onanother show, Jasmine pace is
(32:48):
the first name you recall thatyou remember her for who she was
as a person, her kindness, hervibrancy, her dreams, and not
just the tragedy that ended herlife. And then there's the
question that feels mostpersonal, would I ever serve on
a jury again after thisexperience? I've thought a lot
(33:12):
about that. It's hard to say yesright away, because this
experience has been so intense,emotionally and mentally, it's
not something I could go throughagain, lightly serving on this
jury. Was life changing, butalso incredibly heavy the weight
of the responsibility, knowingthat real lives are impacted by
(33:34):
the decisions we make, it'sdaunting, but I also recognize
how important it is to havepeople who are willing to show
up to listen and to do theirbest to seek justice. I felt
honored to do that with theother 15 people I was called to
serve alongside of being a jurorisn't easy, and I have so much
(33:56):
more respect for the process.Now, it's not just a civic duty,
it's a profound act of service.So would I do it again? I think
I would, but only if I felt Icould give it the attention and
care it deserves.
(34:18):
After reflecting on my ownexperience, I kept coming back
to the person who's been with meevery step of the way on this
podcast. My co producer Andrea.She has spent 99% of her time
behind the scenes of thispodcast, researching, writing,
building out the website and allof the back end details. She has
(34:39):
poured her energy into makingsure Jasmine's story was told
with care and accuracy. ButAndrea's experience has been
entirely different from mine.She watched the trial unfold
from the outside, piecingtogether things through live
streams and endless research,and then she relived it all
again. As we built this podcasttogether, her perspective is
(35:04):
unique, seeing everything from adistance, but still feeling the
weight of it all. So I wascurious, what has this entire
experience been like for her?These are her thoughts
working on this podcast withSarah has been a wild and
(35:24):
emotional journey. From thebeginning, our intention was
sequestered, was to tell thetruth of what happened. I've
spent a lot of time askingmyself why that felt so
important to me. I think it'sbecause we all carry stories
inside of us that remain untold,whether out of shame, fear or
(35:44):
simply not wanting the world toknow what we've endured. But
there's power in speaking thetruth and saying this happened.
Jasmine didn't get a chance towalk away from a bad situation.
She likely went to Jason'sapartment on the night of
November 22 2022 seeking comfortafter losing her grandmother,
(36:07):
instead, for reasons we maynever fully understand, he ended
her life in a terrifying way.I've always believed that we are
all connected more than we mightever realize our work is to let
that truth in, to be open to themost unexpected experiences and
to partner with them when theyarrive. Elizabeth Gilbert says
(36:30):
this in her book, Big Magic. Dowhatever brings you to life,
then follow your ownfascinations, obsessions and
compulsions, trust them createwhatever causes a revolution in
your heart. I felt compelled totell Jasmine Pace's story,
because it could have been myown story or your story. I've
(36:53):
lived and breathed the detailsof this trial for the past two
months with Sarah. I've dreamtabout Jasmine. I've even asked
her for guidance as we've beenwriting and planning this
podcast, and even though I nevermet her, the words and the
emotions of her family haveshown me that she was an
exceptionally loving and vibranthuman being. I will never forget
(37:17):
Jasmine pace. I think about herall the time as I go through my
life now, I believe she'swatching over her family right
now, I feel that deeply in anodd way, I feel connected to her
because she seemed fierce andloving and passionate about
life. So what will I take awayfrom this case and this
(37:38):
experience? I've rediscovered apassion to advocate for those
who no longer have a voice. I'mstill asking myself what that
means, but my heart is wideopen.
In closing, I guess I just wantto say I think that Jasmine was
(37:59):
in need of comfort that night.She had no idea what was coming,
and the truth is, none of usdid. There's such a finality to
what happened. Jasmine willnever get to fulfill her dreams.
Her family will never get to seeher face again, hear her laugh
or watch her move through life'sexperiences, the loss is so
(38:24):
profound, it's hard to put intowords. And yet, Jasmine's story
isn't over, not really becausewe remember her. We say her
name, we keep her memory aliveby honoring who she was, not
just how her life ended. Maybethat force we were feeling to
(38:49):
make this podcast was Jasmineherself. It's something I've
often wondered, as if she's beenwalking with us, guiding us to
share her story in a way thatfeels true and respectful. I
want to believe she's here,still watching over her family,
(39:09):
her presence felt in everysunset, her spirit woven into
the hearts of everyone who lovesher. I really hope so. Before we
go, if you or someone you knowis experiencing domestic
violence or feels unsafe, thereis help available. You can
(39:32):
contact the National DomesticViolence Hotline at one 807 99
safe, S, A, F, E, or visit thehotline.org for resources
support and confidentialassistance. 24/7 A huge thank
you to News Channel Nine, localthree, news Chattanooga and
(39:55):
Court TV for your thorough andcompassionate coverage
throughout this case. Yourreporting allowed us to share
Jasmine's story in its fullnessand accuracy, and to everyone
who has listened asked questionsand supported this effort, thank
you. It means more than wordscan express. To Jasmine's
(40:17):
family, if you're listening, Ihope we've done her justice. I
hope you feel her presence closeto you every day.
This may be the final episode,but it's not the end of this
story. Our search for answerscontinues, and we're committed
(40:38):
to sharing everything we learnwith you. We invite you to visit
the website, sequesteredpod.com,for a deeper dive into each day
of the trial, including blogsand photos from the case.
Finally, if you've enjoyed thispodcast, please take a moment to
rate and review it. It's thebest way to get the word out.
(40:59):
Thank you so much for listening.You.
(41:20):
I 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.
(41:41):
Please follow, share andcontinue the conversation with
us. Jasmine's story deserves tobe remembered. This is a BP
production. The show is written,edited and produced by me Sarah
Reed with CO production byAndrea Kleid. News clips
(42:01):
featured in this episode weresourced from wtbc News Channel
Nine, local three newsChattanooga and the law and
crime network. Music and sounddesign are curated to reflect
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, visit
(42:23):
sequestered pod.com or follow uson Instagram at sequestered pod.
Thank you for listening untilnext Time, stay curious and stay
safe. You
Welcome to the final episode ofsequestered, a juror's
perspective on the murder trialfor Jasmine pace. I'm Sarah,
juror number 11, and I can'tbelieve we're here. This journey
began months ago, but it feelslike it's been a lifetime. In
January, 2025 I was chosen toserve on the jury for the state
(00:26):
of Tennessee versus Jason Chen,and what I expected to be a
civic duty became a profound,life altering experience. This
case has been like agravitational force, something I
couldn't shake even after theverdict was delivered. From the
moment I returned home toNashville, it was like my mind
(00:49):
and my heart couldn't leaveChattanooga behind. I was home
for less than a day before my coproducer Andrea and I were
writing and recording thetrailer for this podcast, and
just three days later, we weredriving back to Chattanooga to
retrace Jasmine's steps, to seethe places that had only been
(01:09):
described to us in court.Sometimes a force so immense
comes into your life, and youjust have to step into its
current. This felt like a giantship pulled up alongside of me,
and I just climbed aboardwithout hesitation. Saying yes
to this journey was likestepping onto that ship and
(01:30):
committing fully to wherever itwould take me. I mean, I could
have opted out. I could havefound a way to avoid serving on
the jury, or even walked awayonce the trial was over, but
something deeper pushed meforward. It felt like all of
this aligned for a reason, andsaying yes wasn't just a
(01:52):
decision. It was a commitment, acommitment to Jasmine's story, a
commitment to honoring her lifeThis experience has reshaped my
perspective in ways I neveranticipated. I'll share a lot
about that in this episode, andnow, as we close out this
(02:16):
podcast, we're going to explorethe journey we've taken
together. Today, we'll dive intothe questions you our listeners
have asked along the way. We'llrevisit key moments and share
insights from a couple of myfellow jurors, journalist
latricia Thomas from NewsChannel Nine, and a conversation
(02:36):
we had with district attorneys,Cody WAMP and Paul Moyle. It's a
special episode that we hoperesonates with you. This is
sequestered a juror'sperspective on the murder trial
for Jasmine pace. I'm Sarah,juror number 11, each episode,
(02:58):
I'll take you inside thecourtroom, behind the scenes and
into the weighty moments of thistrial as we honor Jasmine's life
and navigate the complexities ofseeking justice, Let's begin.
This is Episode 10 after theverdict
(03:29):
leaving Chattanooga feltsurreal. My world had shifted on
its axis. I had spent nine daysso deeply entrenched in the
details of Jasmine's death andlife. And then suddenly it was
over. The case was finished, butnothing felt resolved. I
(03:50):
returned home, but life didn'tsnap back to normal. Everything
had changed. Instead ofunwinding, I felt compelled to
throw myself into this projectalmost immediately, there was
this urgency, like if we didn'tstart piecing everything
together now, the details wouldslip away forever. I'd been
(04:13):
journaling in my hotel roomduring the trial, trying to
capture everything I could, butmost of my notes were kept in a
notebook that I was required toleave at the courthouse. I took
a lot of notes throughout thetrial, pages and pages of
details, timelines, testimonies.I had no idea those notebooks
(04:34):
would be collected and lockedaway as soon as the trial ended.
That was a huge loss for me, butthankfully, the trial had been
live streamed, and even more,thankfully, I had people back
home in Nashville watching it inreal time every single day. One
of those people was Andrea, myco producer. When I told her I
(04:56):
was going to be on a sequesteredjury, she was immediately
hooked. On the case, and endedup watching the entire trial
online as it was happening eachday, taking all of her own notes
along the way. The realizationthat this might become a
podcast, it hit me like alightning bolt on day four of
the trial, in the evening, I wassitting in my hotel room working
(05:20):
on this ridiculous miniaturehouse of a greenhouse garden a
Christmas gift I'd receivedyears ago. It's this delicate
model building project with1000s of pieces, tiny plants,
paper, rugs, doll sizedfurniture. Think building a
model plane or assembling a shipin a bottle, something that
(05:41):
would take hundreds of hours ofsolitude to complete perfect for
a 10 to 14 day sequestration,right? I was deep into
assembling some little detailwhen it happened, my hands
stopped the tiny paper rugbetween my fingers fell to the
table, and I heard myself sayout loud, oh, my God, we have to
(06:02):
do a podcast about this. It feltlike a switch flipped, like my
brain had suddenly connected allthe pieces I'd been holding. I
shot up, grabbed a notebook andwrote down the words,
sequestered a podcast from ajuror's perspective, it wasn't
until after listening to da WAMPclosing statement that the title
(06:24):
became what it is a juror'sperspective on the murder trial
for Jasmine pace. This wasn'tjust about processing what had
happened to me, to Jasmine, toher family, to the community. It
was about honoring her story,about refusing to let her name
fade away. As we drove back toChattanooga to visit the sites
(06:50):
from the trial, we saw themthrough fresh eyes. We stopped
at each of the places mentioned,110 Tremont Street, 900 mountain
creek road, Walmart andWalgreens and, of course, suck
Creek Road. Standing in eachplace, we tried to absorb the
(07:10):
atmosphere and tried tounderstand the perspective of
Jasmine's story that each spaceheld the trailer for this
podcast had practically spilledout of us. We had so much to
talk about, me experiencing itfrom the inside, and Andrea
watching it from the outside. Weboth had two entirely different
(07:33):
perspectives of this case, thetwo hour drive back to Nashville
became a brainstorm session. Wemapped out episodes, sketched
ideas and decided how we wantedto tell this story. We had this
grandiose plan of writing andrecording all the episodes in
quick succession, releasing themwhile the trial was still fresh
(07:53):
on everyone's mind, but wequickly realized how much effort
each episode not only demandedbut deserved, and what started
as a seemingly simple projectturned into something we poured
our whole hearts into. Insteadof batch recording 10 episodes
for quick release, we ended updevoting over 40 hours a week
(08:16):
each to researching, writing,editing, producing, blogging and
building a place for Jasmine'sstory to be shared. It's just
the two of us aligned with adeep passion for this case and
for ensuring Jasmine's story isknown and heard. I have
experience in the podcastindustry, but I've never done a
(08:39):
podcast like this before thistime of sequestration has
changed my life, though, and Ifelt compelled to share my
unique perspective of thisexperience. And now here we are,
the final episode, nearly threemonths since the day I walked
into my first day of juryselection, and I feel like I'm
(09:01):
only beginning to understand theweight of it all. Many of you
have reached out withthoughtful, heartfelt questions.
I've tried to gather them intosome common themes, and I think
a natural place to start is withthe emotional toll this case
took not just on Jasmine'sfamily and loved ones, but on
(09:25):
everyone connected to the trial.Shortly after I returned from
Chattanooga, I had the chance tosit down with latricia Thomas
from News Channel Nine. She hadinterviewed me for the network,
but once the cameras were off, Iwas able to ask her a few
questions of my own. One of themwas about the community impact
(09:46):
and what this case meant to thepeople of Chattanooga. Letrisha
had covered this case for overtwo years, not only that, she
had reported on every detail ofthe trial as it was happening
for each of the nine. Days itwas broadcast. Needless to say,
she had a lot of context on thiscase, and that was my biggest
(10:07):
curiosity. I loved her answer.
Chattanooga had been followingthis case since Jasmine's body
was found, so for more than twoyears, and I think there was so
much, just so many eyes on it,because they wanted to see what
(10:27):
really happened to her, and theywanted to see if the family felt
like they got justice in theend, because the family had been
so vocal in the beginning,trying to look for her, trying
to find her, trying to get, youknow, the police, to back them
up. And so I think that reallytouched a lot of people's hearts
(10:49):
and minds in Chattanooga, andwanted to see how it played out.
This story captivatedChattanooga because Jasmine was
so young. Jasmine had all thesefriends and family speaking out
for her, looking for her, andthen just the gruesome way that
she died and was found.Thankfully, it doesn't happen
(11:12):
often, and to have such a younglife and in such a tragic and
horrible way. I think everybodywants it to mean something in
the end, if at all, it to have aconclusion in a way that you can
rest a little easier at nightknowing all of those graphic
(11:35):
details. You know, there was aconclusion and a story that was
just so hard to hear and hard totalk about,
the way latricia described it,the intensity of the community's
concern, the emotionalinvestment it struck me. It made
(11:57):
me realize how many peopleoutside of that courtroom were
waiting and watching, hoping foranswers and for justice. It was
clear to see the reach of thiscase extended far beyond the
courthouse walls. Of course, ithad impacted Jasmine's family
and friends, but also her entirecommunity. I've been able to
(12:20):
stay in touch with many of thejurors after the trial, and some
have graciously volunteered toshare their thoughts and voice
memos. Here's juror number eightsharing a summary of his
experience serving on this jury.
Serving on this jury was areally sober and humbling
experience. Everyone in thegallery was reliving one of the
(12:41):
most traumatic experiences oftheir lives in excruciating
detail, and then everyone not inthe gallery was really patient
with us as they explained themost elementary concepts of
criminal procedure and explainedall the details of a case they
had been working on for over Twoyears, for probably the 100th
time, the decision we made wasstraightforward, but it was
(13:04):
solemn, and several of the morecompassionate members of the
jury cried just about thesituation that we were in.
It affected us, each indifferent ways. Some of us
carried it like a weight wecouldn't shake, while others
tried to compartmentalize theexperience and just get through
(13:25):
the day. Processing somethinglike this is messy and
imperfect, and we all felt it.Juror number one described his
experience like this.
While the trauma was going on, Ididn't have super strong
emotions about the details ofthe case themselves, even with
(13:47):
some of the more intensetestimony, like the medical
examiner, it sort of felt like Iwas clocked into work and I
really didn't have Time to sortof process emotionally what I
was seeing. It wasn't untilafter I got home and sort of
(14:08):
spent some time by myself, forthe first time in two weeks,
that I began to sort of processeverything that had happened. I
actually realized this as I wasdriving to work, the day after
we returned, and I sort ofstarted to get a little choked
up on the drive. And then aftergetting to work, when the first
(14:32):
person asked me how the trialwas, I kind of broke down and
started to cry. I tried to holdit together as best I could, but
I was a little teary, and so mycoworkers told me they would
just handle the rest of mycaseload for the day, since
they'd already planned on mebeing away for the full two
(14:54):
weeks, and that I should just gohome and take some time to
process it.
All people have asked me howI've been able to process
everything after this, how I wasable to see all of that graphic
detail or carry the weight ofthe responsibility. And I think
(15:14):
the simple answer is, I haven't,not entirely processing
something like this isn't a taskyou can complete or cross off a
list, it's something you carryand revisit over and over, and
the people connected to thiscase feel its weight in
different ways and at varyingdegrees. I've learned a lot
(15:40):
about myself throughout thisprocess. I mean, what a wild
experience I went through.There's no way I could be the
same person after something likethis. And I say all of that
knowing that not every jurorleaves their civic duty and
immediately spends the next 10weeks making a podcast about the
(16:00):
very thing they were just semiforced to live for 10 days. What
surprised me the most throughoutthe trial was how much I was
drawn to the judicial processitself, from the legal
formalities to the structure ofthe proceedings, the purpose
behind each witness and thestrategic introduction of every
(16:21):
piece of evidence. It's allmeticulously crafted. The entire
trial is a story being unfoldedin real time, with twists and
turns and revelations, and inthe end, at least in this case,
it's the jury who decides howthe story concludes, being a
(16:42):
part of that process. Holdingsomeone's fate in your hands was
heavy, and I knew even then thatI couldn't just walk away from
it. I had to share about it. I
(17:09):
you know, during sequestration,I had a lot of time to think,
and honestly, I kept wishing Ihad a speaker so that I could
just listen to a great book.That's why I love audiobooks,
whether I'm driving, walking thedogs or traveling, I can just
press play and get lost in anamazing story anytime and
anywhere. One of my all timefavorites is New York by Edward
(17:32):
Rutherford. This epic historicalnovel spans over 400 years,
following generations offamilies through the city's most
pivotal moments from its Dutchsettlement days and all the way
to 911 it was one of the firstaudio books I had ever listened
to. It felt like the narratorwas reading the story, just for
(17:53):
me. I was completely hooked.Here's some good news. You can
listen to New York or any otherbook for free. Audible is giving
sequestered listeners a freeaudiobook with a 30 day trial.
Just go to audible trial.com.Forward slash sequestered,
that's one free book yours tokeep forever. So find something
(18:16):
you love and get listening. Goto audible trial.com. Forward
slash, sequestered.
Next Andrea and I had theopportunity to sit down and
(18:39):
speak with the prosecutors whofought tirelessly to bring
justice to Jasmine Pace'sfamily. District Attorneys
General, Cody WAMP and PaulMoyle, had been at the forefront
of this case from the verybeginning, determined to ensure
that Jasmine's story was heardand that her killer was held
accountable. This conversationwas especially impactful for me,
(19:05):
because both of them had becomesuch sources of inspiration,
particularly da WAMP, herpassion for Jasmine was so
evident throughout the entiretrial, you can just tell that
she's someone who walks throughlife with justice as a guiding
principle. Our conversation withthem was candid and emotional.
(19:29):
We gathered in da wamps office,her and Moyle in a set of cozy
chairs, and the two of us on acomfortable couch with a long
coffee table splitting thedifference between us all.
Everyone was in casual attire,Berks, flannel. It was nice, the
opposite of official. But whatstruck me most was how willing
(19:52):
they were to share theirperspectives, not only as legal
professionals, but as humanbeings who were. Only affected
by the weight of this case. Wediscussed the trial, shared our
own questions and curiositiesand reflected on what it all
meant, hearing their insights,especially after diving so
(20:15):
deeply into this podcast,brought another layer of
understanding to everything. Weended our conversation with them
with a couple of questions, andwe wanted to share their
responses with you. The firstwas for da WAMP about her
advocacy for victims rights. Iwanted to know what drove her
(20:35):
passion in this area and how itshaped the way she approaches
cases like this one, here's herresponse.
I think that that's what thisjob is. This this office, any
prosecutor's office, should bevictim focused. Or why are we
all here? And certainly crimesmatter that don't have victims.
(20:58):
You can argue that there's a lotof crimes that do have victims
that we don't necessarilycategorize like that, but we
should all prioritize crimeswith victims as prosecutors, and
that's what my message is tothis office all the time, we
have to make sure we're takingcare of this community, not just
(21:18):
public Safety, but taking careof people in this community. And
so in these cases, when youprepare for a trial like this
one, or any, any trials that wehave where we spend years
preparing, you really get toknow the victim well. And so by
the time you get to trial, youknow their family. You know what
they were like when they were 15years old. You've heard all the
(21:41):
stories. You really get a sensefor better, for worse. Sometimes
you learn bad things, you know,but you get to know them, and so
by the time you get to trial, itreally is like for me, personal,
but you know this person, youknow their family, they're in
your office. You know they,they've you've seen struggle
(22:02):
throughout the last two years,since their daughter died.
You've seen the ups and thedowns to a certain extent. So it
is personal. By the time you getto trial, in my opinion, all you
really want to do is fight forthem, because you've been
through this process seeing itfrom their point of view. And so
it is, it's, it's hard to notmake it too personal for me. I
have to remind myself to justtake a step back sometimes,
(22:24):
because it it can affect you,and it will affect you if you if
you let it. But to a certainextent, I think that's a good
thing. I hope that I always feelthat way, and if I don't care,
like I do now, I hope that I'llleave this job to do something
else
and sort of along the samelines, I also asked her what
(22:45):
moments from her career remindedher of why she does this work. I
was curious to know if therewere cases, experiences, or even
particular moments thatreinforced her commitment to
advocating for victims and theirfamilies, what fuels her passion
and keeps her going, even whenthe work feels heavy,
(23:07):
any cases involving children,the rape of a child, case that I
tried in Bradley County was oneof my first big trials, and
being able to get a Victory fora child like that, who
afterwards will say, I didn'tthink anybody was going to
believe me, because kids don'tcome forward often, because they
(23:27):
don't think anybody's going tobelieve them, and they're
scared. And so to have a victoryfor a child where the system
believed them and protected themlike we're supposed to, it makes
you feel like this is not just aprofession. It's a passion. It
is, you know, it's for me, it'ssort of who I am. But any, any
(23:49):
case with children, but a caselike this, with a with a victim
who really was just 1,000%innocent in all of this and did
not deserve to die, and was notinvolved in any type of criminal
activity. And you know, this wasjust so random and did not have
to happen that it it makes it areal privilege to be able to to
(24:13):
fight for her. But any of thesetrials, and most of the trials
I've tried, have to do withvictims, most of the cases in my
office tries have to do withvictims. We try drug cases here
and there. We've tried a theftin the last year, but for the
most part, we focus on victims,and that means that we take
these cases to trial.
Finally, I asked both da WAMPand da Moyle what they hope
(24:36):
people will take away from thistrial, for Jasmine, for her
family and for the broader fightfor justice. Here's how they
each replied.
I hope that the closing argumentresonated with people across the
country. First of all, I thinkthat there's more victims of
(24:59):
crime across than. Nation andacross our state, then people
realize, until it happens toyou, and whether you're just a
victim of a burglary or you're avictim of a violent crime like
this one, there's a lot ofvictims throughout our and
survivors throughout ourcommunity that we forget about.
You know, something may happentwo years ago, and the person
(25:20):
goes through the court process,and then, over time, they're
they're forgotten about, andnobody around them really
understands what they wentthrough or the fact that they're
a survivor of this type ofcrime. So I hope, I hope that
the community realizes thatthere are people fighting for
victims, and especially victimsand survivors. I hope that they
(25:40):
can say, and we've gotten someof this feedback, like, I was a
victim, or I was a survivor, andmy my boyfriend did this to me
in 2009 and some of the greatestemails I got were those kind of
emails, like, I was in tearsduring the jury verdict, because
this happened to me, and Ididn't think anybody cared. And
that really, that really means alot to me like that's that's a
(26:01):
reminder of of why we're doingthis. So I hope the community
knows that there are officeslike ours that are are doing it
for all the right reasons.
I think that
people to take away from thisand to realize is that we see
names on the news individualswho are charged with crime,
(26:23):
sometimes the news will tell usthe names of the victim, but at
the end of the day, people needto realize that crime has a real
impact on people outside ofthose that are named on the
nightly news, that for Every onevictim of a crime, there's a
family, father, a mother,brothers and sisters, cousins,
(26:47):
people who are deeply andnegatively affected by the
criminal acts of another, eventhough they're not the actual
target of the criminal conduct.And that's something that I
think that most people don'trealize is just the sheer scope
of crime and how it affects,really the entire community. I
(27:08):
think such an example of thatfrom this trial, when it it was
a little bit early on to reallyhit home for the jury, because
Katrina was our first witness,but how identical she looks to
her daughter so much always,yeah. And, I mean, always stood
out to me is like, oh my gosh,she is up there on the
Wednesday, she looks exactlylike her daughter. We're going
(27:30):
to show her driver's license sothat you can see. But they are
real people. They have moms thatsometimes look just like them,
that are willing to testify ontheir on their behalf, and so,
yeah. I mean, what a momenty'all didn't know as much about
the case at that point in time,because she was our first
witness. But looking back, Imean, oh yeah, when a mother
looks exactly like her daughter,who's this has happened to? And
(27:51):
I thought that that. I mean,honestly, I think it's a sweet
moment for me to to see her onthe stand. And what a mom, you
know, what a mom. Katrina Venusis the moment we all aspire to
be. So I thought that was sweetmoment.
And I think also one other thingis that I know that a lot of
times that we focus on thenegatives with people that work
(28:14):
in the public sector andgovernment, but there are
dedicated professionals outthere like general WAMP who
believe in the rule of law, whobelieve in seeking justice for
those who no longer have a voiceand people don't need to forget
(28:35):
that every day across thiscountry, across This state,
there are people who arefighting for victims, and
general wonk is one of thosepeople.
I gotta tell y'all if, if I wasin Katrina beans spot, you guys
are who I would want, fightingfor me truly. Thank you.
(29:01):
Their passion for seekingjustice was evident. They didn't
just see this as another case onthe docket. It was personal for
them, individually and as ateam, and their dedication left
an impression on me that Icontinue to carry. Hearing their
words, their resolve, theircompassion, only deepened my own
(29:25):
sense of responsibility. It mademe reflect on why I felt so
compelled to create this podcastin the first place, to honor
Jasmine's story, to make sureher name is remembered, and to
acknowledge the tireless work ofthe people fighting for justice
every single day. This journeyreally has changed me, and as we
(29:50):
come to the end of this podcast,I want to share some of the
personal reflections and lessonsI've taken away from all of this
through. Throughout thisjourney, we have heard from so
many of you listeners who havebeen moved by Jasmine's story,
who followed this case closely,or who've simply had questions
(30:11):
about the process. And as Ireflect on everything we've
shared, I wanted to take sometime to answer a few of the
questions that have come up themost questions that I've been
asking myself too, one of themost common questions I've heard
is, why did I decide to makethis podcast instead of just
moving on? And my answer issimple, these stories need to be
(30:35):
told. We talk about serialkillers and we make them heroes
in our society, we talk aboutwhat they did to the victim as
if that moment defines someonelike Jasmine pace, and that's
just simply not the case. I knowthat cases like this and worse
happen across the globe everysingle day. It's such a tragedy,
(30:56):
this one could have passed meby, and I might have started my
new year never knowing Jasmine'sname or hearing her story, but
january 2025, presented me witha very different set of
circumstances. I couldn't justgo back to my normal life after
going through this experience,it has changed me. Another
(31:21):
question I've been asked is,What do I hope people take away
from this podcast? I think aboutda WAMP closing statement here,
specifically when she sopassionately delivers the words
about how victims matter.Victims
matter. Jasmine pace is not justsome girl listed in the autopsy
(31:42):
report. She is not the photosthat you have seen. Don't
minimize her to a name on anindictment. She is a person. She
had family that loved her. Shewas a friend. She was a
granddaughter. Please don'tminimize this trial to the trial
(32:03):
from him.
She's absolutely right. We heara lot about the perpetrator in
cases like this, their names arethe ones splashed across the
headlines, their actionsdissected and analyzed. But what
often gets lost is the victim,the person whose life was
stolen. When it comes to crimeslike this, we need to say the
(32:27):
names of the victims and thesurvivors more often. They
deserve to be remembered for whothey were, not just for what
happened to them. So I guess myhope for this podcast is the
same as da wants that somewheredown the line, when you think
about this case or hear it onanother show, Jasmine pace is
(32:48):
the first name you recall thatyou remember her for who she was
as a person, her kindness, hervibrancy, her dreams, and not
just the tragedy that ended herlife. And then there's the
question that feels mostpersonal, would I ever serve on
a jury again after thisexperience? I've thought a lot
(33:12):
about that. It's hard to say yesright away, because this
experience has been so intense,emotionally and mentally, it's
not something I could go throughagain, lightly serving on this
jury. Was life changing, butalso incredibly heavy the weight
of the responsibility, knowingthat real lives are impacted by
(33:34):
the decisions we make, it'sdaunting, but I also recognize
how important it is to havepeople who are willing to show
up to listen and to do theirbest to seek justice. I felt
honored to do that with theother 15 people I was called to
serve alongside of being a jurorisn't easy, and I have so much
(33:56):
more respect for the process.Now, it's not just a civic duty,
it's a profound act of service.So would I do it again? I think
I would, but only if I felt Icould give it the attention and
care it deserves.
(34:18):
After reflecting on my ownexperience, I kept coming back
to the person who's been with meevery step of the way on this
podcast. My co producer Andrea.She has spent 99% of her time
behind the scenes of thispodcast, researching, writing,
building out the website and allof the back end details. She has
(34:39):
poured her energy into makingsure Jasmine's story was told
with care and accuracy. ButAndrea's experience has been
entirely different from mine.She watched the trial unfold
from the outside, piecingtogether things through live
streams and endless research,and then she relived it all
again. As we built this podcasttogether, her perspective is
(35:04):
unique, seeing everything from adistance, but still feeling the
weight of it all. So I wascurious, what has this entire
experience been like for her?These are her thoughts
working on this podcast withSarah has been a wild and
(35:24):
emotional journey. From thebeginning, our intention was
sequestered, was to tell thetruth of what happened. I've
spent a lot of time askingmyself why that felt so
important to me. I think it'sbecause we all carry stories
inside of us that remain untold,whether out of shame, fear or
(35:44):
simply not wanting the world toknow what we've endured. But
there's power in speaking thetruth and saying this happened.
Jasmine didn't get a chance towalk away from a bad situation.
She likely went to Jason'sapartment on the night of
November 22 2022 seeking comfortafter losing her grandmother,
(36:07):
instead, for reasons we maynever fully understand, he ended
her life in a terrifying way.I've always believed that we are
all connected more than we mightever realize our work is to let
that truth in, to be open to themost unexpected experiences and
to partner with them when theyarrive. Elizabeth Gilbert says
(36:30):
this in her book, Big Magic. Dowhatever brings you to life,
then follow your ownfascinations, obsessions and
compulsions, trust them createwhatever causes a revolution in
your heart. I felt compelled totell Jasmine Pace's story,
because it could have been myown story or your story. I've
(36:53):
lived and breathed the detailsof this trial for the past two
months with Sarah. I've dreamtabout Jasmine. I've even asked
her for guidance as we've beenwriting and planning this
podcast, and even though I nevermet her, the words and the
emotions of her family haveshown me that she was an
exceptionally loving and vibranthuman being. I will never forget
(37:17):
Jasmine pace. I think about herall the time as I go through my
life now, I believe she'swatching over her family right
now, I feel that deeply in anodd way, I feel connected to her
because she seemed fierce andloving and passionate about
life. So what will I take awayfrom this case and this
(37:38):
experience? I've rediscovered apassion to advocate for those
who no longer have a voice. I'mstill asking myself what that
means, but my heart is wideopen.
In closing, I guess I just wantto say I think that Jasmine was
(37:59):
in need of comfort that night.She had no idea what was coming,
and the truth is, none of usdid. There's such a finality to
what happened. Jasmine willnever get to fulfill her dreams.
Her family will never get to seeher face again, hear her laugh
or watch her move through life'sexperiences, the loss is so
(38:24):
profound, it's hard to put intowords. And yet, Jasmine's story
isn't over, not really becausewe remember her. We say her
name, we keep her memory aliveby honoring who she was, not
just how her life ended. Maybethat force we were feeling to
(38:49):
make this podcast was Jasmineherself. It's something I've
often wondered, as if she's beenwalking with us, guiding us to
share her story in a way thatfeels true and respectful. I
want to believe she's here,still watching over her family,
(39:09):
her presence felt in everysunset, her spirit woven into
the hearts of everyone who lovesher. I really hope so. Before we
go, if you or someone you knowis experiencing domestic
violence or feels unsafe, thereis help available. You can
(39:32):
contact the National DomesticViolence Hotline at one 807 99
safe, S, A, F, E, or visit thehotline.org for resources
support and confidentialassistance. 24/7 A huge thank
you to News Channel Nine, localthree, news Chattanooga and
(39:55):
Court TV for your thorough andcompassionate coverage
throughout this case. Yourreporting allowed us to share
Jasmine's story in its fullnessand accuracy, and to everyone
who has listened asked questionsand supported this effort, thank
you. It means more than wordscan express. To Jasmine's
(40:17):
family, if you're listening, Ihope we've done her justice. I
hope you feel her presence closeto you every day.
This may be the final episode,but it's not the end of this
story. Our search for answerscontinues, and we're committed
(40:38):
to sharing everything we learnwith you. We invite you to visit
the website, sequesteredpod.com,for a deeper dive into each day
of the trial, including blogsand photos from the case.
Finally, if you've enjoyed thispodcast, please take a moment to
rate and review it. It's thebest way to get the word out.
(40:59):
Thank you so much for listening.You.
(41:20):
I 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.
(41:41):
Please follow, share andcontinue the conversation with
us. Jasmine's story deserves tobe remembered. This is a BP
production. The show is written,edited and produced by me Sarah
Reed with CO production byAndrea Kleid. News clips
(42:01):
featured in this episode weresourced from wtbc News Channel
Nine, local three newsChattanooga and the law and
crime network. Music and sounddesign are curated to reflect
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, visit
(42:23):
sequestered pod.com or follow uson Instagram at sequestered pod.
Thank you for listening untilnext Time, stay curious and stay
safe. You
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