Episode 10: After the Verdict

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Welcome to the final episode of
sequestered, a juror's

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perspective on the murder trial
for Jasmine pace. I'm Sarah,

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juror number 11, and I can't
believe we're here. This journey

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began months ago, but it feels
like it's been a lifetime. In

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January, 2025 I was chosen to
serve on the jury for the state

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of Tennessee versus Jason Chen,
and what I expected to be a

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civic duty became a profound,
life altering experience. This

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case has been like a
gravitational force, something I

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couldn't shake even after the
verdict was delivered. From the

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moment I returned home to
Nashville, it was like my mind

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and my heart couldn't leave
Chattanooga behind. I was home

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for less than a day before my co
producer Andrea and I were

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writing and recording the
trailer for this podcast, and

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just three days later, we were
driving back to Chattanooga to

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retrace Jasmine's steps, to see
the places that had only been

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described to us in court.
Sometimes a force so immense

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comes into your life, and you
just have to step into its

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current. This felt like a giant
ship pulled up alongside of me,

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and I just climbed aboard
without hesitation. Saying yes

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to this journey was like
stepping onto that ship and

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committing fully to wherever it
would take me. I mean, I could

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have opted out. I could have
found a way to avoid serving on

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the jury, or even walked away
once the trial was over, but

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something deeper pushed me
forward. It felt like all of

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this aligned for a reason, and
saying yes wasn't just a

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decision. It was a commitment, a
commitment to Jasmine's story, a

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commitment to honoring her life
This experience has reshaped my

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perspective in ways I never
anticipated. I'll share a lot

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about that in this episode, and
now, as we close out this

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podcast, we're going to explore
the journey we've taken

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together. Today, we'll dive into
the questions you our listeners

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have asked along the way. We'll
revisit key moments and share

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insights from a couple of my
fellow jurors, journalist

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latricia Thomas from News
Channel Nine, and a conversation

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we had with district attorneys,
Cody WAMP and Paul Moyle. It's a

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special episode that we hope
resonates with you. This is

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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 and

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

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and navigate the complexities of
seeking justice, Let's begin.

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This is Episode 10 after the
verdict

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leaving Chattanooga felt
surreal. My world had shifted on

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its axis. I had spent nine days
so deeply entrenched in the

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details of Jasmine's death and
life. And then suddenly it was

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over. The case was finished, but
nothing felt resolved. I

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returned home, but life didn't
snap back to normal. Everything

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had changed. Instead of
unwinding, I felt compelled to

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throw myself into this project
almost immediately, there was

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this urgency, like if we didn't
start piecing everything

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together now, the details would
slip away forever. I'd been

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journaling in my hotel room
during the trial, trying to

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capture everything I could, but
most of my notes were kept in a

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notebook that I was required to
leave at the courthouse. I took

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a lot of notes throughout the
trial, pages and pages of

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details, timelines, testimonies.
I had no idea those notebooks

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would be collected and locked
away as soon as the trial ended.

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That was a huge loss for me, but
thankfully, the trial had been

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live streamed, and even more,
thankfully, I had people back

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home in Nashville watching it in
real time every single day. One

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of those people was Andrea, my
co producer. When I told her I

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was going to be on a sequestered
jury, she was immediately

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hooked. On the case, and ended
up watching the entire trial

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online as it was happening each
day, taking all of her own notes

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along the way. The realization
that this might become a

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podcast, it hit me like a
lightning bolt on day four of

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the trial, in the evening, I was
sitting in my hotel room working

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on this ridiculous miniature
house of a greenhouse garden a

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Christmas gift I'd received
years ago. It's this delicate

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model building project with
1000s of pieces, tiny plants,

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paper, rugs, doll sized
furniture. Think building a

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model plane or assembling a ship
in a bottle, something that

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would take hundreds of hours of
solitude to complete perfect for

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a 10 to 14 day sequestration,
right? I was deep into

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assembling some little detail
when it happened, my hands

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stopped the tiny paper rug
between my fingers fell to the

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table, and I heard myself say
out loud, oh, my God, we have to

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do a podcast about this. It felt
like a switch flipped, like my

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brain had suddenly connected all
the pieces I'd been holding. I

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shot up, grabbed a notebook and
wrote down the words,

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sequestered a podcast from a
juror's perspective, it wasn't

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until after listening to da WAMP
closing statement that the title

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became what it is a juror's
perspective on the murder trial

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for Jasmine pace. This wasn't
just about processing what had

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happened to me, to Jasmine, to
her family, to the community. It

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was about honoring her story,
about refusing to let her name

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fade away. As we drove back to
Chattanooga to visit the sites

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from the trial, we saw them
through fresh eyes. We stopped

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at each of the places mentioned,
110 Tremont Street, 900 mountain

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creek road, Walmart and
Walgreens and, of course, suck

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Creek Road. Standing in each
place, we tried to absorb the

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atmosphere and tried to
understand the perspective of

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Jasmine's story that each space
held the trailer for this

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podcast had practically spilled
out of us. We had so much to

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talk about, me experiencing it
from the inside, and Andrea

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watching it from the outside. We
both had two entirely different

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perspectives of this case, the
two hour drive back to Nashville

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became a brainstorm session. We
mapped out episodes, sketched

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ideas and decided how we wanted
to tell this story. We had this

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grandiose plan of writing and
recording all the episodes in

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quick succession, releasing them
while the trial was still fresh

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on everyone's mind, but we
quickly realized how much effort

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each episode not only demanded
but deserved, and what started

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as a seemingly simple project
turned into something we poured

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our whole hearts into. Instead
of batch recording 10 episodes

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for quick release, we ended up
devoting over 40 hours a week

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each to researching, writing,
editing, producing, blogging and

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building a place for Jasmine's
story to be shared. It's just

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the two of us aligned with a
deep passion for this case and

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for ensuring Jasmine's story is
known and heard. I have

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experience in the podcast
industry, but I've never done a

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podcast like this before this
time of sequestration has

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changed my life, though, and I
felt compelled to share my

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unique perspective of this
experience. And now here we are,

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the final episode, nearly three
months since the day I walked

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into my first day of jury
selection, and I feel like I'm

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only beginning to understand the
weight of it all. Many of you

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have reached out with
thoughtful, heartfelt questions.

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I've tried to gather them into
some common themes, and I think

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a natural place to start is with
the emotional toll this case

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took not just on Jasmine's
family and loved ones, but on

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everyone connected to the trial.
Shortly after I returned from

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Chattanooga, I had the chance to
sit down with latricia Thomas

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from News Channel Nine. She had
interviewed me for the network,

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but once the cameras were off, I
was able to ask her a few

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questions of my own. One of them
was about the community impact

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and what this case meant to the
people of Chattanooga. Letrisha

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had covered this case for over
two years, not only that, she

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had reported on every detail of
the trial as it was happening

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for each of the nine. Days it
was broadcast. Needless to say,

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she had a lot of context on this
case, and that was my biggest

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curiosity. I loved her answer.

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Chattanooga had been following
this case since Jasmine's body

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was found, so for more than two
years, and I think there was so

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much, just so many eyes on it,
because they wanted to see what

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really happened to her, and they
wanted to see if the family felt

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like they got justice in the
end, because the family had been

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so vocal in the beginning,
trying to look for her, trying

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to find her, trying to get, you
know, the police, to back them

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up. And so I think that really
touched a lot of people's hearts

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and minds in Chattanooga, and
wanted to see how it played out.

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This story captivated
Chattanooga because Jasmine was

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so young. Jasmine had all these
friends and family speaking out

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for her, looking for her, and
then just the gruesome way that

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she died and was found.
Thankfully, it doesn't happen

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often, and to have such a young
life and in such a tragic and

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horrible way. I think everybody
wants it to mean something in

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the end, if at all, it to have a
conclusion in a way that you can

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rest a little easier at night
knowing all of those graphic

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details. You know, there was a
conclusion and a story that was

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just so hard to hear and hard to
talk about,

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the way latricia described it,
the intensity of the community's

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concern, the emotional
investment it struck me. It made

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me realize how many people
outside of that courtroom were

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waiting and watching, hoping for
answers and for justice. It was

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clear to see the reach of this
case extended far beyond the

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courthouse walls. Of course, it
had impacted Jasmine's family

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and friends, but also her entire
community. I've been able to

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stay in touch with many of the
jurors after the trial, and some

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have graciously volunteered to
share their thoughts and voice

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memos. Here's juror number eight
sharing a summary of his

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experience serving on this jury.

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Serving on this jury was a
really sober and humbling

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experience. Everyone in the
gallery was reliving one of the

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most traumatic experiences of
their lives in excruciating

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detail, and then everyone not in
the gallery was really patient

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with us as they explained the
most elementary concepts of

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criminal procedure and explained
all the details of a case they

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had been working on for over Two
years, for probably the 100th

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time, the decision we made was
straightforward, but it was

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solemn, and several of the more
compassionate members of the

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jury cried just about the
situation that we were in.

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It affected us, each in
different ways. Some of us

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carried it like a weight we
couldn't shake, while others

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tried to compartmentalize the
experience and just get through

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the day. Processing something
like this is messy and

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imperfect, and we all felt it.
Juror number one described his

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experience like this.

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While the trauma was going on, I
didn't have super strong

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emotions about the details of
the case themselves, even with

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some of the more intense
testimony, like the medical

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examiner, it sort of felt like I
was clocked into work and I

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really didn't have Time to sort
of process emotionally what I

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was seeing. It wasn't until
after I got home and sort of

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spent some time by myself, for
the first time in two weeks,

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that I began to sort of process
everything that had happened. I

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actually realized this as I was
driving to work, the day after

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we returned, and I sort of
started to get a little choked

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up on the drive. And then after
getting to work, when the first

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person asked me how the trial
was, I kind of broke down and

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started to cry. I tried to hold
it together as best I could, but

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I was a little teary, and so my
coworkers told me they would

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just handle the rest of my
caseload for the day, since

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they'd already planned on me
being away for the full two

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weeks, and that I should just go
home and take some time to

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process it.

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All people have asked me how
I've been able to process

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everything after this, how I was
able to see all of that graphic

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detail or carry the weight of
the responsibility. And I think

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the simple answer is, I haven't,
not entirely processing

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something like this isn't a task
you can complete or cross off a

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list, it's something you carry
and revisit over and over, and

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the people connected to this
case feel its weight in

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different ways and at varying
degrees. I've learned a lot

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about myself throughout this
process. I mean, what a wild

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experience I went through.
There's no way I could be the

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same person after something like
this. And I say all of that

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knowing that not every juror
leaves their civic duty and

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immediately spends the next 10
weeks making a podcast about the

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very thing they were just semi
forced to live for 10 days. What

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surprised me the most throughout
the trial was how much I was

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drawn to the judicial process
itself, from the legal

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formalities to the structure of
the proceedings, the purpose

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behind each witness and the
strategic introduction of every

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piece of evidence. It's all
meticulously crafted. The entire

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trial is a story being unfolded
in real time, with twists and

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turns and revelations, and in
the end, at least in this case,

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it's the jury who decides how
the story concludes, being a

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part of that process. Holding
someone's fate in your hands was

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00:16:47,440 --> 00:16:52,540
heavy, and I knew even then that
I couldn't just walk away from

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00:16:52,540 --> 00:16:55,180
it. I had to share about it. I

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you know, during sequestration,
I had a lot of time to think,

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00:17:13,380 --> 00:17:16,500
and honestly, I kept wishing I
had a speaker so that I could

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00:17:16,500 --> 00:17:20,160
just listen to a great book.
That's why I love audiobooks,

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00:17:20,400 --> 00:17:24,200
whether I'm driving, walking the
dogs or traveling, I can just

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00:17:24,200 --> 00:17:28,220
press play and get lost in an
amazing story anytime and

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00:17:28,220 --> 00:17:32,780
anywhere. One of my all time
favorites is New York by Edward

228
00:17:32,780 --> 00:17:37,520
Rutherford. This epic historical
novel spans over 400 years,

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00:17:37,640 --> 00:17:40,420
following generations of
families through the city's most

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00:17:40,420 --> 00:17:44,260
pivotal moments from its Dutch
settlement days and all the way

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00:17:44,260 --> 00:17:50,020
to 911 it was one of the first
audio books I had ever listened

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00:17:50,020 --> 00:17:53,620
to. It felt like the narrator
was reading the story, just for

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00:17:53,620 --> 00:17:58,540
me. I was completely hooked.
Here's some good news. You can

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00:17:58,540 --> 00:18:02,940
listen to New York or any other
book for free. Audible is giving

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00:18:02,940 --> 00:18:06,480
sequestered listeners a free
audiobook with a 30 day trial.

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00:18:06,960 --> 00:18:10,740
Just go to audible trial.com.
Forward slash sequestered,

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00:18:11,820 --> 00:18:16,380
that's one free book yours to
keep forever. So find something

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00:18:16,380 --> 00:18:20,720
you love and get listening. Go
to audible trial.com. Forward

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00:18:20,720 --> 00:18:21,920
slash, sequestered.

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00:18:34,760 --> 00:18:39,260
Next Andrea and I had the
opportunity to sit down and

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speak with the prosecutors who
fought tirelessly to bring

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justice to Jasmine Pace's
family. District Attorneys

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00:18:47,380 --> 00:18:50,980
General, Cody WAMP and Paul
Moyle, had been at the forefront

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of this case from the very
beginning, determined to ensure

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that Jasmine's story was heard
and that her killer was held

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accountable. This conversation
was especially impactful for me,

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because both of them had become
such sources of inspiration,

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particularly da WAMP, her
passion for Jasmine was so

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evident throughout the entire
trial, you can just tell that

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she's someone who walks through
life with justice as a guiding

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principle. Our conversation with
them was candid and emotional.

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We gathered in da wamps office,
her and Moyle in a set of cozy

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chairs, and the two of us on a
comfortable couch with a long

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coffee table splitting the
difference between us all.

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Everyone was in casual attire,
Berks, flannel. It was nice, the

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opposite of official. But what
struck me most was how willing

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they were to share their
perspectives, not only as legal

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00:19:56,380 --> 00:20:00,900
professionals, but as human
beings who were. Only affected

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00:20:00,900 --> 00:20:05,460
by the weight of this case. We
discussed the trial, shared our

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00:20:05,460 --> 00:20:10,020
own questions and curiosities
and reflected on what it all

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meant, hearing their insights,
especially after diving so

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deeply into this podcast,
brought another layer of

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understanding to everything. We
ended our conversation with them

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with a couple of questions, and
we wanted to share their

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responses with you. The first
was for da WAMP about her

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advocacy for victims rights. I
wanted to know what drove her

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passion in this area and how it
shaped the way she approaches

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cases like this one, here's her
response.

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I think that that's what this
job is. This this office, any

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prosecutor's office, should be
victim focused. Or why are we

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all here? And certainly crimes
matter that don't have victims.

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You can argue that there's a lot
of crimes that do have victims

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that we don't necessarily
categorize like that, but we

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should all prioritize crimes
with victims as prosecutors, and

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that's what my message is to
this office all the time, we

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have to make sure we're taking
care of this community, not just

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public Safety, but taking care
of people in this community. And

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so in these cases, when you
prepare for a trial like this

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one, or any, any trials that we
have where we spend years

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preparing, you really get to
know the victim well. And so by

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the time you get to trial, you
know their family. You know what

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they were like when they were 15
years old. You've heard all the

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stories. You really get a sense
for better, for worse. Sometimes

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you learn bad things, you know,
but you get to know them, and so

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by the time you get to trial, it
really is like for me, personal,

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00:21:56,020 --> 00:21:59,200
but you know this person, you
know their family, they're in

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your office. You know they,
they've you've seen struggle

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throughout the last two years,
since their daughter died.

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You've seen the ups and the
downs to a certain extent. So it

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is personal. By the time you get
to trial, in my opinion, all you

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00:22:10,920 --> 00:22:13,440
really want to do is fight for
them, because you've been

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through this process seeing it
from their point of view. And so

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it is, it's, it's hard to not
make it too personal for me. I

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00:22:22,460 --> 00:22:24,920
have to remind myself to just
take a step back sometimes,

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because it it can affect you,
and it will affect you if you if

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you let it. But to a certain
extent, I think that's a good

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thing. I hope that I always feel
that way, and if I don't care,

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like I do now, I hope that I'll
leave this job to do something

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else

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and sort of along the same
lines, I also asked her what

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00:22:45,340 --> 00:22:49,840
moments from her career reminded
her of why she does this work. I

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00:22:49,840 --> 00:22:54,220
was curious to know if there
were cases, experiences, or even

303
00:22:54,220 --> 00:22:57,400
particular moments that
reinforced her commitment to

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advocating for victims and their
families, what fuels her passion

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00:23:02,160 --> 00:23:05,760
and keeps her going, even when
the work feels heavy,

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00:23:07,260 --> 00:23:13,020
any cases involving children,
the rape of a child, case that I

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00:23:13,020 --> 00:23:17,340
tried in Bradley County was one
of my first big trials, and

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being able to get a Victory for
a child like that, who

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afterwards will say, I didn't
think anybody was going to

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believe me, because kids don't
come forward often, because they

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don't think anybody's going to
believe them, and they're

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scared. And so to have a victory
for a child where the system

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00:23:36,260 --> 00:23:41,140
believed them and protected them
like we're supposed to, it makes

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00:23:41,140 --> 00:23:44,200
you feel like this is not just a
profession. It's a passion. It

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00:23:44,200 --> 00:23:49,000
is, you know, it's for me, it's
sort of who I am. But any, any

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00:23:49,000 --> 00:23:53,260
case with children, but a case
like this, with a with a victim

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00:23:53,260 --> 00:23:58,060
who really was just 1,000%
innocent in all of this and did

318
00:23:58,060 --> 00:24:01,920
not deserve to die, and was not
involved in any type of criminal

319
00:24:01,920 --> 00:24:07,440
activity. And you know, this was
just so random and did not have

320
00:24:07,440 --> 00:24:13,200
to happen that it it makes it a
real privilege to be able to to

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00:24:13,200 --> 00:24:18,060
fight for her. But any of these
trials, and most of the trials

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00:24:18,060 --> 00:24:21,080
I've tried, have to do with
victims, most of the cases in my

323
00:24:21,080 --> 00:24:23,900
office tries have to do with
victims. We try drug cases here

324
00:24:23,900 --> 00:24:26,540
and there. We've tried a theft
in the last year, but for the

325
00:24:26,540 --> 00:24:29,240
most part, we focus on victims,
and that means that we take

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00:24:29,240 --> 00:24:30,200
these cases to trial.

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00:24:32,660 --> 00:24:36,980
Finally, I asked both da WAMP
and da Moyle what they hope

328
00:24:36,980 --> 00:24:41,140
people will take away from this
trial, for Jasmine, for her

329
00:24:41,140 --> 00:24:46,360
family and for the broader fight
for justice. Here's how they

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00:24:46,360 --> 00:24:47,320
each replied.

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I hope that the closing argument
resonated with people across the

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00:24:56,800 --> 00:24:59,080
country. First of all, I think
that there's more victims of

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00:24:59,080 --> 00:25:02,700
crime across than. Nation and
across our state, then people

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00:25:02,700 --> 00:25:06,240
realize, until it happens to
you, and whether you're just a

335
00:25:06,240 --> 00:25:09,900
victim of a burglary or you're a
victim of a violent crime like

336
00:25:09,900 --> 00:25:12,900
this one, there's a lot of
victims throughout our and

337
00:25:12,900 --> 00:25:16,200
survivors throughout our
community that we forget about.

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00:25:16,920 --> 00:25:20,420
You know, something may happen
two years ago, and the person

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00:25:20,420 --> 00:25:23,000
goes through the court process,
and then, over time, they're

340
00:25:23,000 --> 00:25:25,520
they're forgotten about, and
nobody around them really

341
00:25:25,520 --> 00:25:27,620
understands what they went
through or the fact that they're

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00:25:27,620 --> 00:25:33,380
a survivor of this type of
crime. So I hope, I hope that

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00:25:33,380 --> 00:25:37,280
the community realizes that
there are people fighting for

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00:25:37,280 --> 00:25:40,540
victims, and especially victims
and survivors. I hope that they

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00:25:40,540 --> 00:25:43,540
can say, and we've gotten some
of this feedback, like, I was a

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00:25:43,540 --> 00:25:47,140
victim, or I was a survivor, and
my my boyfriend did this to me

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00:25:47,140 --> 00:25:50,800
in 2009 and some of the greatest
emails I got were those kind of

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00:25:50,800 --> 00:25:55,420
emails, like, I was in tears
during the jury verdict, because

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00:25:55,420 --> 00:25:57,940
this happened to me, and I
didn't think anybody cared. And

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00:25:58,120 --> 00:26:01,260
that really, that really means a
lot to me like that's that's a

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00:26:01,260 --> 00:26:04,380
reminder of of why we're doing
this. So I hope the community

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00:26:04,380 --> 00:26:07,920
knows that there are offices
like ours that are are doing it

353
00:26:07,920 --> 00:26:09,420
for all the right reasons.

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00:26:12,540 --> 00:26:13,380
I think that

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00:26:14,820 --> 00:26:17,940
people to take away from this
and to realize is that we see

356
00:26:17,940 --> 00:26:23,180
names on the news individuals
who are charged with crime,

357
00:26:23,180 --> 00:26:29,000
sometimes the news will tell us
the names of the victim, but at

358
00:26:29,000 --> 00:26:33,020
the end of the day, people need
to realize that crime has a real

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00:26:33,020 --> 00:26:37,040
impact on people outside of
those that are named on the

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00:26:37,040 --> 00:26:41,860
nightly news, that for Every one
victim of a crime, there's a

361
00:26:41,860 --> 00:26:46,720
family, father, a mother,
brothers and sisters, cousins,

362
00:26:47,020 --> 00:26:51,580
people who are deeply and
negatively affected by the

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00:26:51,580 --> 00:26:55,780
criminal acts of another, even
though they're not the actual

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00:26:55,780 --> 00:26:59,800
target of the criminal conduct.
And that's something that I

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00:26:59,800 --> 00:27:03,060
think that most people don't
realize is just the sheer scope

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00:27:03,060 --> 00:27:08,640
of crime and how it affects,
really the entire community. I

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00:27:08,640 --> 00:27:12,300
think such an example of that
from this trial, when it it was

368
00:27:12,300 --> 00:27:15,780
a little bit early on to really
hit home for the jury, because

369
00:27:15,780 --> 00:27:21,800
Katrina was our first witness,
but how identical she looks to

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00:27:21,800 --> 00:27:25,640
her daughter so much always,
yeah. And, I mean, always stood

371
00:27:25,640 --> 00:27:27,980
out to me is like, oh my gosh,
she is up there on the

372
00:27:27,980 --> 00:27:30,080
Wednesday, she looks exactly
like her daughter. We're going

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00:27:30,080 --> 00:27:33,200
to show her driver's license so
that you can see. But they are

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00:27:33,200 --> 00:27:35,900
real people. They have moms that
sometimes look just like them,

375
00:27:35,900 --> 00:27:38,660
that are willing to testify on
their on their behalf, and so,

376
00:27:38,660 --> 00:27:42,100
yeah. I mean, what a moment
y'all didn't know as much about

377
00:27:42,100 --> 00:27:44,200
the case at that point in time,
because she was our first

378
00:27:44,200 --> 00:27:47,500
witness. But looking back, I
mean, oh yeah, when a mother

379
00:27:47,500 --> 00:27:51,400
looks exactly like her daughter,
who's this has happened to? And

380
00:27:51,400 --> 00:27:53,380
I thought that that. I mean,
honestly, I think it's a sweet

381
00:27:53,380 --> 00:27:57,460
moment for me to to see her on
the stand. And what a mom, you

382
00:27:57,460 --> 00:28:02,040
know, what a mom. Katrina Venus
is the moment we all aspire to

383
00:28:02,040 --> 00:28:04,140
be. So I thought that was sweet
moment.

384
00:28:05,160 --> 00:28:09,960
And I think also one other thing
is that I know that a lot of

385
00:28:09,960 --> 00:28:14,880
times that we focus on the
negatives with people that work

386
00:28:14,880 --> 00:28:18,840
in the public sector and
government, but there are

387
00:28:18,840 --> 00:28:23,120
dedicated professionals out
there like general WAMP who

388
00:28:23,120 --> 00:28:27,320
believe in the rule of law, who
believe in seeking justice for

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00:28:27,320 --> 00:28:35,180
those who no longer have a voice
and people don't need to forget

390
00:28:35,780 --> 00:28:39,800
that every day across this
country, across This state,

391
00:28:40,400 --> 00:28:44,080
there are people who are
fighting for victims, and

392
00:28:44,500 --> 00:28:46,060
general wonk is one of those
people.

393
00:28:48,220 --> 00:28:55,480
I gotta tell y'all if, if I was
in Katrina beans spot, you guys

394
00:28:55,480 --> 00:28:58,300
are who I would want, fighting
for me truly. Thank you.

395
00:29:01,360 --> 00:29:06,120
Their passion for seeking
justice was evident. They didn't

396
00:29:06,120 --> 00:29:10,500
just see this as another case on
the docket. It was personal for

397
00:29:10,500 --> 00:29:15,540
them, individually and as a
team, and their dedication left

398
00:29:15,540 --> 00:29:20,540
an impression on me that I
continue to carry. Hearing their

399
00:29:20,540 --> 00:29:25,820
words, their resolve, their
compassion, only deepened my own

400
00:29:25,820 --> 00:29:30,680
sense of responsibility. It made
me reflect on why I felt so

401
00:29:30,680 --> 00:29:35,120
compelled to create this podcast
in the first place, to honor

402
00:29:35,120 --> 00:29:40,480
Jasmine's story, to make sure
her name is remembered, and to

403
00:29:40,480 --> 00:29:44,440
acknowledge the tireless work of
the people fighting for justice

404
00:29:44,440 --> 00:29:50,860
every single day. This journey
really has changed me, and as we

405
00:29:50,860 --> 00:29:54,520
come to the end of this podcast,
I want to share some of the

406
00:29:54,520 --> 00:29:58,780
personal reflections and lessons
I've taken away from all of this

407
00:29:59,680 --> 00:30:02,340
through. Throughout this
journey, we have heard from so

408
00:30:02,340 --> 00:30:06,300
many of you listeners who have
been moved by Jasmine's story,

409
00:30:06,660 --> 00:30:11,220
who followed this case closely,
or who've simply had questions

410
00:30:11,220 --> 00:30:14,700
about the process. And as I
reflect on everything we've

411
00:30:14,700 --> 00:30:18,240
shared, I wanted to take some
time to answer a few of the

412
00:30:18,240 --> 00:30:22,100
questions that have come up the
most questions that I've been

413
00:30:22,100 --> 00:30:26,240
asking myself too, one of the
most common questions I've heard

414
00:30:26,240 --> 00:30:30,020
is, why did I decide to make
this podcast instead of just

415
00:30:30,020 --> 00:30:35,000
moving on? And my answer is
simple, these stories need to be

416
00:30:35,000 --> 00:30:39,140
told. We talk about serial
killers and we make them heroes

417
00:30:39,140 --> 00:30:43,000
in our society, we talk about
what they did to the victim as

418
00:30:43,000 --> 00:30:46,960
if that moment defines someone
like Jasmine pace, and that's

419
00:30:46,960 --> 00:30:51,580
just simply not the case. I know
that cases like this and worse

420
00:30:51,580 --> 00:30:55,840
happen across the globe every
single day. It's such a tragedy,

421
00:30:56,440 --> 00:30:59,860
this one could have passed me
by, and I might have started my

422
00:30:59,860 --> 00:31:04,920
new year never knowing Jasmine's
name or hearing her story, but

423
00:31:04,920 --> 00:31:09,060
january 2025, presented me with
a very different set of

424
00:31:09,060 --> 00:31:13,740
circumstances. I couldn't just
go back to my normal life after

425
00:31:13,740 --> 00:31:21,800
going through this experience,
it has changed me. Another

426
00:31:21,800 --> 00:31:25,160
question I've been asked is,
What do I hope people take away

427
00:31:25,160 --> 00:31:30,020
from this podcast? I think about
da WAMP closing statement here,

428
00:31:30,500 --> 00:31:34,040
specifically when she so
passionately delivers the words

429
00:31:34,040 --> 00:31:37,580
about how victims matter.
Victims

430
00:31:37,580 --> 00:31:42,700
matter. Jasmine pace is not just
some girl listed in the autopsy

431
00:31:42,700 --> 00:31:48,100
report. She is not the photos
that you have seen. Don't

432
00:31:48,100 --> 00:31:53,560
minimize her to a name on an
indictment. She is a person. She

433
00:31:53,560 --> 00:31:58,120
had family that loved her. She
was a friend. She was a

434
00:31:58,120 --> 00:32:03,780
granddaughter. Please don't
minimize this trial to the trial

435
00:32:03,840 --> 00:32:04,200
from him.

436
00:32:05,880 --> 00:32:10,440
She's absolutely right. We hear
a lot about the perpetrator in

437
00:32:10,440 --> 00:32:14,400
cases like this, their names are
the ones splashed across the

438
00:32:14,400 --> 00:32:19,140
headlines, their actions
dissected and analyzed. But what

439
00:32:19,140 --> 00:32:23,180
often gets lost is the victim,
the person whose life was

440
00:32:23,180 --> 00:32:27,920
stolen. When it comes to crimes
like this, we need to say the

441
00:32:27,920 --> 00:32:31,760
names of the victims and the
survivors more often. They

442
00:32:31,760 --> 00:32:35,000
deserve to be remembered for who
they were, not just for what

443
00:32:35,000 --> 00:32:39,620
happened to them. So I guess my
hope for this podcast is the

444
00:32:39,620 --> 00:32:44,080
same as da wants that somewhere
down the line, when you think

445
00:32:44,080 --> 00:32:48,700
about this case or hear it on
another show, Jasmine pace is

446
00:32:48,700 --> 00:32:52,300
the first name you recall that
you remember her for who she was

447
00:32:52,300 --> 00:32:58,300
as a person, her kindness, her
vibrancy, her dreams, and not

448
00:32:58,300 --> 00:33:04,320
just the tragedy that ended her
life. And then there's the

449
00:33:04,320 --> 00:33:07,980
question that feels most
personal, would I ever serve on

450
00:33:07,980 --> 00:33:12,000
a jury again after this
experience? I've thought a lot

451
00:33:12,000 --> 00:33:16,140
about that. It's hard to say yes
right away, because this

452
00:33:16,140 --> 00:33:21,260
experience has been so intense,
emotionally and mentally, it's

453
00:33:21,260 --> 00:33:25,700
not something I could go through
again, lightly serving on this

454
00:33:25,700 --> 00:33:30,440
jury. Was life changing, but
also incredibly heavy the weight

455
00:33:30,440 --> 00:33:34,100
of the responsibility, knowing
that real lives are impacted by

456
00:33:34,100 --> 00:33:39,140
the decisions we make, it's
daunting, but I also recognize

457
00:33:39,140 --> 00:33:42,280
how important it is to have
people who are willing to show

458
00:33:42,280 --> 00:33:47,860
up to listen and to do their
best to seek justice. I felt

459
00:33:47,860 --> 00:33:51,100
honored to do that with the
other 15 people I was called to

460
00:33:51,100 --> 00:33:56,800
serve alongside of being a juror
isn't easy, and I have so much

461
00:33:56,800 --> 00:34:01,740
more respect for the process.
Now, it's not just a civic duty,

462
00:34:01,920 --> 00:34:07,380
it's a profound act of service.
So would I do it again? I think

463
00:34:07,380 --> 00:34:11,280
I would, but only if I felt I
could give it the attention and

464
00:34:11,280 --> 00:34:12,780
care it deserves.

465
00:34:18,060 --> 00:34:21,320
After reflecting on my own
experience, I kept coming back

466
00:34:21,320 --> 00:34:24,620
to the person who's been with me
every step of the way on this

467
00:34:24,620 --> 00:34:30,980
podcast. My co producer Andrea.
She has spent 99% of her time

468
00:34:30,980 --> 00:34:35,180
behind the scenes of this
podcast, researching, writing,

469
00:34:35,240 --> 00:34:39,920
building out the website and all
of the back end details. She has

470
00:34:39,920 --> 00:34:43,540
poured her energy into making
sure Jasmine's story was told

471
00:34:43,540 --> 00:34:47,920
with care and accuracy. But
Andrea's experience has been

472
00:34:47,920 --> 00:34:51,940
entirely different from mine.
She watched the trial unfold

473
00:34:51,940 --> 00:34:55,060
from the outside, piecing
together things through live

474
00:34:55,060 --> 00:34:59,320
streams and endless research,
and then she relived it all

475
00:34:59,320 --> 00:35:04,080
again. As we built this podcast
together, her perspective is

476
00:35:04,080 --> 00:35:08,760
unique, seeing everything from a
distance, but still feeling the

477
00:35:08,760 --> 00:35:13,740
weight of it all. So I was
curious, what has this entire

478
00:35:13,740 --> 00:35:17,820
experience been like for her?
These are her thoughts

479
00:35:19,920 --> 00:35:24,560
working on this podcast with
Sarah has been a wild and

480
00:35:24,560 --> 00:35:28,700
emotional journey. From the
beginning, our intention was

481
00:35:28,700 --> 00:35:32,780
sequestered, was to tell the
truth of what happened. I've

482
00:35:32,780 --> 00:35:35,660
spent a lot of time asking
myself why that felt so

483
00:35:35,660 --> 00:35:39,980
important to me. I think it's
because we all carry stories

484
00:35:39,980 --> 00:35:44,980
inside of us that remain untold,
whether out of shame, fear or

485
00:35:44,980 --> 00:35:49,060
simply not wanting the world to
know what we've endured. But

486
00:35:49,060 --> 00:35:52,960
there's power in speaking the
truth and saying this happened.

487
00:35:54,940 --> 00:35:58,360
Jasmine didn't get a chance to
walk away from a bad situation.

488
00:35:59,020 --> 00:36:01,920
She likely went to Jason's
apartment on the night of

489
00:36:01,920 --> 00:36:07,320
November 22 2022 seeking comfort
after losing her grandmother,

490
00:36:07,740 --> 00:36:11,760
instead, for reasons we may
never fully understand, he ended

491
00:36:11,760 --> 00:36:16,860
her life in a terrifying way.
I've always believed that we are

492
00:36:16,860 --> 00:36:21,620
all connected more than we might
ever realize our work is to let

493
00:36:21,620 --> 00:36:26,720
that truth in, to be open to the
most unexpected experiences and

494
00:36:26,720 --> 00:36:30,680
to partner with them when they
arrive. Elizabeth Gilbert says

495
00:36:30,680 --> 00:36:35,180
this in her book, Big Magic. Do
whatever brings you to life,

496
00:36:35,540 --> 00:36:38,900
then follow your own
fascinations, obsessions and

497
00:36:38,900 --> 00:36:44,020
compulsions, trust them create
whatever causes a revolution in

498
00:36:44,020 --> 00:36:49,180
your heart. I felt compelled to
tell Jasmine Pace's story,

499
00:36:49,180 --> 00:36:53,560
because it could have been my
own story or your story. I've

500
00:36:53,560 --> 00:36:56,260
lived and breathed the details
of this trial for the past two

501
00:36:56,260 --> 00:37:00,660
months with Sarah. I've dreamt
about Jasmine. I've even asked

502
00:37:00,660 --> 00:37:03,360
her for guidance as we've been
writing and planning this

503
00:37:03,360 --> 00:37:07,860
podcast, and even though I never
met her, the words and the

504
00:37:07,860 --> 00:37:10,680
emotions of her family have
shown me that she was an

505
00:37:10,680 --> 00:37:17,220
exceptionally loving and vibrant
human being. I will never forget

506
00:37:17,220 --> 00:37:21,200
Jasmine pace. I think about her
all the time as I go through my

507
00:37:21,200 --> 00:37:25,580
life now, I believe she's
watching over her family right

508
00:37:25,580 --> 00:37:30,560
now, I feel that deeply in an
odd way, I feel connected to her

509
00:37:30,620 --> 00:37:34,280
because she seemed fierce and
loving and passionate about

510
00:37:34,280 --> 00:37:38,180
life. So what will I take away
from this case and this

511
00:37:38,180 --> 00:37:42,700
experience? I've rediscovered a
passion to advocate for those

512
00:37:42,700 --> 00:37:46,660
who no longer have a voice. I'm
still asking myself what that

513
00:37:46,660 --> 00:37:49,240
means, but my heart is wide
open.

514
00:37:55,120 --> 00:37:59,680
In closing, I guess I just want
to say I think that Jasmine was

515
00:37:59,680 --> 00:38:03,900
in need of comfort that night.
She had no idea what was coming,

516
00:38:04,320 --> 00:38:09,060
and the truth is, none of us
did. There's such a finality to

517
00:38:09,060 --> 00:38:13,560
what happened. Jasmine will
never get to fulfill her dreams.

518
00:38:13,920 --> 00:38:19,020
Her family will never get to see
her face again, hear her laugh

519
00:38:19,440 --> 00:38:24,260
or watch her move through life's
experiences, the loss is so

520
00:38:24,260 --> 00:38:30,260
profound, it's hard to put into
words. And yet, Jasmine's story

521
00:38:30,260 --> 00:38:36,860
isn't over, not really because
we remember her. We say her

522
00:38:36,860 --> 00:38:42,520
name, we keep her memory alive
by honoring who she was, not

523
00:38:42,520 --> 00:38:49,120
just how her life ended. Maybe
that force we were feeling to

524
00:38:49,120 --> 00:38:53,920
make this podcast was Jasmine
herself. It's something I've

525
00:38:53,920 --> 00:38:58,840
often wondered, as if she's been
walking with us, guiding us to

526
00:38:58,840 --> 00:39:04,080
share her story in a way that
feels true and respectful. I

527
00:39:04,080 --> 00:39:08,640
want to believe she's here,
still watching over her family,

528
00:39:09,240 --> 00:39:13,740
her presence felt in every
sunset, her spirit woven into

529
00:39:13,740 --> 00:39:22,880
the hearts of everyone who loves
her. I really hope so. Before we

530
00:39:22,880 --> 00:39:27,200
go, if you or someone you know
is experiencing domestic

531
00:39:27,200 --> 00:39:32,660
violence or feels unsafe, there
is help available. You can

532
00:39:32,660 --> 00:39:38,240
contact the National Domestic
Violence Hotline at one 807 99

533
00:39:38,600 --> 00:39:44,620
safe, S, A, F, E, or visit the
hotline.org for resources

534
00:39:44,620 --> 00:39:51,340
support and confidential
assistance. 24/7 A huge thank

535
00:39:51,340 --> 00:39:55,480
you to News Channel Nine, local
three, news Chattanooga and

536
00:39:55,480 --> 00:39:58,780
Court TV for your thorough and
compassionate coverage

537
00:39:58,780 --> 00:40:02,460
throughout this case. Your
reporting allowed us to share

538
00:40:02,460 --> 00:40:07,380
Jasmine's story in its fullness
and accuracy, and to everyone

539
00:40:07,380 --> 00:40:11,880
who has listened asked questions
and supported this effort, thank

540
00:40:11,880 --> 00:40:17,100
you. It means more than words
can express. To Jasmine's

541
00:40:17,100 --> 00:40:22,280
family, if you're listening, I
hope we've done her justice. I

542
00:40:22,280 --> 00:40:25,520
hope you feel her presence close
to you every day.

543
00:40:30,560 --> 00:40:33,860
This may be the final episode,
but it's not the end of this

544
00:40:33,860 --> 00:40:38,540
story. Our search for answers
continues, and we're committed

545
00:40:38,540 --> 00:40:42,220
to sharing everything we learn
with you. We invite you to visit

546
00:40:42,220 --> 00:40:46,900
the website, sequesteredpod.com,
for a deeper dive into each day

547
00:40:46,900 --> 00:40:50,620
of the trial, including blogs
and photos from the case.

548
00:40:50,980 --> 00:40:55,000
Finally, if you've enjoyed this
podcast, please take a moment to

549
00:40:55,000 --> 00:40:58,060
rate and review it. It's the
best way to get the word out.

550
00:40:59,200 --> 00:41:01,020
Thank you so much for listening.
You.

551
00:41:20,060 --> 00:41:30,440
I thank you for listening to
sequester a juror's perspective

552
00:41:30,500 --> 00:41:33,980
on the murder trial for Jasmine
pace, each episode brings us

553
00:41:33,980 --> 00:41:37,400
closer to understanding the
trial, the people involved and

554
00:41:37,400 --> 00:41:41,140
the weight of seeking justice.
If this story speaks to you.

555
00:41:41,380 --> 00:41:44,740
Please follow, share and
continue the conversation with

556
00:41:44,740 --> 00:41:51,520
us. Jasmine's story deserves to
be remembered. This is a BP

557
00:41:51,520 --> 00:41:57,100
production. The show is written,
edited and produced by me Sarah

558
00:41:57,100 --> 00:42:01,500
Reed with CO production by
Andrea Kleid. News clips

559
00:42:01,500 --> 00:42:04,980
featured in this episode were
sourced from wtbc News Channel

560
00:42:04,980 --> 00:42:08,040
Nine, local three news
Chattanooga and the law and

561
00:42:08,040 --> 00:42:12,000
crime network. Music and sound
design are curated to reflect

562
00:42:12,000 --> 00:42:15,540
the gravity and sensitivity of
this story, and with the intent

563
00:42:15,540 --> 00:42:19,200
to honor Jasmine, her family and
the community affected by her

564
00:42:19,200 --> 00:42:23,420
death, for more information or
to connect with us, visit

565
00:42:23,420 --> 00:42:27,980
sequestered pod.com or follow us
on Instagram at sequestered pod.

566
00:42:29,000 --> 00:42:33,080
Thank you for listening until
next Time, stay curious and stay

567
00:42:33,080 --> 00:42:33,440
safe. You