Episode 3: Connecting the Dots

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Speaker 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 Tuesday morning,

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January 14, 2025, day two of the
trial. The morning unfolds just

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as it did yesterday. In fact,
the daily structure is quickly

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settling into a predictable
rhythm, early mornings, strict

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schedules and constant
supervision. For all of us, the

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predictability of the process
was both grounding and at times,

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a little suffocating. I had a
chance to catch up with a couple

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of the jurors after the trial,
and I'm eager to share some of

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their thoughts with you
throughout the podcast. Here's

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juror number one sharing his
breakdown of our morning

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routine.

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Every day, we would wake up at
around 6am the sheriffs would

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come knock on our door because
they had to take the alarm

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clocks out of our rooms, since
they have radios, which could

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have exposed us to details of
the case we'd have 30 minutes

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before we went down to the hotel
lobby to have breakfast, all the

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TVs in the lobby had to be
turned to the weather channel so

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that, you know, we wouldn't see
any news coverage of the case.

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I'd never really eat much, but I
enjoyed having coffee with

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everybody in the morning. After
breakfast, they would give us an

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hour of time to get ready for
the day, and then we'd be

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shuttled to the courthouse. When
we got to the courthouse, we

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would go to our place that was
basically home base. Was a

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conference room where
deliberation happened. We would

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chill out there for like 30
minutes. Sometimes, I think one

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day it was actually like almost
three hours before they brought

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us into the courtroom.

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As juror number one explains.
Once we're at the courthouse, we

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settle into our jury room, where
we spend time getting to know

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each other. Remember, we're not
allowed to discuss the case

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until deliberations, which
honestly is harder than it

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sounds, and with no cell phones
or laptops to retreat into, we

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have nothing to do but talk. So
what do a group of random

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strangers tasked with deciding a
man's fate, but unable to talk

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about it. Actually talk about,
well, we get to know each other

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the old fashioned way. We share
about our jobs, families where

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we grew up, and swap favorite
restaurant names among us were

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people with professions like
doctor and social worker,

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clinician and accountant,
engineer and architect,

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homemaker and tour manager. We
all came from different

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backgrounds, worlds that
probably would never intersect

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in our daily lives. I've said
this before, but it felt like an

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unexpected social experiment.
The bailiff and officers joked

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with us back in Nashville,
saying that we'd be bonded by

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the end of this and they weren't
wrong. What the 16 of us

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experienced over these 10 days
created a connection that will

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stay with us forever. It's not
unlike how investigators had to

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piece together all the fragments
of evidence, each piece,

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seemingly unrelated at first,
but forming a complete picture

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over time. Just as we were
strangers brought together by

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circumstance, so were the
detectives, attorneys and even

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Jasmine's family, all linked by
the pursuit of justice. Unlike

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us, though, they didn't have the
option to walk away when the

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trial was over, their bond
forged through grief and

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relentless determination will
last far beyond the verdict in

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sentencing. Sequestration wasn't
just about being physically

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removed from the outside world.
It carried an emotional and

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mental weight that we all had to
process in our own way. Juror

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number five kept a journal
throughout the trial,

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documenting her thoughts and
experiences in real time. Here's

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a passage she wrote about the
weight of sequestration.

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Maybe it's important to be
confined without the people you

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love, the things that make you
comfortable, the regular

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distractions before sentencing a
person to life in prison. Of

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course, a stay in a hotel with
supervised dining and outings to

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landmarks is different. It's
different than the cold

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hostility of a maximum security
prison, privately run with

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shareholders best interest in
mind, but still the taste of

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sequestration gives insight to
the gravity of it all 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 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 three,
connecting the dots. You

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okay, here's what we know so
far. Jasmine pace was last seen

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alive on November 22 2022 when
she arrived at Jason Chen's

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apartment at 110 treemont Street
in Chattanooga at 2:18am on

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November 23 Jasmine sent her
mother, Katrina bean, a location

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pin for the same address, a
message that would go unseen for

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three days by November 26 after
days of silence, Katrina took

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action at a Verizon store. She
accessed Jasmine's my Chevy app,

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tracking her car to 900 mountain
creek road. Jasmine's father and

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sister met her there, but
Jasmine was nowhere to be found.

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The family knocked on doors,
questioned residents and called

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the police with an officer
present, Katrina dialed one of

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the last numbers on Jasmine's
call log, Jason Chen. Jason

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claimed he hadn't seen jasmine
in a while and gave Katrina a

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fake address, 500 Tremont
Street, an abandoned house

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suspicious. The family followed
Jasmine's location pin to 110,

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Tremont Street, Her last known
location. A neighbor confirmed

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hearing a woman scream from
apartment 210, on November 22

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breaking into the unit, the
family found Jasmine's driver's

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license, credit cards and travel
bag, and immediately called 911,

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police arrived, briefly, looked
around and left, finding nothing

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suspicious. But Katrina wasn't
done. She returned to apartment

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210, collecting Jasmine's
belongings and a box of items

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she believed could be crucial.
The next day, on November 27

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investigator Zach Crawford took
over the case his work would

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soon connect the evidence that
led to Jason Chen's arrest. Fast

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forward to January 14, 2025 day
two of the trial, a day that

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reveals the full story of
Jasmine Pace's murder and the

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prosecution's case against Jason
Chen, soon, every piece of

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evidence, every testimony and
every detail will come together,

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exposing the truth in a way that
can no longer be ignored. Get

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ready. This was a long day for
all trial goers. The 16 of us

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file into the courtroom, just as
we did the day before, the

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routine was already settling in,
the knock at the door, line up,

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be counted, walk across the
hall, enter the courtroom and

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silently file into the jury box.
I adjusted my squeaky blue chair

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and flipped my notebook to a
fresh page, then glanced toward

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the bench where Judge Patterson
remained standing. He invited

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the room to be seated with
everyone in place. He adjusted

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his glasses, looked toward the
attorneys and signaled for

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general WAMP to take the floor
lead investigator, Zach

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Crawford, is already sitting in
the witness stand. Crawford

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carried a composed and
methodical presence in the

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courtroom. His dark, short hair
was neatly styled, and a

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mustache and beard framed his
face, adding to his serious, no

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nonsense demeanor, deep lines
etched across his forehead

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hinted at the weight of his
profession. Years spent

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analyzing crime scenes, piecing
together the truth and

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delivering facts with precision
when responding to questions, he

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spoke with measured confidence,
his steady voice reinforcing the

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gravity of the evidence he had
meticulously gathered, his sharp

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eyes rarely stray, as if he is
mentally retracing every step of

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the investigation in real time.
He answered with deliberate

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precision, never rushing,
ensuring the jury grasped the

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significance of each detail you

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images here were just shown to
the jury just minutes ago. This

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shows some of the evidence found
in Chen's apartment, the

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reaction of a forensics agent
called Blue Star. You can see

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the blue colored on the floor
there investigators that

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Crawford, which had a new police
test of. About the use of this

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agent. He testified in his
experience the discoloration on

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Chen's floor means the presence
of blood. He said he had never

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seen that amount of blood
illuminated by blue star in his

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homicide career.

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You might recall, we ended day
one of the trial with the search

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of Jason Chen's apartment at 110
Tremont Street. The search

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warrant was granted for
apartment 210 at 11:45pm, on

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November 28 Jason Chen was not
home when officers arrived upon

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entry. Officers cleared and
secured the apartment before the

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crime scene unit began
processing and documenting the

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scene. Investigators conducted a
walk through searching for

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evidence and any clues about
what had transpired.

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Investigator Crawford told the
jury that the search began with

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gloves and a flashlight, then
what started as a routine search

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quickly escalated into a
homicide investigation with the

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first spray of blue star. A
forensic agent Crawford, who had

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already noticed the stains
during his initial walk through,

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watched as blue star illuminated
a disturbingly large area in the

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living room as the crime scene
unit moved through the

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apartment, more evidence
surfaced. Blue Star revealed

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blood smeared in the living
room, splattered and pooled in

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the bathroom and soaked deep
into the bedroom carpet. There

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was, as da Cody WAMP had stated
in her opening argument, blood

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all over the apartment. What had
first appeared to be a clean

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apartment was now telling a much
darker story. Crime scene

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investigators photographed every
stain, swabbed surfaces, and

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meticulously collected evidence,
each piece, bringing them closer

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to uncovering what had truly
happened inside apartment 210

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with suspicions mounting,
investigators expand their

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search beyond apartment 210
canvassing neighbors and

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scouring the area for overlooked
evidence. One conversation led

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investigator Crawford to a
manhole cover in the back

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parking lot. Determined to leave
no stone unturned, he crawled 70

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feet underground in search of
clues. Nothing was discovered,

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but the manhole cover sat near a
dumpster outside of Jason Chen's

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apartment, where crucial
discovery did await inside the

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wooden fencing and on the ground
just in front of two blue

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dumpsters, investigators find a
pair of blue jeans with

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discoloration resembling blood,
a pair of white low top van's

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shoes, size 11, and a blood
soaked sanitary pad lying next

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to a pair of women's underwear.
These items were photographed

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and collected for evidence, da
Cody WAMP then highlighted a

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significant detail. Jasmine pace
was on her menstrual cycle at

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the time of her disappearance,
and the pad found near the

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dumpster matched the one she was
wearing when her body was

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recovered. The photos of these
items in front of the dumpster

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are available to view on our
website, adding to the

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complexity of the case,
investigator Crawford

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highlighted a key forensic
limitation in major criminal

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investigations, law enforcement
can submit only 10 pieces of

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evidence at a time for forensic
testing, compounding the

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challenge most forensic labs
face month long backlogs. In

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this case, the Tennessee Bureau
of Investigation, or TBI,

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conducted forensic analysis
through its crime lab,

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performing DNA testing,
toxicology and fingerprint

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analysis to support law
enforcement. Given the urgency,

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Crawford prioritized the most
critical evidence items most

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likely to connect Jason Chen to
the crime. Although

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investigators collected the
items from the dumpster, they

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were not included in the 10
items submitted to TBI for

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testing. District Attorney Cody
WAMP presented these details

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strategically, anticipating the
defense's argument, if the

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dumpster evidence wasn't tested,
they could claim it couldn't be

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definitively linked to the
murder. Despite this, forensic

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testing yielded a critical
breakthrough. The blood found

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inside Jason Chen's apartment
was a DNA match to Jasmine pace.

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What began as a missing person
case had now shifted

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dramatically, and Jason Chen was
the main suspect,

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you know, during Sequest.
Illustration, I had a lot of

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time to think, and honestly, I
kept wishing I had a speaker so

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that I could just listen to a
great book. That's why I love

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audiobooks. Whether I'm driving,
walking the dogs or traveling, I

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00:15:13,080 --> 00:15:17,520
can just press play and get lost
in an amazing story anytime and

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anywhere. One of my all time
favorites is New York by Edward

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Rutherford. This epic historical
novel spans over 400 years

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following generations of
families through the city's most

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pivotal moments, from its Dutch
settlement days and all the way

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to 911 it was one of the first
audiobooks I had ever listened

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to. It felt like the narrator
was reading the story. Just for

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me, I was completely hooked.
Here's some good news. You can

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listen to New York or any other
book for free. Audible is giving

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sequestered listeners a free
audiobook with a 30 day trial.

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00:15:56,260 --> 00:16:00,040
Just go to audible trial.com,
forward slash sequestered.

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That's one free book yours to
keep forever. So find something

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you love and get listening. Go
to audible trial.com. Forward,

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slash, sequestered. You

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at this point in the case, Jason
Chen is officially identified as

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00:16:26,900 --> 00:16:31,280
a suspect. Despite multiple
attempts to contact him, Jason

225
00:16:31,280 --> 00:16:35,180
remains elusive. Investigators
gather information about his

226
00:16:35,180 --> 00:16:39,260
family, personal life and his
movements. They confirm Chen's

227
00:16:39,260 --> 00:16:43,060
identity, not only from his
residence at 110 Tremont street,

228
00:16:43,300 --> 00:16:46,360
but also by his cell phone
number his enrollment at

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00:16:46,360 --> 00:16:50,080
University of Tennessee at
Chattanooga, and finally, by

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00:16:50,080 --> 00:16:56,320
learning that he drove a 2018
gray Toyota Camry next Crawford,

231
00:16:56,320 --> 00:16:59,020
would obtain a search warrant
for Chen's cell phone Data,

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00:16:59,320 --> 00:17:02,760
revealing ping locations with
coordinates that led to 1943

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00:17:03,420 --> 00:17:08,400
Ashburn court in nolensville,
Tennessee. I need to pause here,

234
00:17:08,400 --> 00:17:13,800
because Hold on, did they just
say nolensville? I live about

235
00:17:13,800 --> 00:17:17,700
four miles from nolansville,
Tennessee. This case just got a

236
00:17:17,700 --> 00:17:23,600
whole lot closer to home,
literally in the early hours of

237
00:17:23,600 --> 00:17:28,160
November 29 at 2am a search
warrant was executed at Chen's

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00:17:28,160 --> 00:17:32,480
parents house in nolensville,
Tennessee. Four homicide

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00:17:32,480 --> 00:17:35,000
detectives and crime scene
investigators from the

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00:17:35,000 --> 00:17:38,660
Chattanooga Police Department
responded, along with officers

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00:17:38,660 --> 00:17:43,720
from the nolansville police
department upon arrival, the

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00:17:43,720 --> 00:17:47,740
first contact made was with
Jason's parents. Investigator,

243
00:17:47,740 --> 00:17:50,740
Crawford informed them of the
search warrant and asked if

244
00:17:50,740 --> 00:17:55,300
Jason Chen was inside. Jason's
father called for him, and

245
00:17:55,300 --> 00:17:59,020
moments later, Jason appeared
from a room on the second floor.

246
00:17:59,920 --> 00:18:03,000
Crawford testified that when
Jason came to the door, his

247
00:18:03,000 --> 00:18:07,680
demeanor was defensive yet calm.
Crawford informed Jason that law

248
00:18:07,680 --> 00:18:10,860
enforcement had a search warrant
for his parents residence and

249
00:18:10,860 --> 00:18:13,920
that he would be detained at the
nolensville Police Department,

250
00:18:13,920 --> 00:18:17,040
where a separate search warrant
had been issued for his person,

251
00:18:17,520 --> 00:18:22,700
more specifically for his DNA.
Upon hearing this, Jason's first

252
00:18:22,700 --> 00:18:25,940
response was to ask if they had
spoken with his lawyer. Yet

253
00:18:26,420 --> 00:18:31,340
Crawford told him no. He didn't
argue or resist. Instead, he

254
00:18:31,340 --> 00:18:34,280
complied with the officers,
allowing them to escort him to

255
00:18:34,280 --> 00:18:39,560
the patrol car waiting outside
next District Attorney Cody WAMP

256
00:18:39,560 --> 00:18:43,660
questioned investigator Crawford
about photographs of Jason Chen

257
00:18:43,660 --> 00:18:47,680
standing in his parents doorway,
drawing attention to a notable

258
00:18:47,680 --> 00:18:51,940
item on his head, a red and
white trucker hat. The hat

259
00:18:51,940 --> 00:18:56,380
featured the phrase anything
goes, a detail investigators

260
00:18:56,380 --> 00:19:04,920
carefully documented as part of
the case. The during the search

261
00:19:04,920 --> 00:19:07,680
of Chen's parents' house,
investigators made a curious

262
00:19:07,680 --> 00:19:12,180
discovery in the room where
Jason Chen had been staying, his

263
00:19:12,180 --> 00:19:15,720
iPhone was found inside of a red
jewelry box, which had been

264
00:19:15,720 --> 00:19:18,960
turned around and obscurely
placed on the top shelf of a

265
00:19:18,960 --> 00:19:23,060
cabinet. His phone would become
a gold mine of information for

266
00:19:23,060 --> 00:19:28,400
investigators. On the desk in
this same room, Jason's wallet

267
00:19:28,400 --> 00:19:32,540
was located with his ID and
credit cards inside. One of the

268
00:19:32,540 --> 00:19:35,660
cards would later be linked to
receipts from Walgreens and

269
00:19:35,660 --> 00:19:39,320
Walmart, where Chen was seen on
security footage just days

270
00:19:39,320 --> 00:19:44,800
before, purchasing band aids and
cleaning supplies, a laptop and

271
00:19:44,800 --> 00:19:48,460
multiple handwritten notes were
also located on the desk in this

272
00:19:48,460 --> 00:19:56,920
room. These notes provided an
interesting read. One bright

273
00:19:56,920 --> 00:20:01,680
yellow post it note said,
approach them. I. Another had

274
00:20:01,680 --> 00:20:07,740
the name Crawford written on it
with investigator Crawford cell

275
00:20:07,740 --> 00:20:13,320
phone number written next to it,
some doodles, and then two other

276
00:20:13,320 --> 00:20:20,480
names, Brooke and Cheyenne. Who
were these girls. Another

277
00:20:20,480 --> 00:20:24,500
fluorescent post. It note had
two sets of 11 digit numbers

278
00:20:24,500 --> 00:20:30,320
written on it. There was also a
white note card with a thin

279
00:20:30,320 --> 00:20:34,040
black border listing finger
sizes for rings and different

280
00:20:34,040 --> 00:20:38,120
handwriting. It wasn't brought
up in trial testimony, so it may

281
00:20:38,120 --> 00:20:41,320
not be relevant to the case, but
it still caught my attention.

282
00:20:42,400 --> 00:20:46,300
There's another dark purple post
it note that caught my eye. It's

283
00:20:46,300 --> 00:20:49,300
difficult to make out in the
photos, but investigator

284
00:20:49,300 --> 00:20:52,360
Crawford read it aloud,
revealing what it had said,

285
00:20:53,079 --> 00:20:56,319
if law enforcement contacts
other family members, what do

286
00:20:56,319 --> 00:20:56,859
they do?

287
00:20:58,660 --> 00:21:01,440
Other yellow post it notes read
Saturday,

288
00:21:01,440 --> 00:21:06,240
November 19. Last time I saw
her, she would call me once a

289
00:21:06,240 --> 00:21:10,740
day. Scratch that she would call
me every day. Last time was on

290
00:21:10,740 --> 00:21:12,420
November 22 on the phone.

291
00:21:14,400 --> 00:21:17,640
Then investigators found a
notebook containing organized

292
00:21:17,640 --> 00:21:21,260
notes about Jasmine. Here's what
the spiral notebook read

293
00:21:21,860 --> 00:21:26,660
Friday, November 18, last time I
saw her, Tuesday, November 22

294
00:21:27,500 --> 00:21:31,580
last time we talked. She has a
huge history of running away

295
00:21:31,580 --> 00:21:36,200
from home in her teenage years.
Mom was an alcoholic, ran away

296
00:21:36,200 --> 00:21:40,040
to Canada for several years and
was homeless, has restraining

297
00:21:40,040 --> 00:21:44,740
order against x. Scratch that
out. Her dad left when she was a

298
00:21:44,740 --> 00:21:49,960
kid, has restraining order
against x. Says she was recently

299
00:21:49,960 --> 00:21:52,540
online on Facebook next to Ken,

300
00:21:54,160 --> 00:21:57,100
you can see all of these notes
on our website, sequestered,

301
00:21:57,100 --> 00:22:00,960
pod.com, we have a lot of
thoughts about them, especially

302
00:22:00,960 --> 00:22:03,300
since they weren't really
brought up again in the trial,

303
00:22:04,140 --> 00:22:06,840
but I can see why the
prosecution wanted them included

304
00:22:06,840 --> 00:22:11,040
in this testimony. Also, it
seemed like with Chen writing

305
00:22:11,040 --> 00:22:14,520
down investigator Crawford's
number, he had clearly listened

306
00:22:14,520 --> 00:22:18,000
to his voicemail, and from the
way the notes were worded, it

307
00:22:18,000 --> 00:22:20,540
felt like he was trying to get
his story straight before

308
00:22:20,540 --> 00:22:25,640
calling Crawford back in another
room of the parents house,

309
00:22:25,700 --> 00:22:29,900
investigators located Jason
Chen's backpack among the items

310
00:22:29,900 --> 00:22:34,460
found inside an eyeglasses case
was collected. Inside of the

311
00:22:34,460 --> 00:22:39,380
case was Jasmine Pace's SIM
card. This obviously raised some

312
00:22:39,380 --> 00:22:44,140
serious questions. Why did he
have it? Had he removed it to

313
00:22:44,140 --> 00:22:50,020
prevent tracking? Where was her
cell phone? This discovery would

314
00:22:50,020 --> 00:22:53,560
become a critical piece of the
investigation, suggesting a

315
00:22:53,560 --> 00:22:59,440
deliberate effort to conceal
evidence. Finally, investigator

316
00:22:59,440 --> 00:23:02,700
Crawford revealed that Jason's
car was found parked inside of

317
00:23:02,700 --> 00:23:06,720
his parents garage While both of
his parents vehicles sat outside

318
00:23:06,720 --> 00:23:11,280
in the driveway. In photos shown
during the trial, the two car

319
00:23:11,280 --> 00:23:15,420
garage, each side with its own
retracting door, appeared to

320
00:23:15,420 --> 00:23:19,620
serve as a storage space for the
family. The side closest to the

321
00:23:19,620 --> 00:23:24,140
house was packed with items,
leaving no clear pathway. On the

322
00:23:24,140 --> 00:23:28,160
other side, a gray Toyota Camry
was wedged tightly among the

323
00:23:28,160 --> 00:23:31,940
stored items, as if space had
been cleared just enough to fit

324
00:23:31,940 --> 00:23:36,380
the vehicle. The placement of
Chen's car tucked away while the

325
00:23:36,380 --> 00:23:40,040
family's vehicles remained
outside raised an unsettling

326
00:23:40,040 --> 00:23:43,660
question, had he been
deliberately hiding his car from

327
00:23:43,660 --> 00:23:48,880
view? Jason was placed under an
investigative hold at

328
00:23:48,880 --> 00:23:51,700
nolensville, PD, while
investigators searched his

329
00:23:51,700 --> 00:23:56,200
parents home once the search had
concluded, he was formally

330
00:23:56,200 --> 00:23:59,500
arrested for criminal homicide
and transported back to

331
00:23:59,500 --> 00:24:04,080
Chattanooga, where he was booked
and fingerprinted, his Toyota

332
00:24:04,080 --> 00:24:09,420
Camry was transported shortly
behind the very next day, on

333
00:24:09,420 --> 00:24:15,180
December 1 2022 investigators
made a grim discovery, a

334
00:24:15,180 --> 00:24:20,660
suitcase wedged into the brush
off of suck Creek Road, inside

335
00:24:21,200 --> 00:24:26,540
the body of Jasmine. Pace da
WAMP turned to investigator

336
00:24:26,540 --> 00:24:30,800
Crawford, asking him to connect
the dots between Chen's arrest

337
00:24:31,040 --> 00:24:34,700
and the chilling discovery that
followed just 24 hours later,

338
00:24:37,460 --> 00:24:42,100
Mr. Chin was only placed under
NCIC hold, investigative hold at

339
00:24:42,100 --> 00:24:46,540
that point, but we came back not
applied for a arrest warrant to

340
00:24:46,540 --> 00:24:49,180
the Hampton county magistrate's
office, at which point you

341
00:24:49,180 --> 00:24:52,600
signed off for at the time, for
criminal homicide,

342
00:24:54,220 --> 00:24:58,300
and at this point in time, did
anybody know where Desmond was

343
00:24:59,740 --> 00:25:03,120
more. Our investigators and
other law enforcement officers

344
00:25:03,120 --> 00:25:06,000
of chatting Police Department
actively looking for this case,

345
00:25:06,300 --> 00:25:07,260
we didn't stop.

346
00:25:08,880 --> 00:25:12,060
What day was that arrest warrant
issued? The

347
00:25:12,060 --> 00:25:14,280
arrest warrant was issued on
November 30.

348
00:25:17,520 --> 00:25:21,260
And do you recall what day it
was that Jasmine's body was

349
00:25:21,260 --> 00:25:25,220
located on the side of the city
river off Creek Road on December

350
00:25:25,220 --> 00:25:29,720
1. I'm not going to go into too
much detail, but were you

351
00:25:29,720 --> 00:25:32,780
notified when Jasmine's body was
located? Yes, that's correct.

352
00:25:33,200 --> 00:25:36,800
Did you report to that area
where the suitcase had been

353
00:25:36,800 --> 00:25:40,640
found? Yes, that's correct. And
then subsequently, did the

354
00:25:40,640 --> 00:25:44,500
medical examiner also arrived at
that same office of regrowth.

355
00:25:44,620 --> 00:25:47,620
Yes, that's correct. And was it
after the efforts you also went

356
00:25:47,620 --> 00:25:51,100
to the medical examiner's office
for the autopsy, that's correct.

357
00:25:53,859 --> 00:25:58,059
Next da want focused on Chen's
phone records, revealing call

358
00:25:58,059 --> 00:26:02,159
logs between Jasmine pace and
Jason Chen, along with text

359
00:26:02,159 --> 00:26:05,879
messages Chen sent to her phone
after she was last seen,

360
00:26:06,719 --> 00:26:10,019
investigators forensically
accessed his phone data,

361
00:26:10,259 --> 00:26:14,399
uncovering multiple deleted text
messages to Jasmine and a 71

362
00:26:14,639 --> 00:26:19,379
minute phone call that took
place at 11:56am On November 22

363
00:26:20,939 --> 00:26:24,319
Crawford explained to the jury
the key difference between data

364
00:26:24,319 --> 00:26:28,159
extracted from a physical phone
versus call records from cell

365
00:26:28,159 --> 00:26:32,359
phone service providers. Data
extracted from a phone will

366
00:26:32,359 --> 00:26:37,279
reveal deleted text, photos, app
data and metadata, which can

367
00:26:37,279 --> 00:26:42,519
expose altered timestamps or
hidden messages. In contrast,

368
00:26:42,519 --> 00:26:47,919
cell service records log calls,
texts and tower pings, but it

369
00:26:47,919 --> 00:26:51,279
doesn't store message content,
making them a permanent,

370
00:26:51,279 --> 00:26:56,799
unchangeable record that a user
cannot delete or manipulate. Da

371
00:26:56,799 --> 00:27:00,659
womp then shows screenshots of
text messages on Chen's phone

372
00:27:00,659 --> 00:27:04,319
that didn't appear in his text
records, suggesting that they

373
00:27:04,319 --> 00:27:08,699
had been deleted. Among them was
a message sent from Jason's

374
00:27:08,699 --> 00:27:14,999
phone to Jasmine's phone at
7:53pm on November 28 It read,

375
00:27:15,599 --> 00:27:19,679
good morning. Slept like a baby.
I made myself a matcha

376
00:27:21,960 --> 00:27:25,640
attached to the text was a photo
of Jason holding a Starbucks

377
00:27:25,640 --> 00:27:29,900
matcha drink. But the metadata
had revealed that this photo was

378
00:27:29,900 --> 00:27:35,360
actually taken on july 23 of
2021 and it had been altered on

379
00:27:35,360 --> 00:27:40,400
November 23 of 2022 before it
was sent to Jasmine's phone

380
00:27:40,880 --> 00:27:46,060
hours after Jasmine was last
seen. CPD investigators

381
00:27:46,060 --> 00:27:49,780
determined that Chen manipulated
the timestamp, making it appear

382
00:27:49,780 --> 00:27:52,480
as though Jasmine was alive and
responding after her

383
00:27:52,480 --> 00:27:56,620
disappearance. Later that day,
he reinforced this illusion by

384
00:27:56,620 --> 00:27:59,800
sending another text to her
phone, attempting to create a

385
00:27:59,800 --> 00:28:00,600
false trail.

386
00:28:01,439 --> 00:28:03,959
Hey, are we still good for
dinner tonight,

387
00:28:06,540 --> 00:28:09,780
based on the location of that
photo, those text messages, who

388
00:28:09,780 --> 00:28:11,640
were those sent from

389
00:28:13,140 --> 00:28:17,520
based on how they were captured
from the device? Here's their

390
00:28:17,520 --> 00:28:22,040
sent from Jason Chen, seller
device to that of Jasmine faces

391
00:28:22,040 --> 00:28:26,600
other points, because that's
correct, that's Jasmine phone

392
00:28:26,600 --> 00:28:29,360
number associated at the top
just doesn't have her contacting

393
00:28:36,319 --> 00:28:40,359
next the prosecution introduced
A critical update from Jason

394
00:28:40,359 --> 00:28:44,739
Chen's former apartment complex.
During renovations of Chen's

395
00:28:44,739 --> 00:28:48,639
apartment, the complex manager
contacted Chattanooga, PD,

396
00:28:48,879 --> 00:28:53,079
reporting the possible discovery
of new evidence. Investigator

397
00:28:53,079 --> 00:28:56,139
Crawford and crime scene
investigators returned to Chen's

398
00:28:56,139 --> 00:28:59,679
former apartment, where ongoing
renovations revealed new

399
00:28:59,679 --> 00:29:03,899
evidence that had previously
gone unnoticed with the bed and

400
00:29:03,899 --> 00:29:07,799
furniture now removed, a dark
discoloration in the carpet

401
00:29:07,799 --> 00:29:11,759
became visible in the exact spot
where Chen's bed had been during

402
00:29:11,759 --> 00:29:15,659
their initial search, suggesting
a stain that had seeped deep

403
00:29:15,659 --> 00:29:20,239
into the flooring. Additionally,
Crawford observed an oil stain

404
00:29:20,239 --> 00:29:23,239
on the wall positioned at a
height consistent with where

405
00:29:23,239 --> 00:29:26,839
someone might have sat up in bed
and rested their head, further

406
00:29:26,839 --> 00:29:29,419
confirming the original
placement of the bed in his

407
00:29:29,419 --> 00:29:32,779
room, and thus reinforcing the
significance of this Newly

408
00:29:32,779 --> 00:29:38,179
uncovered evidence. Once the
carpet was pulled back, a large

409
00:29:38,179 --> 00:29:41,619
dark stain was revealed, seeping
through to the carpet

410
00:29:41,619 --> 00:29:45,639
installation and onto the
floorboard. With his experience

411
00:29:45,639 --> 00:29:49,119
in homicide cases, investigator
Crawford stated that it

412
00:29:49,119 --> 00:29:54,159
unmistakably looked like blood.
The entire section of blood

413
00:29:54,159 --> 00:29:57,339
soaked carpet, along with the
insulation beneath it, was

414
00:29:57,339 --> 00:30:01,619
collected as evidence on day
three. Of the trial, this very

415
00:30:01,619 --> 00:30:05,939
piece, the stained carpet, the
blue insulation and the

416
00:30:05,939 --> 00:30:09,539
unmistakable presence of
Jasmine's dried blood would be

417
00:30:09,539 --> 00:30:13,439
laid out on a tarp in front of
the jury box remaining there for

418
00:30:13,439 --> 00:30:18,179
the entire day, it was an
inescapable haunting reminder of

419
00:30:18,179 --> 00:30:20,159
the crime we were there to judge
you.

420
00:30:24,380 --> 00:30:28,460
What do we have here? This is
going to be the carpet section

421
00:30:29,180 --> 00:30:32,540
from the bedroom. This is going
to be the bathroom area leading

422
00:30:32,540 --> 00:30:36,500
into the bedroom. This will be
the left hand side in earlier

423
00:30:36,500 --> 00:30:39,560
photographs of the original
execution of the search for it,

424
00:30:40,400 --> 00:30:43,540
the bed would actually been
located in this area, right

425
00:30:43,540 --> 00:30:43,780
here.

426
00:30:44,980 --> 00:30:48,220
So is this evident? Because you
did not find when you were in

427
00:30:48,220 --> 00:30:51,100
the apartment on the 28th of
November,

428
00:30:51,519 --> 00:30:52,419
that's correct,

429
00:30:53,200 --> 00:30:54,400
because the bed is safe.

430
00:30:55,599 --> 00:30:58,959
There was a bed placed over top.
The other things that are

431
00:30:58,959 --> 00:31:02,219
different at this time, at the
time that the search work was

432
00:31:02,219 --> 00:31:05,279
executed, it appeared that the
lights that were placed in there

433
00:31:05,279 --> 00:31:10,379
were aftermarket or some sort
they had a white light cue to

434
00:31:10,379 --> 00:31:13,319
them. So it's not a very well
lit apartment. So a lot of

435
00:31:13,319 --> 00:31:16,979
things we did by way of
flashlights. At the time, once

436
00:31:16,979 --> 00:31:20,899
they reclaimed the apartment,
they put new lights in there for

437
00:31:20,899 --> 00:31:25,519
the assistance of renovation to
the walk rider, I could actually

438
00:31:25,519 --> 00:31:28,879
observe a lot more things at
this point in time than having

439
00:31:28,879 --> 00:31:31,219
to use just a flashlight. And
then why do you need?

440
00:31:33,319 --> 00:31:37,279
Da Cody WAMP asked investigator
Crawford to explain the Arctic

441
00:31:37,279 --> 00:31:42,759
camera system, RT IC, or real
time Intelligence Center

442
00:31:43,059 --> 00:31:46,839
monitors over 3000 surveillance
cameras across Chattanooga.

443
00:31:47,439 --> 00:31:50,979
We've all seen them. They're
those cameras on telephone poles

444
00:31:50,979 --> 00:31:54,519
at major intersections, you
know, with the flashing blue

445
00:31:54,519 --> 00:31:58,419
lights, one of these cameras,
positioned at the corner of

446
00:31:58,419 --> 00:32:01,499
Tremont and Frazier, captured
many key moments in the

447
00:32:01,499 --> 00:32:06,179
investigation. Arctic footage
confirmed Jasmine paces arrival

448
00:32:06,179 --> 00:32:11,279
at Jason Chen's apartment at
11:42pm on November 22 2022

449
00:32:12,839 --> 00:32:17,279
matching data from her my Chevy
app. Additional surveillance

450
00:32:17,339 --> 00:32:21,319
showed Chen inside a Walmart on
November 23 purchasing

451
00:32:21,319 --> 00:32:24,559
washcloths and cleaning
supplies, which Investigators

452
00:32:24,559 --> 00:32:28,039
later found inside of his
apartment. After checkout at

453
00:32:28,039 --> 00:32:31,219
Walmart, he remained in the
parking lot for 30 minutes,

454
00:32:31,279 --> 00:32:35,539
raising questions about his
behavior later that day, Chen

455
00:32:35,539 --> 00:32:41,499
was seen at Walgreens at 1:39pm
and again at 7:03pm with a five

456
00:32:41,499 --> 00:32:46,779
and a half hour gap between
visits. At 8:30pm Jasmine's

457
00:32:46,779 --> 00:32:50,079
vehicle was seen exiting the
lofts at Tremont, driven by

458
00:32:50,079 --> 00:32:53,379
Chen, who was wearing a gray
hoodie and the red and white

459
00:32:53,439 --> 00:32:57,579
anything goes trucker hat. The
vehicle is shown again at 8:41pm

460
00:32:58,659 --> 00:33:01,979
arriving at the signal view
condos, the location where her

461
00:33:01,979 --> 00:33:06,239
family later found it. 12
minutes later, Arctic footage

462
00:33:06,239 --> 00:33:09,599
shows a dark colored Toyota
Prius dropping off a person

463
00:33:09,599 --> 00:33:13,679
wearing a red and white hat and
a gray hoodie at 110 Tremont

464
00:33:13,679 --> 00:33:17,339
Street, which Crawford believes
was a lift ride, further piecing

465
00:33:17,339 --> 00:33:22,699
together Chen's movements that
night in the courtroom. Da WAMP

466
00:33:22,759 --> 00:33:27,499
cues the Arctic cams up to the
evening of November 23 at 5:58pm

467
00:33:28,579 --> 00:33:31,759
Jason Chen exits the front
entrance of his apartment

468
00:33:31,759 --> 00:33:35,479
building, pulling a large
suitcase down the sidewalk. He

469
00:33:35,479 --> 00:33:39,019
appears to struggle lifting it
up the stairs, then his right

470
00:33:39,019 --> 00:33:41,979
arm drops as the weight of the
suitcase settles back on its

471
00:33:41,979 --> 00:33:45,999
wheels, he then turns left and
rolls the suitcase out of frame

472
00:33:45,999 --> 00:33:50,739
and into the parking lot.
Moments later, his gray Toyota

473
00:33:50,739 --> 00:33:53,739
Camry is seen leaving the
parking lot and turning west

474
00:33:53,739 --> 00:33:54,999
onto Frazier Avenue.

475
00:33:57,700 --> 00:34:00,720
Was he traveling in the correct
direction to get

476
00:34:02,099 --> 00:34:03,299
to separate. Yes, he was proud.

477
00:34:06,480 --> 00:34:09,660
Surveillance evidence continued
to tighten the prosecution's

478
00:34:09,660 --> 00:34:13,740
case. Arctic footage had already
shown Jason Chen leaving his

479
00:34:13,740 --> 00:34:17,940
apartment with a suitcase on
November 23 the same day he

480
00:34:17,940 --> 00:34:22,040
purchased cleaning supplies at
Walmart and Walgreens now,

481
00:34:22,040 --> 00:34:24,980
additional ring camera footage
from his downstairs neighbor,

482
00:34:24,980 --> 00:34:28,460
Doug Lynch, captured Chen
entering and exiting the

483
00:34:28,460 --> 00:34:32,480
apartment building multiple
times. This footage, combined

484
00:34:32,480 --> 00:34:34,760
with the timeline of his
movements, was painting a

485
00:34:34,760 --> 00:34:38,000
clearer picture of what happened
in the hours after Jasmine

486
00:34:38,000 --> 00:34:41,800
disappeared, but the most
critical piece of evidence was

487
00:34:41,800 --> 00:34:47,860
still to come at 4:42pm,
Detective Stephen Bulkley took

488
00:34:47,860 --> 00:34:51,760
the stand a key investigator in
the case. Bulkley described the

489
00:34:51,760 --> 00:34:56,200
search for Jasmine pace as an
all hands on deck investigation.

490
00:34:56,740 --> 00:34:59,920
His testimony focused on the
phone records that ultimately.

491
00:35:00,000 --> 00:35:06,240
Led to the discovery of her body
on November 28 2022 Bulkley

492
00:35:06,240 --> 00:35:10,080
wrote search warrants for
Jason's T Mobile records on

493
00:35:10,080 --> 00:35:15,600
December 1, 2022 those records
put Jason Chen on suck Creek

494
00:35:15,600 --> 00:35:20,340
Road, using the location data
from Chen's phone, Detective

495
00:35:20,340 --> 00:35:24,260
zeroed in on suck Creek Road
starting their search at the

496
00:35:24,260 --> 00:35:28,400
very first vehicle pull off a
small gravel turnout near the

497
00:35:28,400 --> 00:35:32,780
steep embankment in under a
minute, bulkley's eyes locked

498
00:35:32,780 --> 00:35:37,460
onto something partially hidden
in the brush, a suitcase wedged

499
00:35:37,460 --> 00:35:41,920
in a swath of kudzu Sitting just
10 to 15 feet above the river

500
00:35:41,920 --> 00:35:45,820
level. The placement suggested
it had been deliberately

501
00:35:45,820 --> 00:35:49,180
discarded, but not well enough
to be swept away by the river's

502
00:35:49,180 --> 00:35:54,160
current. Everything about the
scene fell off. What happened

503
00:35:54,160 --> 00:35:59,320
next was chilling the courtroom
watched as footage taken from

504
00:35:59,320 --> 00:36:03,360
another investigator's phone
plays on the screen vocally,

505
00:36:03,360 --> 00:36:07,800
slipped on blue medical gloves
and with careful hands, unzipped

506
00:36:07,800 --> 00:36:12,300
the suitcase, revealing a black
trash bag tightly packed inside.

507
00:36:12,780 --> 00:36:16,560
The way it was arranged, sent a
chill through him. This wasn't

508
00:36:16,560 --> 00:36:21,680
random. He reached down with his
right hand and pressed gently

509
00:36:21,680 --> 00:36:25,880
against the surface of the bag.
Beneath the plastic, he could

510
00:36:25,880 --> 00:36:30,440
feel the unmistakable contours
of a human form, a head,

511
00:36:30,680 --> 00:36:36,980
shoulders and torso. There was
no doubt he knew they had found

512
00:36:36,980 --> 00:36:42,160
Jasmine pace Bulkley would
notify investigator Crawford and

513
00:36:42,160 --> 00:36:45,340
call the medical examiner and
crime scene unit to collect the

514
00:36:45,340 --> 00:36:47,320
suitcase and document the scene.

515
00:36:53,020 --> 00:36:55,840
Within the last hour, another
Chattanooga Police investigator

516
00:36:55,840 --> 00:37:00,520
testified about how they recover
Pace's body inside the suitcase.

517
00:37:00,520 --> 00:37:04,380
Investigator Steve Buckley says
they obtained warrants for chin

518
00:37:04,380 --> 00:37:07,080
cell phone locations. He
testified that is how he was

519
00:37:07,080 --> 00:37:11,460
able to track Chen to sub Creek
Road several times on November

520
00:37:11,460 --> 00:37:15,180
23 when investigators went
there, they found the suitcase

521
00:37:15,180 --> 00:37:17,340
just yards from the Tennessee
River.

522
00:37:17,880 --> 00:37:24,200
So because I had gloves on, I
placed my hand on various parts

523
00:37:24,200 --> 00:37:27,500
of that trash bag contents, and
I can feel what was consistent

524
00:37:27,560 --> 00:37:34,640
with making the head, shoulders
and the torso at that point, we

525
00:37:34,700 --> 00:37:39,020
were even more certain that you
found Japanese

526
00:37:41,320 --> 00:37:45,460
Wow. Buckley testified, they
found the suitcase within

527
00:37:45,460 --> 00:37:47,920
minutes of getting out of their
vehicles.

528
00:37:52,420 --> 00:37:56,080
After my sequestration, my
producer and I traveled back to

529
00:37:56,080 --> 00:37:59,860
Chattanooga to see firsthand the
places we had heard about during

530
00:37:59,860 --> 00:38:04,080
the trial, to say that this was
a heavy, sad experience would be

531
00:38:04,080 --> 00:38:08,460
an understatement. Standing in
these locations were key moments

532
00:38:08,460 --> 00:38:12,180
in the case unfolded. Made
everything feel even more real.

533
00:38:12,900 --> 00:38:16,920
The weight of it all was
undeniable. I'll share more of

534
00:38:16,920 --> 00:38:21,140
these clips in upcoming
episodes, but for today, I want

535
00:38:21,140 --> 00:38:22,760
to take you to Sut Creek Road.

536
00:38:32,420 --> 00:38:32,960
Wow.

537
00:38:38,540 --> 00:38:42,220
We both fell silent as we
stepped out of the car onto the

538
00:38:42,220 --> 00:38:47,080
gravel, crescent shaped turnout
off suck Creek Road. The turnout

539
00:38:47,080 --> 00:38:51,940
itself is small, stretching no
more than 30 yards, with the

540
00:38:51,940 --> 00:38:56,440
river bank just steps from the
road's edge, I noticed scattered

541
00:38:56,440 --> 00:39:01,620
trash in the area, a reminder of
how time had passed. It had been

542
00:39:01,620 --> 00:39:07,200
over two years, and though I was
visiting in January of 2025 I

543
00:39:07,200 --> 00:39:10,260
imagine the scene didn't look
much different. In November of

544
00:39:10,260 --> 00:39:16,920
2022 a few bare tulip poplars
and a swath of dried kudzu

545
00:39:16,920 --> 00:39:21,500
plants lined the banks their
tangled remains barely

546
00:39:21,500 --> 00:39:27,500
concealing the Tennessee River
rushing just 15 feet below. It

547
00:39:27,500 --> 00:39:30,740
wasn't until writing for this
podcast that I truly understood

548
00:39:30,740 --> 00:39:35,720
what Kudzu is. I had seen it
before, tangled across trees and

549
00:39:35,720 --> 00:39:39,680
swallowing entire landscapes,
but I never knew just how

550
00:39:39,680 --> 00:39:44,320
relentless it was. It's an
unstoppable creeping vine that

551
00:39:44,320 --> 00:39:49,960
grows up to a foot a day. But
here in the dead of winter, the

552
00:39:49,960 --> 00:39:55,540
kudzu is brittle and lifeless.
Its once dense greenery reduced

553
00:39:55,540 --> 00:40:00,540
to a skeletal tangle of vines.
Any illusion of cover was. Gone.

554
00:40:01,200 --> 00:40:05,460
The suitcase had never been well
hidden. And standing there that

555
00:40:05,460 --> 00:40:10,560
day, it was clear this wasn't a
carefully concealed disposal.

556
00:40:11,580 --> 00:40:13,380
Jasmine had been found you

557
00:40:23,180 --> 00:40:25,220
next week on sequestered.

558
00:40:30,500 --> 00:40:35,600
These victims remains in it this
difference

559
00:40:37,820 --> 00:40:39,020
between the handcuffs and

560
00:40:39,140 --> 00:40:43,780
the chat, well, the hangup had
two locations, so there was one

561
00:40:44,080 --> 00:40:48,160
to attach to her hand and one to
her ankle. The shackle only had

562
00:40:48,340 --> 00:40:50,920
one cinch and then a chain.

563
00:40:52,480 --> 00:40:57,280
CSI uncovers trash bags,
shackles and a chilling truth.

564
00:40:58,000 --> 00:41:02,400
Stay with us. Episode Four dives
into the case's most damning

565
00:41:02,400 --> 00:41:03,300
details.

566
00:41:20,040 --> 00:41:22,700
Thank you for listening to
sequestered a juror's

567
00:41:22,700 --> 00:41:26,420
perspective on the murder trial
for Jasmine. Pace. Each episode

568
00:41:26,420 --> 00:41:29,000
brings us closer to
understanding the trial, the

569
00:41:29,000 --> 00:41:32,660
people involved, and the weight
of seeking justice. If this

570
00:41:32,660 --> 00:41:36,620
story speaks to you, please
follow, share and continue the

571
00:41:36,620 --> 00:41:40,480
conversation with us. Jasmine's
story deserves to be remembered.

572
00:41:43,180 --> 00:41:47,800
This is a BP production. The
show is written, edited and

573
00:41:47,800 --> 00:41:52,540
produced by me Sarah Reed, with
CO production by Andrea Kleid.

574
00:41:53,260 --> 00:41:56,560
News clips featured in this
episode were sourced from wtvc

575
00:41:56,560 --> 00:42:00,120
News Channel Nine, local three
news, Chattanooga and the law

576
00:42:00,120 --> 00:42:03,780
and crime, network music and
sound design are curated to

577
00:42:03,780 --> 00:42:06,960
reflect the gravity and
sensitivity of this story, and

578
00:42:06,960 --> 00:42:10,020
with the intent to honor
Jasmine, her family and the

579
00:42:10,020 --> 00:42:14,100
community affected by her death.
For more information or to

580
00:42:14,100 --> 00:42:17,880
connect with us, visit
sequestered pod.com or follow us

581
00:42:17,880 --> 00:42:22,760
on Instagram at sequestered pod.
Thank you for listening until

582
00:42:22,760 --> 00:42:25,280
next time, stay curious and stay
safe. You.