Feb. 10, 2025

Episode 02: The Trial Begins

Episode 02: The Trial Begins
Episode 02: The Trial Begins
SEQUESTERED
Episode 02: The Trial Begins

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 vs. 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.

Instagram: @sequesteredpod
Website: sequesteredpod.com

SEQUESTERED is a BP Production.

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Music Before we begin, please be
advised that this episode

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contains graphic descriptions of
violence as presented during the

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trial. Please take care while
listening. It's Monday morning,

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January 13, 2025 6am, I hear a
knock at my door at 627, I

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emerge from my hotel room and
make my way down to the

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elevator, where four deputies
and my fellow jurors are already

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gathered. We are counted
multiple times before piling

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into the elevator. Once in the
hotel lobby dining room, we grab

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breakfast, coffee, waffles,
whatever we can stomach, while

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other hotel guests glance at US
curiously, their eyes shifting

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between us and the uniformed
officers standing guard. After

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breakfast, we are counted again,
collected and then sent back up

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the elevators to our rooms so we
can get ready for the day. By

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8am we are loaded into our
designated vans and driven to

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the courthouse. Upon arrival at
the courthouse, we are escorted

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inside and led directly to our
jury room. We would spend a lot

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of time in this room. Starting
that morning, the bailiff

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informs us that pre trial
matters are still being handled,

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and the judge will let them know
when it's time for us to enter

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the courtroom. In the meantime,
we are to remain in this room.

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If we need anything at all, we
are told to knock on the door,

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but otherwise we wait. The room
is small, maybe 20 feet long by

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10 feet wide on the wall
opposite of the door, three

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windows overlook Cherry Street
from our third floor vantage

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point, we have a direct view of
the Stark, windowless walls of

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the former Hamilton County Jail,
which now sits vacant. In the

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center of the room, a large
wooden conference table

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dominates the space, surrounded
by 14 black cushioned office

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chairs. Against the right wall
in the far corner sits a small

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counter with just enough room
for a sink and a commercial

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coffee maker. Above it, a set of
cabinets on the floor. Next to

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the counter stands a filtered
water dispenser in a trash can.

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Beside the trash can, a small
opening in the wall reveals a

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coat rack hanging between two
bathroom doors. A deputy rolls

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two more chairs into the room
and reminds us again to knock on

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the door if we need anything.
The 16 of us claim a chair and

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begin to settle in. Some
immediately dive into books.

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Others close their eyes, and a
few initiate a game of UNO.

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Thankfully, I'd come prepared
with board games, a deck of

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cards and an ample supply of
winter Green Life Savers, which

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everyone appreciated. Lunch
arrives at noon, and we are

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escorted down the hall into
another, larger room to eat with

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full bellies and hours of
waiting behind us, we are ready

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to get this trial underway. Then
at 1:26pm, the bailiff knocks on

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the jury room door. The judge is
ready for us. You

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This is sequestered a juror's
perspective on the murder trial

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for Jasmine. Pace, I'm Sarah,
juror number 11 each episode,

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I'll take you inside the
courtroom, behind the scenes,

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and into the weighty moments of
this trial as we honor Jasmine's

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life and navigate the
complexities of seeking justice.

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Let's begin.

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This is episode two. The trial
begins. I

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everyone is standing as the
jurors enter the courtroom,

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waiting for each of us to
shuffle into the jury box and

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take our seats. Judge Patterson
invites the room to be seated

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and welcomes the jury. The
bailiff swears us in next a line

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of deputies moves in front of
our jury box, standing shoulder

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to shoulder and facing the
judge, they too are sworn in,

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not just as officers of the
court, but as our protectors for

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the duration of the trial, a
visible reminder of the weight

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of our role and the seriousness
of the case before us. Then

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judge Patterson delivers an
announcement the jurors will be

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allowed to submit anonymous
questions to witnesses

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throughout the trial. This would
turn out to be quite a unique

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opportunity for us.

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What's interesting in this case
is that Judge Boyd Patterson

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actually lets the jurors ask
their own questions. If there's

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something that they want to hear
more on or they didn't get to

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hear on, they will send up a
piece of paper, the attorneys

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will go up and read the
questions, and then judge

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Patterson will ask those
questions of the witness

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as we step into the Hamilton
County courtroom, the layout

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immediately defines the space
where the trial will unfold.

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Judge. Patterson's bench, sits
up off the ground and is

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positioned diagonally in the far
left corner of the room, facing

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the courtroom entry doors. From
this vantage point, he has a

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direct line of sight to the
defense table, where attorneys

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Joshua Weiss and Amanda Morrison
sit alongside the defendant

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Jason Chen, directly to their
left at the prosecution's table

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sit District Attorney General
Cody WAMP and chief homicide

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prosecutor Paul Moyle. Beside
them is a third person when we

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would later learn to be lead
investigator, Zachary Crawford,

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a key figure in the case. To the
right of the defense team,

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positioned along the right wall
is the jury. We sit in 16 blue

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office chairs, 14 of which are
bolted to the ground and all of

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which are in dire need of WD, 40
at the back of the courtroom,

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centered between the jury box
and the judge's bench, sits the

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witness stand it faces forward,
positioned so that the

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attorneys, the judge, the jury
and the gallery of onlookers can

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all see whoever takes the seat.
This is where we would spend the

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next several days watching,
listening and waiting to unravel

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the truth. One of the jurors, an
architect in his real life,

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sketched a detailed layout of
the courtroom during the trial.

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If you want to see exactly how
the room was arranged. You can

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check out his drawing on our
website. Judge Patterson begins

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by reading his opening comments
stating the official charges

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from the state of Tennessee,

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violations of state law for
sentence 315228, 315228, charge

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defendant, two, defenses, first
degree premeditated murder.

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315228, the defendant pleads not
guilty. The defendant presumes

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to be innocent for the charge
against him, he may not be found

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guilty unless I'm curious all
the evidence and instructions of

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law. 12 jurors in this case
unanimously fine. The state has

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proven its case beyond
reasonable doubt.

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He emphasizes that Jason Chen is
presumed innocent and can only

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be found guilty if the
prosecution proves his guilt

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beyond a reasonable doubt. He
outlined the trial process,

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explaining that evidence will
include witness testimony,

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documents and physical exhibits,
and that the jurors may submit

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questions. He instructed jurors
to avoid media coverage outside

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research and discussions about
the case until deliberations

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begin. He also clarified that if
a guilty verdict is reached for

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first degree murder, a separate
sentencing hearing will

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determine whether Chen receives
life in prison or life without

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parole. He then invites District
Attorney General Cody WAMP to

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the stand. General WAMP stood
and commanded the room with a

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poised and confident presence,
slender with long, blondish

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brown hair and expressive brown
eyes. She was smartly dressed,

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exuding professionalism and
authority. Her confident

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demeanor was complimented by her
clear, articulate speech, which

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carried both conviction and
emotion, leaving no doubt about

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her intelligence and
preparation, standing tall and

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maintaining steady eye contact,
she conveyed both strength and

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approachability, embodying the
focus and determination of a

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seasoned prosecutor. She begins

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state of Tennessee Criminal
Court for Hamilton County, 2023

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count, one the grand jurors upon
their oath do present that Jason

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Chen on or about the 23rd day of
November, 2022 in Hamilton

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County, Tennessee, and before
the finding of this indictment,

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did, unlawfully, intentionally
and with premeditation, inflict

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mortal injuries on Jasmine case,
which resulted in the debt of

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Jasmine case on or about the
23rd day of November, 2023 in

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violation of Tennessee COVID
annotated, 39 dash 13, dash 202,

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against the peace and dignity of
the state.

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When da Cody WAMP began her
opening statement. She didn't

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just tell us what happened to
Jasmine pace. She showed us. She

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begins her opening statement by
putting on blue medical gloves

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and pulling a large suitcase out
of a cardboard box. She rolled

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the suitcase intently, stopping
just in front of the jury box.

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My stomach dropped. This wasn't
just a suitcase, this was the

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suitcase, the very one that had
carried Jasmine's body. It

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served as a stark and
unrelenting reminder of the

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crime, and we would see the
suitcase many times throughout

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the trial. With the suitcase in
front of us want began laying

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out the horrific details.
Jasmine's body was discovered on

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suck Creek Road, a remote,
winding roadway that runs along

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the Tennessee River known for
its scenic views. The area's

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isolation made it an eerie and
unsettling place for such a

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discovery inside the suitcase.
Jasmine had been handcuffed and

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shackled in the fetal position,
then wrapped in three black

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trash bags before being zipped
inside and discarded along the

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river's edge. Her wounds were
extensive, 60 stab and incised

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wounds in total, one of the
wounds going straight through

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her neck, severing vital
structures as it passed from

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right to left. Another was
delivered with such force that

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the tip of the chef's knife used
in the attack broke off inside

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of her lung, a detail the
medical examiner would later

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uncover during the autopsy.
Here's a clip of general Cody

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wamps opening statement.

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The suitcase

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was located in a brushy area
just yards from the bank of the

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Tennessee River, and right off
of stuff Creek Road in it was

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the body of Jasmine pace who had
been placed in a fetal position

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inside of three black trash
bags. Her right ankle was

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handcuffed to her right wrist,
her left ankle had been shackled

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to her right arm. Her wounds
were extensive. You will hear

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from Doctor coswell, the medical
examiner from Hamilton County,

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who will describe those wounds
in great detail, he stabbed her

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over and over and over again,
not seven times, not 29 times,

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not 43 times, but 16 stab
wounds. One wound a through

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Andrea from the right side of
the neck all the way through the

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left another so deeply
penetrated her rib cage that the

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tip of the knife broke off into
her Lung. You will see the tip

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of that knot eventually, and
only because of the

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relentlessness of Jasmine paces
family, the Chattanooga Police

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Department's homicide division
executed a search warrant hit

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Jason Chen's apartment on
November 28 2020 The missing

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persons investigation quickly
became a homicide investigation

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when even despite his best
efforts to clean it up, Jasmine

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paces, blood upon The execution
of a search warrant was located

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all over Jason Chin's

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heart.

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And when you think that you have
seen enough evidence that Jason

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chin killed Jasmine face, you
will be convinced that he

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stuffed her body in this
suitcase after placing it in

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trash bags, because you will
hear from a fingerprint expert.

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The fingerprint experts will
tell you that Jason Chen's

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fingerprints were found on the
inner most trash bag that

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surrounded

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hearing these details for the
first time was gut wrenching,

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and it was only the beginning. I
remember trying to sit up

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straight and focus on taking
good notes, attempting the

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process the sheer violence of it
all was out of the question. It

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was terrible knowing that this
young woman's life had ended in

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such a brutal and senseless way.
But as a juror, my job wasn't to

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react, it wasn't to grieve or
express outrage. It was to

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listen, to absorb the facts and
assess them without bias. The

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prosecution would go on to lay
out what they had intended to

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prove that Jasmine's death was
not accidental or impulsive, but

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a deliberate, premeditated act,
and that Jason Chen was the one

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responsible. You.

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Defense Attorney Joshua Weiss
took the stand next presenting a

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stark contrast to General wamps
commanding presence, dressed in

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a blue suit with a white shirt
and a muted plaid tie, Weiss had

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more of a relaxed appearance.
His shaggy hair and full beard

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gave him somewhat of an
unpolished every guy, look think

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Zach Galifianakis, he probably
gets that a lot. His demeanor

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was calm, but lacked the sheen
and confidence of his opposing

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counsel. Speaking in a low tone,
his delivery came across as more

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of over her story than a
compelling argument, leaving an

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impression of restraint rather
than authority. Still, the

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defense's opening statement took
a vastly different approach.

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Weiss wasted no time in
admitting that Jason Chen had

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killed Jasmine, but he insisted
that it wasn't premeditated

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murder. Instead, he framed it as
voluntary manslaughter, a crime

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00:16:01,800 --> 00:16:06,060
of passion. Weiss painted Jason
as someone who acted out of

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00:16:06,060 --> 00:16:10,260
fear, shame and emotional
distress. He claimed that what

218
00:16:10,260 --> 00:16:13,860
happened wasn't a calculated
act, but a tragic moment that

219
00:16:13,860 --> 00:16:17,640
had spiraled out of control.
According to the defense,

220
00:16:17,640 --> 00:16:21,200
Jasmine became enraged after
discovering Tinder messages on

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00:16:21,200 --> 00:16:25,580
Jason's phone in response, Weiss
alleged she grabbed a broken

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00:16:25,580 --> 00:16:29,780
wine bottle and attacked Jason
in the chaos, Jason stabbed

223
00:16:29,780 --> 00:16:34,400
Jasmine, not with the intent to
kill, but in self defense the

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00:16:34,400 --> 00:16:38,600
way Weiss told it, Jason wasn't
a murderer, he was simply a man

225
00:16:38,600 --> 00:16:42,160
caught In an emotionally charged
moment reacting out of panic.

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00:16:43,240 --> 00:16:46,480
Here's a clip of attorney Joshua
Weiss's opening statement,

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00:16:51,280 --> 00:16:58,300
early hours on November 23 2022
Jason killed jazz. He didn't do

228
00:16:58,300 --> 00:17:01,860
it with a remeditation. He
didn't do it with a

229
00:17:01,860 --> 00:17:08,820
premeditation. This is a
volunteering in November of 2022

230
00:17:09,540 --> 00:17:13,800
he was succeeding the year
before he and Jasmine started

231
00:17:13,800 --> 00:17:17,880
communicating. They met on tape
in 2021 they dated for a few

232
00:17:17,880 --> 00:17:21,560
months, but they lost touch. But
then about eight months later,

233
00:17:21,560 --> 00:17:24,320
in May of 2022 you'd be cute
with that relationship, and

234
00:17:24,320 --> 00:17:28,220
started dating, seeing each
other more and more, and you're

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00:17:28,220 --> 00:17:32,600
going to see through the text
messages, someone I was

236
00:17:32,600 --> 00:17:36,560
obviously going to this
relationship, Jasmine started

237
00:17:36,560 --> 00:17:40,640
getting feelings for Jason, see
through those text messages, and

238
00:17:41,180 --> 00:17:46,300
Jason kept reciprocate that as
much. Then he come to the beach

239
00:17:46,300 --> 00:17:52,360
of November 22 it was
Thanksgiving. Jasmine and her

240
00:17:52,360 --> 00:17:58,300
family lost their grandpa. She
was and on the night of November

241
00:17:58,300 --> 00:18:03,900
22 around 11pm she came over to
Jason's house, and they did.

242
00:18:04,260 --> 00:18:14,700
They always fly on the night of
November, the 22nd they were

243
00:18:14,700 --> 00:18:18,840
doing flying that bedroom in
order to open one bottles of

244
00:18:18,840 --> 00:18:22,520
wine and bedroom Jason had to go
to the kitchen and get a kitchen

245
00:18:22,520 --> 00:18:25,640
burner and take off that plastic
wrap and burst around the top of

246
00:18:25,640 --> 00:18:29,660
wine bottles. So he was able to
get off the top of the wine

247
00:18:29,660 --> 00:18:34,220
bottle of passenger. He placed
it on his side. At a certain

248
00:18:34,220 --> 00:18:37,820
point, they finish off the
bottle of wine and Jasmine goes

249
00:18:37,820 --> 00:18:41,140
back into the kitchen to get
another bottle, and there on the

250
00:18:41,140 --> 00:18:49,780
counter is Jason Selva, that
familiar Tinder date that

251
00:18:49,780 --> 00:18:52,300
Jasmine and Jason do so well,
because that's how they met.

252
00:18:53,320 --> 00:18:57,700
Jasmine looked at his phone and
saw all these messages about the

253
00:18:57,700 --> 00:19:04,680
girls, and this was security to
her. She was already in Greece,

254
00:19:05,040 --> 00:19:08,340
and they sent her in anger. Used
to rage, and they started

255
00:19:08,340 --> 00:19:14,760
yelling, biting further, Jason
came into the kitchen. Jasmine

256
00:19:14,760 --> 00:19:19,980
attacked Jason with an empty
wine bottle. And reaction, Jason

257
00:19:19,980 --> 00:19:23,660
kicked her and she fell
batteries, knocking over wine

258
00:19:23,660 --> 00:19:28,520
glasses. She picked up one of
the wine glasses and ran towards

259
00:19:28,520 --> 00:19:32,660
Jason. Jason treated going from
the kitchen to his bedroom,

260
00:19:33,080 --> 00:19:37,580
which helped she chased after
that. He was trying to close the

261
00:19:37,580 --> 00:19:41,480
door to the bathroom and put it
because the bathroom then tried

262
00:19:41,480 --> 00:19:44,260
to run from the bathroom into
the bedroom, but there is a

263
00:19:44,260 --> 00:19:48,340
pocket door, and it's impossible
to close. Army is back into the

264
00:19:48,340 --> 00:19:52,420
bedroom. Jasmine's right there
coming at him as well glass.

265
00:19:54,160 --> 00:20:02,760
Jason sees the knife, except
this. Blacked out. Your heart is

266
00:20:02,760 --> 00:20:06,780
racing. You're in that fight or
flight response. Your adrenaline

267
00:20:06,780 --> 00:20:10,020
is rushing. You're in a panic.
You're in fear. You don't know

268
00:20:10,020 --> 00:20:16,260
what's going to happen next.
Laying over Genesis body

269
00:20:21,359 --> 00:20:25,879
signified Jason crawls on his
hands and knees after rose up.

270
00:20:27,019 --> 00:20:31,219
He lays there and it was, and
then he goes back into a room

271
00:20:31,219 --> 00:20:37,999
and sees where he's done, scared
in a panic, and he doesn't know

272
00:20:37,999 --> 00:20:42,399
what. And I wish I was telling
you right now that call nine one

273
00:20:42,399 --> 00:20:50,619
that he called the police from
there, chasing the sides the

274
00:20:50,619 --> 00:20:58,479
guest cover the side, yes, the
high places, jazz and trash puts

275
00:20:58,479 --> 00:21:03,359
the handcuffs On her after she
is fit, so that way she fit into

276
00:21:03,359 --> 00:21:08,279
the trash, and so they put her
into that suitcase, where he

277
00:21:08,279 --> 00:21:12,359
then takes her body in that
suitcase and drops her by the

278
00:21:12,359 --> 00:21:17,159
banks. He then sets on board to
try to clean up the apartment.

279
00:21:17,159 --> 00:21:22,099
To his best of his ability, he
tries to hide the fact that what

280
00:21:22,099 --> 00:21:26,419
he did by testing in a dozen
parents pretending to be here on

281
00:21:26,419 --> 00:21:33,259
social media, whatever he can
do, selfish, and it's wrong, but

282
00:21:33,259 --> 00:21:39,919
he panicked, and he thought this
was the best Jason. Jason is

283
00:21:39,919 --> 00:21:44,139
guilty, but he's not guilty of
the violence charge.

284
00:21:51,039 --> 00:21:53,859
I remember writing furiously
during the defense's statement,

285
00:21:54,399 --> 00:21:57,939
every word felt critical. I
wanted to document each of the

286
00:21:57,939 --> 00:22:00,899
defense's claims so that I can
weigh them against the evidence

287
00:22:00,899 --> 00:22:04,679
I knew was yet to come. I needed
to see if the facts aligned with

288
00:22:04,679 --> 00:22:07,799
the story Weiss was trying to
sell, or if the truth would tell

289
00:22:07,799 --> 00:22:09,419
us something entirely different.
You

290
00:22:24,079 --> 00:22:27,079
after the opening statements,
the prosecution called their

291
00:22:27,079 --> 00:22:31,279
first witnesses, one of the more
emotional moments came when

292
00:22:31,279 --> 00:22:35,359
Jasmine's mother, Katrina bean,
took the stand. The weight of

293
00:22:35,359 --> 00:22:38,239
the moment was heavy. Da WAMP
says

294
00:22:38,420 --> 00:22:40,900
the state is going to cause us
Katrina be

295
00:22:41,920 --> 00:22:44,980
but before she could take the
stand, Katrina asked for a

296
00:22:44,980 --> 00:22:48,640
moment and stepped out of the
courtroom to compose herself. It

297
00:22:48,640 --> 00:22:51,340
wasn't until after the trial
that I had fully grasped the

298
00:22:51,340 --> 00:22:55,180
gravity of this moment. Just
earlier during the defense's

299
00:22:55,180 --> 00:22:58,900
opening statement, Katrina had
heard for the first time that

300
00:22:58,900 --> 00:23:02,700
Jason Chen was admitting to
murdering her daughter, and then

301
00:23:02,700 --> 00:23:05,880
almost immediately, she was
called to take the stand as the

302
00:23:05,880 --> 00:23:09,840
first witness in the trial for
that very murder. Yeah, I would

303
00:23:09,840 --> 00:23:13,860
have needed a moment too. The
weight of that revelation still

304
00:23:13,860 --> 00:23:17,100
hung in the air as she returned
to the room and took her seat in

305
00:23:17,100 --> 00:23:21,860
the witness stand she was sworn
in. When she finally began, her

306
00:23:21,860 --> 00:23:26,000
voice was unsteady and thick
with grief. The emotion in the

307
00:23:26,000 --> 00:23:29,360
room was palpable, and it was
impossible not to feel the sheer

308
00:23:29,360 --> 00:23:32,360
heartbreak of a mother being
forced to relive the worst

309
00:23:32,360 --> 00:23:35,960
moment of her life in front of a
jury, in front of the man

310
00:23:35,960 --> 00:23:36,860
responsible.

311
00:23:38,480 --> 00:23:42,760
Jasmine's mother was the first
witness to testify, bean had to

312
00:23:42,760 --> 00:23:46,240
take a moment before coming up
to the stand, because in the

313
00:23:46,240 --> 00:23:49,960
defendant's opening statement,
it was the first time she had

314
00:23:49,960 --> 00:23:53,740
heard Chen's attorney admit that
Chen had killed her daughter.

315
00:23:53,920 --> 00:23:54,160
You've

316
00:23:54,220 --> 00:23:57,460
never heard this defendant admit
that he heard your daughter.

317
00:23:59,140 --> 00:23:59,620
Ever

318
00:24:01,000 --> 00:24:03,000
first time he heard us say yes?
So

319
00:24:12,359 --> 00:24:16,019
Katrina recounted the last time
she saw Jasmine alive, painting

320
00:24:16,019 --> 00:24:19,499
a vivid picture of her
daughter's vibrant spirit. She

321
00:24:19,499 --> 00:24:23,059
spoke about Jasmine's energy,
her kindness, her plans for the

322
00:24:23,059 --> 00:24:27,439
future, each word a painful
contrast to the brutal reality

323
00:24:27,439 --> 00:24:32,059
of why we were all in that
courtroom. The jury listened

324
00:24:32,059 --> 00:24:35,779
intently, some shifting in their
seats, others taking notes in

325
00:24:35,779 --> 00:24:40,359
quiet concentration. Katrina's
testimony reminded everyone that

326
00:24:40,359 --> 00:24:43,299
this wasn't just a murder case,
it was a family's worst

327
00:24:43,299 --> 00:24:48,999
nightmare, a mother's unbearable
loss and a young life stolen far

328
00:24:48,999 --> 00:24:54,819
too soon. One significant detail
in this case was the passing of

329
00:24:54,819 --> 00:24:58,959
Jasmine Pace's great grandmother
on her mother's side, a woman

330
00:24:58,959 --> 00:25:04,019
Jasmine was deeply. Close to on
November 22 just hours before

331
00:25:04,019 --> 00:25:07,559
Jasmine was last seen, her great
grandmother was taken to the

332
00:25:07,559 --> 00:25:11,939
emergency room, where she passed
away later that evening. By all

333
00:25:11,939 --> 00:25:15,239
accounts, this loss weighed
heavily on Jasmine and was

334
00:25:15,239 --> 00:25:18,599
mentioned during the trial as a
possible factor in her emotional

335
00:25:18,599 --> 00:25:22,159
state leading up to her
disappearance. The defense

336
00:25:22,159 --> 00:25:25,459
argued that Jasmine's grief
played a role in seeking comfort

337
00:25:25,459 --> 00:25:29,179
in her interactions with Jason
Chen, ultimately leading her to

338
00:25:29,179 --> 00:25:32,539
visit his apartment that night.
While the prosecution didn't

339
00:25:32,539 --> 00:25:36,259
directly link this event to the
crime, it added another layer of

340
00:25:36,259 --> 00:25:39,499
complexity in understanding
Jasmine's mindset in her final

341
00:25:39,559 --> 00:25:43,479
hours, a reminder that she was
not only a victim of violence,

342
00:25:43,659 --> 00:25:47,079
but also a young woman carrying
the weight of profound personal

343
00:25:47,079 --> 00:25:47,619
loss.

344
00:25:50,019 --> 00:25:53,139
At some point after her
grandmother

345
00:25:54,220 --> 00:25:58,540
passed away, were you not able
to get in touch with Jessica

346
00:25:59,140 --> 00:26:03,660
perfect next day, were you
calling her? I was calling. I

347
00:26:03,900 --> 00:26:08,940
didn't even answer. I sent
messages. Was that at all

348
00:26:09,960 --> 00:26:15,780
tonight from Jasmine, yes, and
for her not to be there for her

349
00:26:15,780 --> 00:26:17,880
family? Yes,

350
00:26:19,740 --> 00:26:23,480
Katrina was desperate to find
her daughter. Days had gone by

351
00:26:23,480 --> 00:26:27,440
without any communication, and
as each hour passed, her fear

352
00:26:27,440 --> 00:26:31,400
grew. She refused to sit back
and wait. So she became an

353
00:26:31,400 --> 00:26:36,920
investigator herself on November
26 determined to track Jasmine's

354
00:26:36,920 --> 00:26:40,120
movements, Katrina went to a
Verizon store and had her

355
00:26:40,120 --> 00:26:43,840
daughter's account loaded into a
new iPhone. It was a brilliant

356
00:26:43,840 --> 00:26:47,380
move, because doing so gave her
access to Jasmine's my Chevy

357
00:26:47,380 --> 00:26:50,980
app, allowing Katrina to see the
vehicle's recent location and

358
00:26:50,980 --> 00:26:55,180
movements. They started with the
last recorded address, 900

359
00:26:55,720 --> 00:26:59,980
mountain creek road. Jasmine's
sister Gabby called their father

360
00:26:59,980 --> 00:27:03,900
Travis pace, and they all rushed
to the parking lot, gathering in

361
00:27:03,900 --> 00:27:08,400
front of Jasmine's white Chevy
Equinox. The vehicle sat there,

362
00:27:08,580 --> 00:27:12,600
locked and undisturbed, but
Jasmine was nowhere to be found.

363
00:27:13,440 --> 00:27:16,320
A wave of panic set in as they
realized this wasn't just a

364
00:27:16,320 --> 00:27:20,780
misunderstanding. Something was
seriously wrong. Desperation

365
00:27:20,780 --> 00:27:24,080
took over. The family sprang
into action, banging on

366
00:27:24,080 --> 00:27:27,380
apartment doors, calling out
Jasmine's name and questioning

367
00:27:27,380 --> 00:27:30,440
residents, hoping for even the
smallest clue leading to her

368
00:27:30,440 --> 00:27:34,580
whereabouts. Some tenants barely
cracked their doors open, groggy

369
00:27:34,580 --> 00:27:37,700
and confused. Others shook their
heads, saying they hadn't seen

370
00:27:37,700 --> 00:27:42,160
anything. Each dead end,
heightening their fear time was

371
00:27:42,160 --> 00:27:44,740
slipping away and Jasmine was
still missing,

372
00:27:46,420 --> 00:27:47,200
we went to

373
00:27:48,700 --> 00:27:54,160
100 located.

374
00:27:57,039 --> 00:28:00,779
Eventually, Katrina called the
police officer Pierre of the

375
00:28:00,779 --> 00:28:03,539
Chattanooga Police Department
was dispatched and met the

376
00:28:03,539 --> 00:28:07,439
family near Jasmine's vehicle to
take a statement. While officer

377
00:28:07,439 --> 00:28:10,739
Pierre was on site, Katrina
turned to the Verizon phone logs

378
00:28:10,739 --> 00:28:14,819
on Jasmine's account, searching
for any clue, scrolling through

379
00:28:14,819 --> 00:28:17,819
the recent calls, she noticed
one number that stood out.

380
00:28:18,239 --> 00:28:21,619
Jasmine had spent 71 minutes on
the phone with this person on

381
00:28:21,619 --> 00:28:25,699
the evening of November 22
Katrina didn't know who the

382
00:28:25,699 --> 00:28:29,959
number belonged to, but she
dialed a man answered and

383
00:28:29,959 --> 00:28:34,039
identified himself as Jason
Chen. From the start, something

384
00:28:34,039 --> 00:28:37,759
fell off. Jason played coy,
acting casual, almost

385
00:28:37,759 --> 00:28:41,079
indifferent, claiming that he
hadn't seen or spoken to Jasmine

386
00:28:41,079 --> 00:28:44,679
in a while. But Katrina knew
that wasn't true. She was

387
00:28:44,679 --> 00:28:48,039
staring at the phone records
that proved otherwise when she

388
00:28:48,039 --> 00:28:52,179
pressed him for details, Jason
gave her an address, 500 Tremont

389
00:28:52,179 --> 00:28:56,019
Street. The family would later
check that address and discover

390
00:28:56,019 --> 00:28:59,919
it was a vacant house still
under construction. One thing

391
00:28:59,919 --> 00:29:04,259
was clear, Jason was lying.
Officer Pierre was still

392
00:29:04,259 --> 00:29:07,919
standing by and overheard the
conversation. After reviewing

393
00:29:07,919 --> 00:29:11,339
the phone records himself, he
confirmed what Katrina already

394
00:29:11,339 --> 00:29:14,819
knew. Jason had spoken to
Jasmine on the night of the 22nd

395
00:29:15,359 --> 00:29:19,679
and now he was trying to cover
it up. After gathering these

396
00:29:19,679 --> 00:29:22,759
details, Officer Pierre would
leave the family to sort through

397
00:29:22,759 --> 00:29:26,659
having the vehicle towed back to
their house. Later that night,

398
00:29:26,719 --> 00:29:29,059
he would officially enter
Jasmine into the national

399
00:29:29,059 --> 00:29:32,359
database for missing persons,
ensuring law enforcement

400
00:29:32,359 --> 00:29:34,879
agencies across the country
would be alerted to her

401
00:29:34,879 --> 00:29:39,319
disappearance, waiting for the
car to be towed, Katrina

402
00:29:39,319 --> 00:29:43,239
continued searching for answers,
and something clicked. Scrolling

403
00:29:43,239 --> 00:29:46,179
through her text thread with
jasmine, she noticed a location

404
00:29:46,179 --> 00:29:49,719
pin that Jasmine had sent her at
2:18am on the morning of

405
00:29:49,719 --> 00:29:53,799
November 23 she had missed
seeing this before because the

406
00:29:53,799 --> 00:29:57,219
text just above was a pin that
Katrina had sent Jasmine from

407
00:29:57,219 --> 00:29:59,679
the hospital where her grandma
was admitted the afternoon

408
00:29:59,679 --> 00:30:03,899
prior. Her the text messages
must have blurred together, but

409
00:30:03,899 --> 00:30:06,839
now, staring at her phone,
Katrina can clearly see that

410
00:30:06,839 --> 00:30:11,099
Jasmine had sent this new
location. Sadly, this would have

411
00:30:11,099 --> 00:30:14,759
been the last text that Jasmine
herself would ever send her mom,

412
00:30:15,239 --> 00:30:19,199
a final text that in many ways
would help solve her own murder.

413
00:30:20,759 --> 00:30:26,959
And we went back to apartments
to do this tree footage for all

414
00:30:26,959 --> 00:30:33,199
doing so kind of looked back at
my and Jasmine's messages, okay,

415
00:30:33,799 --> 00:30:40,539
and seeing that she had sent me
a pin and draw her location. And

416
00:30:41,559 --> 00:30:45,159
what, why we went to the 110,
three month,

417
00:30:45,759 --> 00:30:48,459
what caused you to look back at
your adjustments, and when you

418
00:30:48,459 --> 00:30:51,759
say conversations, you need a
text thread? Yes, our text

419
00:30:51,759 --> 00:30:55,779
thread. What caused you to go
back and look at that? Don't

420
00:30:55,779 --> 00:31:01,799
remember we were trying to get
the footage burping at the

421
00:31:02,579 --> 00:31:08,519
apartment, and I didn't notice
it before, because I had sent

422
00:31:08,579 --> 00:31:13,559
her a head drop on the 22nd
because we normally had been

423
00:31:13,559 --> 00:31:20,419
taken my grandmother to the
hospital downtown, and we didn't

424
00:31:20,419 --> 00:31:24,859
that day, and so I had sent her
pin drop showing her What

425
00:31:24,859 --> 00:31:29,239
hospital we were at. So and I
didn't notice that she had sent

426
00:31:29,299 --> 00:31:32,599
a pin drop by her.

427
00:31:34,640 --> 00:31:38,720
If you didn't catch that last
part, Katrina said, so I sent

428
00:31:38,720 --> 00:31:42,940
her a pin drop showing her What
hospital we were at, so I didn't

429
00:31:42,940 --> 00:31:46,060
notice she had sent me a pin
drop, because I thought it was

430
00:31:46,060 --> 00:31:51,280
the pin drop I sent to her. The
pin Jasmine sent led to an

431
00:31:51,280 --> 00:31:55,540
address at 110 Tremont street, a
three story apartment building

432
00:31:55,540 --> 00:31:59,440
housing over 50 individual
units. It was the middle of the

433
00:31:59,440 --> 00:32:03,060
night, but that didn't stop
them. They moved through the

434
00:32:03,060 --> 00:32:06,660
first floor, knocking on doors
and showing photos of Jasmine to

435
00:32:06,660 --> 00:32:10,860
groggy tenants, hoping someone
had seen her. As they made their

436
00:32:10,860 --> 00:32:13,620
way to the second floor, they
encountered a neighbor who

437
00:32:13,620 --> 00:32:18,000
mentioned something chilling
late on November 22 he had heard

438
00:32:18,000 --> 00:32:21,980
a woman scream coming from
apartment 210 with fear and

439
00:32:21,980 --> 00:32:25,700
urgency mounting, they knocked
on the door of 210 much more

440
00:32:25,700 --> 00:32:31,160
emphatically than the others, no
response. Taking matters into

441
00:32:31,160 --> 00:32:34,580
their own hands, they forced
entry, desperate to find any

442
00:32:34,580 --> 00:32:39,860
clue that could lead them to
Jasmine. Once inside, they found

443
00:32:39,860 --> 00:32:43,780
startling evidence, Jasmine's
driver's license and credit

444
00:32:43,780 --> 00:32:48,040
cards were tucked neatly inside
of a desk drawer. Her travel bag

445
00:32:48,040 --> 00:32:52,240
sat on the counter untouched. It
was undeniable. Jasmine had been

446
00:32:52,240 --> 00:32:56,560
here. Immediately they exited
the apartment and called 9112,

447
00:32:57,640 --> 00:33:00,340
officers arrived and performed a
walk through of apartment. 210,

448
00:33:01,360 --> 00:33:04,740
photos later, taken from the
officers body cam footage showed

449
00:33:04,740 --> 00:33:08,040
the front door and the desk
where Jasmine's ID and credit

450
00:33:08,040 --> 00:33:11,340
cards were now placed out in the
open, intentionally positioned

451
00:33:11,340 --> 00:33:15,060
for the police to see upon
entry. Yet despite this

452
00:33:15,060 --> 00:33:17,940
evidence, the officers concluded
that they found nothing

453
00:33:17,940 --> 00:33:21,380
suspicious inside. They said
they would pass the information

454
00:33:21,380 --> 00:33:26,060
along, and they left feeling
unheard and unsupported.

455
00:33:26,060 --> 00:33:30,200
Jasmine's family refused to
stand by. In fact, Katrina would

456
00:33:30,200 --> 00:33:33,560
re enter the apartment multiple
times over the following days,

457
00:33:33,860 --> 00:33:37,640
taking crucial belongings with
her, Jasmine's ID and credit

458
00:33:37,640 --> 00:33:41,980
cards, her travel bag and some
clothing. She also collected a

459
00:33:41,980 --> 00:33:46,420
box containing four smartphones,
a tablet, a Polaroid camera, and

460
00:33:46,420 --> 00:33:49,600
a number of spiral bound
notebooks, items she thought

461
00:33:49,600 --> 00:33:52,240
might hold the answers the
police had failed to pursue.

462
00:33:54,099 --> 00:33:58,779
What was your reaction when you
saw this girl? I was scared

463
00:33:59,439 --> 00:34:04,559
because that was my normal
stuff. So that never sent me a

464
00:34:04,739 --> 00:34:06,899
location overnight at

465
00:34:06,900 --> 00:34:09,780
the time that you saw the
location drop. Did you know of

466
00:34:09,780 --> 00:34:15,300
anybody that's lived or no
frequented this this building?

467
00:34:15,420 --> 00:34:20,600
Yeah. So you travel to this
location, do you recall what the

468
00:34:20,600 --> 00:34:21,800
address was.

469
00:34:23,059 --> 00:34:26,419
It's 110, three, one street, and
it's an apartment building. Is

470
00:34:26,419 --> 00:34:27,559
that correct? Yes,

471
00:34:28,459 --> 00:34:31,039
okay, everybody's together. And
so how did you get into the

472
00:34:31,039 --> 00:34:31,579
apartment

473
00:34:32,419 --> 00:34:35,839
building? Appreciate it like Joe
may not live there. She let us

474
00:34:35,839 --> 00:34:37,399
in, and

475
00:34:38,659 --> 00:34:41,319
that something caused you to
arrive at

476
00:34:42,639 --> 00:34:48,159
apartment 210, yes, what was
that spoke to a neighbor that

477
00:34:48,819 --> 00:34:54,699
said that he heard a woman
scream within several minutes of

478
00:34:54,699 --> 00:35:00,539
the pin drop that I had received
from my daughter and I. Jason's

479
00:35:00,539 --> 00:35:05,219
apartment door was the only one
that someone didn't answer. So

480
00:35:06,119 --> 00:35:08,759
the person told you that the
screen account from a certain

481
00:35:08,759 --> 00:35:13,379
department was that a purpose of
10 it was and did you and your

482
00:35:13,379 --> 00:35:15,779
family knock on that door? We
did

483
00:35:16,080 --> 00:35:18,180
not answer it. Okay,

484
00:35:19,199 --> 00:35:23,779
explain to the jury what you and
your family members, they first

485
00:35:23,779 --> 00:35:24,079
used

486
00:35:24,080 --> 00:35:29,180
to do, were you going into the
funding? I just, I knew, I knew

487
00:35:29,180 --> 00:35:35,120
something is too close to where
my daughter said her Coronavirus

488
00:35:35,120 --> 00:35:41,360
were almost exact. Was anybody
there? No. Where'd you start

489
00:35:41,360 --> 00:35:41,600
doing

490
00:35:41,600 --> 00:35:45,280
when you got to the apartment?
You

491
00:35:45,280 --> 00:35:50,800
got to bet stores. Found my
daughter's ID and credit cards

492
00:35:50,800 --> 00:35:57,460
today singing on the counter a
little travel bag of hers.

493
00:35:59,139 --> 00:36:01,539
She located some Jackson's wall.
I did I

494
00:36:01,540 --> 00:36:08,400
defense attorney Weiss would
have his chance to question

495
00:36:08,400 --> 00:36:13,020
Katrina Bean on the stand next
during his cross examination,

496
00:36:13,260 --> 00:36:16,020
Weiss would highlight
inconsistencies in Katrina's

497
00:36:16,020 --> 00:36:20,220
testimony. She admitted to
initially lying to police,

498
00:36:20,340 --> 00:36:23,420
stating that they had knocked on
Jason Chen's door with enough

499
00:36:23,420 --> 00:36:27,200
force for it to open. However,
she later testified that

500
00:36:27,200 --> 00:36:31,040
Jasmine's father Travis pace had
used a credit card to open the

501
00:36:31,040 --> 00:36:34,760
door when pressed about a
specific moment at Chen's door

502
00:36:34,760 --> 00:36:38,840
involving a police officer,
Katrina candidly replied, I've

503
00:36:38,840 --> 00:36:41,980
spent two years trying not to
remember every detail of that

504
00:36:41,980 --> 00:36:46,180
night. In all fairness, I don't
remember her response

505
00:36:46,180 --> 00:36:49,660
underscored the emotional toll
of the case and the strain of

506
00:36:49,660 --> 00:36:55,720
reliving those events as day one
of the trial progressed, we

507
00:36:55,720 --> 00:36:58,120
would hear from key witnesses
who provided crucial

508
00:36:58,120 --> 00:37:01,080
surveillance footage that helped
piece together Jason Chen's

509
00:37:01,080 --> 00:37:05,280
actions after Jasmine's
disappearance. Megan bean, a

510
00:37:05,280 --> 00:37:08,820
Walmart asset protection
employee, and Kelsey Campbell, a

511
00:37:08,820 --> 00:37:12,300
Walgreens manager, both
testified about store records

512
00:37:12,300 --> 00:37:15,900
and receipts showing video
footage of Chen purchasing items

513
00:37:15,900 --> 00:37:19,920
like band aids, isopropyl
alcohol and hydrogen peroxide at

514
00:37:19,920 --> 00:37:24,260
various times in the afternoon
hours of November 23 coinciding

515
00:37:24,260 --> 00:37:28,460
with the timeline of his cleanup
efforts, surveillance footage

516
00:37:28,460 --> 00:37:31,760
from Walmart clearly shows Chen
at the register purchasing these

517
00:37:31,760 --> 00:37:36,140
items with an eerily calm
demeanor. The prosecution keen

518
00:37:36,140 --> 00:37:39,560
to point out a number of notable
items in the shot, such as the

519
00:37:39,560 --> 00:37:43,300
red and white honey thing goes
hat, a pair of white laced van

520
00:37:43,300 --> 00:37:46,900
shoes on his feet and the card
holder on his iPhone case with a

521
00:37:46,900 --> 00:37:48,580
logo of Boston College on it.

522
00:37:53,620 --> 00:37:56,980
Scott Miller, a security officer
for the signal view apartments

523
00:37:56,980 --> 00:38:01,080
and condos, took the stand next
he described collecting and

524
00:38:01,080 --> 00:38:03,900
reviewing footage from a parking
lot security camera that

525
00:38:03,900 --> 00:38:06,600
captured Jasmine's car passing
by the front office of the

526
00:38:06,600 --> 00:38:10,680
signal view condos at 900
mountain creek road. The footage

527
00:38:10,680 --> 00:38:13,560
from the evening hours of
November 23 showed the white

528
00:38:13,560 --> 00:38:16,980
Chevy Equinox quickly driving in
and out of the camera's frame of

529
00:38:16,980 --> 00:38:21,440
view, then minutes later, a dark
colored Toyota Prius follows the

530
00:38:21,440 --> 00:38:26,600
same route. Footage from the RT
IC or Arctic cams will later

531
00:38:26,600 --> 00:38:30,320
show this Prius dropping off a
passenger about 12 minutes later

532
00:38:30,500 --> 00:38:35,240
in front of the lofts at Tremont
at 110 Tremont Street. These

533
00:38:35,240 --> 00:38:38,180
pieces of evidence were critical
in building the prosecution's

534
00:38:38,180 --> 00:38:41,680
case, further demonstrating
Chen's calculated attempts to

535
00:38:41,680 --> 00:38:44,020
cover his tracks and mislead
authorities.

536
00:38:52,239 --> 00:38:55,119
Before the Court adjourned for
the evening, the prosecution

537
00:38:55,119 --> 00:38:58,659
called their sixth witness to
the stand, lead investigator

538
00:38:58,659 --> 00:39:01,619
Zachary Crawford of the
Chattanooga Police Department,

539
00:39:02,639 --> 00:39:05,519
Crawford took the stand, gave
his oath and spoke his name for

540
00:39:05,519 --> 00:39:09,719
the record. He then explained
his professional background and

541
00:39:09,719 --> 00:39:14,579
experience in law enforcement on
Sunday evening, November 27

542
00:39:15,419 --> 00:39:18,899
while at home with his family, a
colleague prompted him to look

543
00:39:18,899 --> 00:39:22,039
at some Facebook posts about
Jasmine Pace's disappearance,

544
00:39:22,699 --> 00:39:25,459
the posts, along with emerging
details around her

545
00:39:25,459 --> 00:39:29,419
disappearance, immediately
caught his attention. By 7pm

546
00:39:29,719 --> 00:39:32,299
that night, the case had been
escalated to a homicide

547
00:39:32,299 --> 00:39:35,239
investigation, and Crawford
would be assigned as the lead

548
00:39:35,239 --> 00:39:38,899
investigator on the case. With
careful prompting from Da Cody

549
00:39:38,899 --> 00:39:42,219
WAMP investigator, Crawford
began walking the jury through

550
00:39:42,219 --> 00:39:46,179
the extensive crime scene
investigation. He detailed the

551
00:39:46,179 --> 00:39:48,939
search efforts that involved
multiple units, including

552
00:39:48,939 --> 00:39:53,619
homicide, crime scene, fugitive
investigations, the FBI and

553
00:39:53,619 --> 00:39:58,599
canine teams. The warrant for
110 Tremont Street, apartment

554
00:39:58,599 --> 00:40:04,079
210 was granted. Visit at
11:45pm on November 27 allowing

555
00:40:04,079 --> 00:40:08,759
investigators to enter and begin
their search. Crawford

556
00:40:08,759 --> 00:40:11,819
methodically explained how crime
scene investigators process

557
00:40:11,819 --> 00:40:16,259
Jason Chen's apartment. Upon
entry, the apartment was empty,

558
00:40:16,619 --> 00:40:21,499
but the evidence left behind
told its own story, as Crawford

559
00:40:21,499 --> 00:40:24,439
testified, a series of photos
taken during the search are

560
00:40:24,439 --> 00:40:28,699
presented, including images of
Chen's hallway, front entrance

561
00:40:28,759 --> 00:40:32,599
and bathroom tiles, all of which
showed positive reactions to

562
00:40:32,599 --> 00:40:37,519
blue star, a forensic agent used
to detect hidden blood. He

563
00:40:37,519 --> 00:40:40,539
described the removal of a
carpet sample due to a dark red

564
00:40:40,539 --> 00:40:44,379
stain blood trapped in the grout
of the bathroom floor and the

565
00:40:44,379 --> 00:40:48,939
eerie void inside Chen's closet
exactly the size of a suitcase.

566
00:40:50,259 --> 00:40:53,679
Additionally, Crawford clarified
there were no signs of forced

567
00:40:53,679 --> 00:40:56,799
entry in the apartment,
contradicting any claims of a

568
00:40:56,799 --> 00:41:01,379
struggle initiated by Jasmine.
He also noted that despite the

569
00:41:01,379 --> 00:41:05,039
defense's previous statements,
there was no detectable smell of

570
00:41:05,039 --> 00:41:08,699
marijuana in the unit. As he
walked the jury through 56

571
00:41:08,999 --> 00:41:12,119
photos of evidence, the
prosecution carefully built the

572
00:41:12,119 --> 00:41:16,679
foundation for their case. Jason
Chen had not acted out of panic,

573
00:41:16,919 --> 00:41:20,839
but instead had taken deliberate
steps to cover up his crime.

574
00:41:25,459 --> 00:41:28,099
Listening to all this, I
couldn't help but imagine how

575
00:41:28,099 --> 00:41:30,979
devastating it must have been
for Jasmine's family to sit in

576
00:41:30,979 --> 00:41:34,819
that courtroom and hear these
details unfold. The sheer

577
00:41:34,819 --> 00:41:38,119
brutality of what happened to
her contrasted sharply with the

578
00:41:38,119 --> 00:41:41,319
defense's attempts to downplay
the severity of the crime,

579
00:41:41,679 --> 00:41:46,179
shifting the blame onto Jasmine
herself. It felt unjust,

580
00:41:46,299 --> 00:41:50,619
unsettling, like an attempt to
rewrite her story. But the

581
00:41:50,619 --> 00:41:54,159
prosecution would methodically
lay out the evidence piece by

582
00:41:54,159 --> 00:41:57,699
piece, and it would become clear
that Jasmine's truth was

583
00:41:57,699 --> 00:42:01,499
undeniable. It was the evidence
itself that would speak the

584
00:42:01,499 --> 00:42:10,499
loudest on her behalf. By now,
it was after 6pm and judge

585
00:42:10,499 --> 00:42:13,439
Patterson noted that it would be
a good stopping point for the

586
00:42:13,439 --> 00:42:17,939
day. He reminded the jurors of
their obligation not to discuss

587
00:42:17,939 --> 00:42:21,799
the case or seek any outside
information, and the court was

588
00:42:21,799 --> 00:42:26,059
adjourned, set to reconvene at
9:30am the following morning,

589
00:42:26,779 --> 00:42:30,919
the courtroom stood as the 16 of
us rose and exited out the back

590
00:42:30,919 --> 00:42:36,019
door. Soon, we would be piling
into our 15 passenger vans and

591
00:42:36,019 --> 00:42:39,079
being shuttled off to dinner
with our four deputies, who were

592
00:42:39,079 --> 00:42:46,959
quickly becoming our friendly
support system. Day one was

593
00:42:46,959 --> 00:42:50,439
emotionally exhausting, a
harrowing introduction to the

594
00:42:50,439 --> 00:42:53,799
weight of the case we would be
asked to deliberate on. The

595
00:42:53,799 --> 00:42:56,859
prosecution had already begun
piecing together the final

596
00:42:56,859 --> 00:43:00,899
moments of Jasmine's life, and
with each new revelation, the

597
00:43:00,899 --> 00:43:05,519
gravity of our role as jurors
became more real. This was not

598
00:43:05,519 --> 00:43:10,439
just a story anymore. It was a
tragedy with real lives impacted

599
00:43:10,439 --> 00:43:11,039
forever.

600
00:43:17,520 --> 00:43:19,260
Next week on sequestered,

601
00:43:21,179 --> 00:43:24,079
when you arrived at the home the

602
00:43:26,480 --> 00:43:34,580
parents of Jason, I advised them
that I had a search warrant for

603
00:43:34,580 --> 00:43:38,660
the residents. Was Jason Chan,
the residents youth was

604
00:43:40,340 --> 00:43:43,840
the evidence begins to stack up
as investigators uncover blood

605
00:43:43,840 --> 00:43:47,680
stains, suspicious items near
the dumpster and chilling

606
00:43:47,680 --> 00:43:51,040
handwritten notes that tighten
the case against Jason Chen,

607
00:43:51,340 --> 00:43:54,520
leading to his arrest at his
parents' house In nolensville,

608
00:43:54,520 --> 00:43:59,380
Tennessee, the story continues.
Stay with us. You.

609
00:44:05,340 --> 00:44:08,700
Up. Thank you for listening to
sequester a juror's perspective

610
00:44:08,700 --> 00:44:12,180
on the murder trial for Jasmine
pace, each episode brings us

611
00:44:12,180 --> 00:44:15,480
closer to understanding the
trial, the people involved, and

612
00:44:15,480 --> 00:44:19,200
the weight of seeking justice.
If this story speaks to you,

613
00:44:19,440 --> 00:44:22,760
please follow, share and
continue the conversation with

614
00:44:22,760 --> 00:44:29,360
us. Jasmine's story deserves to
be remembered. This is a BP

615
00:44:29,360 --> 00:44:34,820
production. The show is written,
edited and produced by me Sarah

616
00:44:34,820 --> 00:44:39,200
Reed, with CO production by
Andrea Kleid. News clips

617
00:44:39,200 --> 00:44:42,580
featured in this episode were
sourced from wtbc News Channel

618
00:44:42,580 --> 00:44:45,640
Nine, local three news,
Chattanooga and the law and

619
00:44:45,640 --> 00:44:49,540
crime network. Music and sound
design are curated to reflect

620
00:44:49,540 --> 00:44:52,960
the gravity and sensitivity of
this story, and with the intent

621
00:44:52,960 --> 00:44:56,620
to honor Jasmine, her family and
the community affected by her

622
00:44:56,620 --> 00:45:00,720
death, for more information or
to connect with us. US visit

623
00:45:00,720 --> 00:45:05,160
sequestered pod.com or follow us
on Instagram at sequestered pod.

624
00:45:06,240 --> 00:45:10,260
Thank you for listening until
next time, stay curious and stay

625
00:45:10,260 --> 00:45:10,620
safe. You