Jason Chen sentenced to life in prison without parole for murder of Jasmine Pace
From Local 3 News: Jasmine "Jazzy" Pace was murdered, stabbed 60 times, on the early morning hours of November 23, 2022. After her family, including her parents Catrina Bean and Travis Pace, spent days searching for Pace, her body was found near Suck Creek Road on December 1, 2022.
"Jasmine Pace is not just some girl listed in an autopsy report. She is not the photos you have seen. Don't minimize her to a name on an indictment. She is a person. She had family that loved her, that you heard from this week. She was a friend. She was a granddaughter," said District 11 Attorney General, Coty Wamp.
Evidence ultimately led to a man Jasmine knew, Jason Chen. Chen was arrested and charged with first degree murder and abuse of a corpse, convicted of both on January 20, 2024.
Jury selection began Wednesday, January 8, in Davidson County at the Justice A.A. Birch Building. It took two days for 12 jurors and 4 alternates to be selected to serve on the sequestered jury.
The murder trial for Jason Chen began on Monday, January 13. Members of both Pace and Chen's family filled Judge Boyd Patterson's courtroom.
Opening statements from the prosecution team, District 11 Attorney General Coty Wamp and Chief Homicide Prosecutor Paul Moyle, began Monday afternoon.
"This is the suitcase in which Jason Chen stuffed the 98 pound body of Jasmine Pace," says Wamp. "He stabbed her over and over again... sixty stab wounds."
The defense team, Cavett, Abbott & Weiss attorney Joshua Weiss and Caldwell & Morrison attorney, Amanda Morrison, followed. Weiss began with saying Chen killed Pace, but it was not first-degree murder but voluntary manslaughter.
"Jason Chen is guilty, but he is not guilty of the crime he is charged with. He should be found guilty of the crime he did commit, not the crime he didn't commit," Weiss.
The state began with their witnesses following opening statements.
The first witness to take the stand was Pace's mother, Catrina Bean. Bean testified her biological grandmother, the woman who raised her, was rushed to the hospital and later died on November 22, 2022. It is believed that Pace went to visit Chen later that evening for comfort after grieving the loss of her great grandmother.
Bean testified on the family's efforts to find Pace, including entering Chen's apartment.
"I wasn't thinking about a police investigation. I was just trying to find her," said Bean.
Bean was on the stand for roughly an hour and a half.
The second witness to take the stand was Chattanooga Police Officer McKenzie Pierre, who responded to Mountain Creek Road when Pace's family found her vehicle. Pierre entered Pace's information into a national database for missing people.
The third witness was Walmart employee Megan Beene, who was asked to pull surveillance video of Chen purchasing items at the Red Bank store. This video and Chen's receipt were shown as evidence.
The fourth witness was Walgreens employee Kelsey Campbell, who was asked to retrieve surveillance video of Chen from the downtown store, a few blocks from Tremont Street where Chen lived. The video and receipts were shown as evidence.
Items purchased from both stores were found in Chen's apartment.
The fifth witness was Signal View Condominiums security guard, Thomas Scott Miller, who was working the night Pace's family found her vehicle in the parking lot of the condominiums. Surveillance video was shown of her vehicle being driven into the parking lot, but the driver could not be determined.
The sixth witness to take the stand was Chattanooga Police investigator Zack Crawford, who was present when the search warrant was executed for Chen's apartment on November 27, 2022. Investigators took pictures of potential blood on multiple places in Chen's apartment.
Bluestar, a mixed solution sprayed on surfaces to identify potential blood, illuminated in multiple areas of Chen's apartment.
Crawford continued on the stand the following morning, leading off the second day of testimony. After the search of his apartment, Chen was tracked down as a person of interest in Nolensville, TN at his parents' home.
“Originally, he became a potential person of interest at the beginning when I was brought into the investigation, just due to the fact that we had a missing persons under a suspicious circumstances, and it is extremely uncommon with my experience as a law enforcement investigator that a significant other not be apart of that process to locate that missing person,” said Crawford.
The Chattanooga Police Department obtained a search warrant for Chen's phone and grey Toyota Camry, which was towed back to Hamilton County as evidence. A forensic download was done on Chen's phone using Cellebrite, allowing investigators to see everything on the device from texts to images. Records show Chen called Pace the morning of November 22. A iMessage was sent from Chen's phone to Pace's phone on November 23, but it was a green text, indicating Pace's phone was off.
Crawford explained Chattanooga's Real Time Intelligence Center, RTIC, a surveillance system with more than 100 cameras across the city. Crawford pulled RTIC surveillance video from November 22 and 23, showing someone who is believed to be Chen walking down Tremont Street with a suitcase, showing someone who is believed to be Chen driving what looks like Pace's vehicle, and an unknown vehicle dropping someone who is believed to be Chen off at his apartment on Tremont Street.
Crawford was cross examined by Morrison about the potential contamination of the crime scene.
"Were there errors made in this case?," asked Morrison.
"There are human errors in every case," said Crawford.
Were there a lot made in this case?," asked Morrison.
"I don't think so," said Crawford.
"Do you believe the crime scene was pristine when you got there?," asked Morrison.
"No, the only way a crime scene could be pristine is if we have full control of that scene from the beginning," said Crawford.
The seventh witness was Chen's downstairs neighbor, Doug Lynch, who had a ring camera that captured Chen leaving the complex multiple times on November 23. Lynch turned in six videos to the Chattanooga Police Department.
The eight witness was Chattanooga Police Detective Stephen Bulkley, who wrote the search warrant for Chen's phone records. The location data from Chen's phone led officers to Suck Creek Road, where they found Pace's body, wrapped in three black trash bags, and put inside of a suitcase.
"I could feel what was consistent with a human head, shoulders, and a torso. At that point, we were even more certain we had found Jasmine Pace," said Bulkley.
The third day of the trial began with the ninth witness, Chattanooga Police Department Crime Scene Investigator, Michele Johnson. Johnson was the lead investigator for the search of Chen's apartment, and also searched Pace's home.
Johnson said there were no significant signs of forced entry to Chen's front door.
Johnson went through the evidence found in Chen's apartment including stained carpet, some of Chen's clothes, and shoes. Areas in the apartment were marked for potential blood spots.
Johnson explains the reaction she observed from the Bluestar testing.
"It's probably the most I've seen in a reaction from BlueStar," said Johnson.
Bluestar is a presumptive test, and further testing must be done to confirm the presence of blood. Some cleaning supplies, like bleach, can cause a reaction. Bleach was not found at Chen's apartment.
Johnson was present for a second search of Chen's apartment after workers renovating the unit found potential blood stains on the sub-flooring.
The trunk of Chen's Toyota Camry had indentions on the trunk liner. Johnson says she could not eliminate the possibility that a suitcase could have caused those marks.
The tenth witness was Chattanooga Police Department Crime Scene Investigator Kristen Shubert, who was called in to help document evidence, including to help process Chen's Toyota Camry.
Shubert explains once the suitcase arrived at the medical examiner's office, each layer of trash bags were removed and photographed. Pace's body was bound with both handcuffs and shackles.
The eleventh witness was Chattanooga Police Department Crime Scene Investigator Greg Mardis, who documented the scene and took DNA swab samples from Catrina Bean and Travis Pace. Mardis took items of Pace that would potentially have DNA on them. Mardis transported multiple pieces of evidence to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation for testing.
The twelfth witness was Chattanooga Police Department Crime Scene Investigator Jerry McElroy, who transported the second batch of evidence to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation.
The thirteenth witness was the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation Digital Forensic Unit Special Agent Rachel Bakaletz, who processed Pace's SIM card.
The fourth day began with the fourteenth witness, Hamilton County Medical Examiner and forensic pathologist Dr. Steven Cogswell, admitted as an expert witness, who performed Pace's autopsy on December 1, 2022.
Cogswell estimated that Pace's body contained roughly four quarts of blood, and that loosing 40% of that would likely cause death. He noted Pace's wounds were concentrated to one side of her body, and she was bounded with handcuffs and shackles.
"These are not the typical law-enforcement handcuffs. These are cheap, chrome-plated," explained Cogswell.
Cogswell testified that Pace was likely stabbed on one side of her body, in the fetal position, and rolled over onto that side, causing the large carpet stain found in Chen's apartment. Cogswell says the large portion of blood missing from Pace's body is consistent with the size of the stains on the carpet.
"The stain is extremely consistent with her body as found," said Cogswell.
Pace had injuries to her neck consistent with strangulation, but Cogswell could not tell for certain if she was strangled.
Cogswell says he did not find any food, medicine, or odor of alcohol in Pace's stomach. A test of THC was cancelled due to "interfering substances," so it could not be confirmed or denied if she had THC in her system. No other substances were detected.
The fifteenth witness was the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation Forensic Scientist Special Agent, Kim Lowe, admitted as an expert witness in DNA analysis. Lowe confirmed the carpet stains found in Chen's apartment were Pace's blood.
The fifth day began with the sixteenth witness, Hamilton County Sheriff's Office fingerprint technician Jennifer Moody, who testified on the office's process of taking the fingerprints of every person arrested.
The seventeenth witness was former Automated Fingerprint Identification System (AFIS) Unit Sergeant and Certified Latent Print Examiner, Lieutenant David Franklin, who was admitted as an expert witness.
Franklin explains there are two different methods used nationwide to process fingerprints, powder and cyanoacrylate fuming.
Latent prints are unintentional fingerprints gathered usually from sweat, oils, or contaminations on the skin. There are different qualities with latent prints due to various different factors. Latent prints were recovered from two of the three trash bags Pace was found in, and identified as Chen's prints.
"I did a thorough analysis and I came to one conclusion, these prints were made by Jason Chen," says Franklin.
The eighteenth witness was current Chattanooga Police Department Automated Fingerprint Identification System (AFIS) Unit Sergeant, William Salyers, who is also a certified latent print examiner and admitted as an expert witness. Salyers job was to try to disprove Franklin's findings, but he was unsuccessful.
The next witness was the District Attorney's Office Investigator Mark Hamilton, admitted as an expert witness in digital forensics and radio frequency engineering. Hamilton was asked to review Pace's and Chen's cell phone download and carrier records data.
Hamilton went through the GPS data and where each phone was pinging in the days after Pace went missing, the prosecution pairing Hamilton's findings with video evidence. Hamilton says GPS phone data is very accurate, while pinging off of a cell phone tower is not as accurate.
On the sixth day, the state rested its case. The defense began with their witnesses.
The defense's first witness was Chen's downstairs neighbor, Courtney Paglino -Brewer, at the time of Pace's murder. Brewer says she remembers being jolted awake by a loud scream in the early morning hours of November 23, 2022, around 2am.
"I checked my phone to see the time, I was about to call 911," said Brewer.
Brewer recalls hearing a female voice screaming, footsteps running towards the front door, and crying but felt the situation calmed down and did not call the police.
Brewer reached out to police days later after seeing the missing persons poster for Pace and seeing her last known location was that apartment on social media. Brewer was then interviewed by police and a private investigator.
“Approximately how long after you heard the scream did you hear the garbage disposal?,” asked Wamp.
“Probably about an hour,” answered Brewer.
“Approximately how long after the scream did you hear the washing machine?,” asked Wamp.
“The washing machine and the garbage disposal were around the same time, they were running in tandem,” answered Brewer.
“Approximately how long after the scream did you hear the TV come on?,” asked Wamp.
“That was sooner, maybe 20 minutes,” answered Brewer.
“20 minutes after the scream, a TV came on in the apartment above yours?, asked Wamp.
“Yes,” answered Brewer.
“You testified about a door slamming. Would you describe it as a door from inside the apartment right above your or the door coming into the front door?” asked Wamp.
“I would say the front door, the front door slams a little bit louder,” answered Brewer.
The defense's second witness is Pace's father, Travis Pace, who says he spoke to multiple people living at the Tremont Street complex before arriving at Chen's unit. Pace says he lifted the handle of Chen's door and was able to get inside. He testified that once he found some of his daughter's belongings, he called police.
Pace says he was not notified that the defense had subpoenaed him as a witness until he showed up for the first day of the trial.
An image of Jasmine Pace was posted to her Facebook page on November 26, 2022. Her father says it was not a photo she would have posted herself.
"It was the match that lit this on fire, because it was not a modest photograph. Anyone that knew Jasmine knew she would not have posted that," said Pace.
Pace said the photo did not have her current tattoos.
"I'm sorry to have to show you this photo, but do you recognize it?" asked Wamp.
"I do," replied Pace.
"Is this your daughter?" asked Wamp.
"It was," said Pace, his voice breaking.
The defense's third witness was crime scene investigation expert Johnny Lawrence, admitted as an expert witness in crime scene reconstruction and blood pattern interpretation.
Lawrence said he first went to Chen's apartment to take photographs of the scene in December 9, 2022. He testified that not all guidelines were followed when using Bluestar, and that investigators should have done a presumptive blood test like hemastix before Bluestar.
Lawrence testified due to a potential blood stain on bed sheets found in Chen's room, there is a possibility Pace was not bound at the time she was stabbed.
Day seven, the final day of trial, defendant Jason Chen waives his right to testify and the defense rests.
Jury instructions were read to the jurors, and they were told they could use any notes they had taken as reference for themselves, but could not read their direct notes to other jurors. Jurors were not allowed to take notes from closing arguments, since closing arguments are not evidence.
Moyle delivered closing arguments for the state, walking the jury through the timeline of events and reminding them of evidence in the case. Moyle says Chen's actions show his demeanor.
"Everything he does is calm. It's collected, and most importantly it's rational. Everything he does is to a point and that's to escape capture," said Moyle.
Morrison delivered closing arguments for the defense, claiming the opposite, that Chen's actions were not rational.
"Cleaning a scene after the fact does not give you premeditation, removing Jasmine's body, shackling her, putting her in garbage bags and putting her into the suitcase and discarding her on the riverbanks does not give you premeditation," said Morrison.
Wamp delivered the rebuttal, pointing out the mistakes and attempting to poke holes in Chen's team's defense.
"The opening statement from the defense was meant to confuse you. It was meant to have you thinking about other things and possible defenses that the state disproved. Not only did you not hear evidence of what they said in their opening statements. The state outright disproved it. That's why you don't hear it today," said Wamp.
The jury began deliberations at 4:12pm and were back with a verdict at 4:56pm, guilty of both first-degree premeditated murder and abuse of a corpse.
"Jasmine Pace is not just some girl listed in an autopsy report. She is not the photos you have seen. Don't minimize her to a name on an indictment. She is a person. She had family that loved her, that you heard from this week. She was a friend. She was a granddaughter," said District 11 Attorney General, Coty Wamp.
Evidence ultimately led to a man Jasmine knew, Jason Chen. Chen was arrested and charged with first degree murder and abuse of a corpse, convicted of both on January 20, 2024.
Jury selection began Wednesday, January 8, in Davidson County at the Justice A.A. Birch Building. It took two days for 12 jurors and 4 alternates to be selected to serve on the sequestered jury.
The murder trial for Jason Chen began on Monday, January 13. Members of both Pace and Chen's family filled Judge Boyd Patterson's courtroom.
Opening statements from the prosecution team, District 11 Attorney General Coty Wamp and Chief Homicide Prosecutor Paul Moyle, began Monday afternoon.
"This is the suitcase in which Jason Chen stuffed the 98 pound body of Jasmine Pace," says Wamp. "He stabbed her over and over again... sixty stab wounds."
The defense team, Cavett, Abbott & Weiss attorney Joshua Weiss and Caldwell & Morrison attorney, Amanda Morrison, followed. Weiss began with saying Chen killed Pace, but it was not first-degree murder but voluntary manslaughter.
"Jason Chen is guilty, but he is not guilty of the crime he is charged with. He should be found guilty of the crime he did commit, not the crime he didn't commit," Weiss.
The state began with their witnesses following opening statements.
The first witness to take the stand was Pace's mother, Catrina Bean. Bean testified her biological grandmother, the woman who raised her, was rushed to the hospital and later died on November 22, 2022. It is believed that Pace went to visit Chen later that evening for comfort after grieving the loss of her great grandmother.
Bean testified on the family's efforts to find Pace, including entering Chen's apartment.
"I wasn't thinking about a police investigation. I was just trying to find her," said Bean.
Bean was on the stand for roughly an hour and a half.
The second witness to take the stand was Chattanooga Police Officer McKenzie Pierre, who responded to Mountain Creek Road when Pace's family found her vehicle. Pierre entered Pace's information into a national database for missing people.
The third witness was Walmart employee Megan Beene, who was asked to pull surveillance video of Chen purchasing items at the Red Bank store. This video and Chen's receipt were shown as evidence.
The fourth witness was Walgreens employee Kelsey Campbell, who was asked to retrieve surveillance video of Chen from the downtown store, a few blocks from Tremont Street where Chen lived. The video and receipts were shown as evidence.
Items purchased from both stores were found in Chen's apartment.
The fifth witness was Signal View Condominiums security guard, Thomas Scott Miller, who was working the night Pace's family found her vehicle in the parking lot of the condominiums. Surveillance video was shown of her vehicle being driven into the parking lot, but the driver could not be determined.
The sixth witness to take the stand was Chattanooga Police investigator Zack Crawford, who was present when the search warrant was executed for Chen's apartment on November 27, 2022. Investigators took pictures of potential blood on multiple places in Chen's apartment.
Bluestar, a mixed solution sprayed on surfaces to identify potential blood, illuminated in multiple areas of Chen's apartment.
Crawford continued on the stand the following morning, leading off the second day of testimony. After the search of his apartment, Chen was tracked down as a person of interest in Nolensville, TN at his parents' home.
“Originally, he became a potential person of interest at the beginning when I was brought into the investigation, just due to the fact that we had a missing persons under a suspicious circumstances, and it is extremely uncommon with my experience as a law enforcement investigator that a significant other not be apart of that process to locate that missing person,” said Crawford.
The Chattanooga Police Department obtained a search warrant for Chen's phone and grey Toyota Camry, which was towed back to Hamilton County as evidence. A forensic download was done on Chen's phone using Cellebrite, allowing investigators to see everything on the device from texts to images. Records show Chen called Pace the morning of November 22. A iMessage was sent from Chen's phone to Pace's phone on November 23, but it was a green text, indicating Pace's phone was off.
Crawford explained Chattanooga's Real Time Intelligence Center, RTIC, a surveillance system with more than 100 cameras across the city. Crawford pulled RTIC surveillance video from November 22 and 23, showing someone who is believed to be Chen walking down Tremont Street with a suitcase, showing someone who is believed to be Chen driving what looks like Pace's vehicle, and an unknown vehicle dropping someone who is believed to be Chen off at his apartment on Tremont Street.
Crawford was cross examined by Morrison about the potential contamination of the crime scene.
"Were there errors made in this case?," asked Morrison.
"There are human errors in every case," said Crawford.
Were there a lot made in this case?," asked Morrison.
"I don't think so," said Crawford.
"Do you believe the crime scene was pristine when you got there?," asked Morrison.
"No, the only way a crime scene could be pristine is if we have full control of that scene from the beginning," said Crawford.
The seventh witness was Chen's downstairs neighbor, Doug Lynch, who had a ring camera that captured Chen leaving the complex multiple times on November 23. Lynch turned in six videos to the Chattanooga Police Department.
The eight witness was Chattanooga Police Detective Stephen Bulkley, who wrote the search warrant for Chen's phone records. The location data from Chen's phone led officers to Suck Creek Road, where they found Pace's body, wrapped in three black trash bags, and put inside of a suitcase.
"I could feel what was consistent with a human head, shoulders, and a torso. At that point, we were even more certain we had found Jasmine Pace," said Bulkley.
The third day of the trial began with the ninth witness, Chattanooga Police Department Crime Scene Investigator, Michele Johnson. Johnson was the lead investigator for the search of Chen's apartment, and also searched Pace's home.
Johnson said there were no significant signs of forced entry to Chen's front door.
Johnson went through the evidence found in Chen's apartment including stained carpet, some of Chen's clothes, and shoes. Areas in the apartment were marked for potential blood spots.
Johnson explains the reaction she observed from the Bluestar testing.
"It's probably the most I've seen in a reaction from BlueStar," said Johnson.
Bluestar is a presumptive test, and further testing must be done to confirm the presence of blood. Some cleaning supplies, like bleach, can cause a reaction. Bleach was not found at Chen's apartment.
Johnson was present for a second search of Chen's apartment after workers renovating the unit found potential blood stains on the sub-flooring.
The trunk of Chen's Toyota Camry had indentions on the trunk liner. Johnson says she could not eliminate the possibility that a suitcase could have caused those marks.
The tenth witness was Chattanooga Police Department Crime Scene Investigator Kristen Shubert, who was called in to help document evidence, including to help process Chen's Toyota Camry.
Shubert explains once the suitcase arrived at the medical examiner's office, each layer of trash bags were removed and photographed. Pace's body was bound with both handcuffs and shackles.
The eleventh witness was Chattanooga Police Department Crime Scene Investigator Greg Mardis, who documented the scene and took DNA swab samples from Catrina Bean and Travis Pace. Mardis took items of Pace that would potentially have DNA on them. Mardis transported multiple pieces of evidence to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation for testing.
The twelfth witness was Chattanooga Police Department Crime Scene Investigator Jerry McElroy, who transported the second batch of evidence to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation.
The thirteenth witness was the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation Digital Forensic Unit Special Agent Rachel Bakaletz, who processed Pace's SIM card.
The fourth day began with the fourteenth witness, Hamilton County Medical Examiner and forensic pathologist Dr. Steven Cogswell, admitted as an expert witness, who performed Pace's autopsy on December 1, 2022.
Cogswell estimated that Pace's body contained roughly four quarts of blood, and that loosing 40% of that would likely cause death. He noted Pace's wounds were concentrated to one side of her body, and she was bounded with handcuffs and shackles.
"These are not the typical law-enforcement handcuffs. These are cheap, chrome-plated," explained Cogswell.
Cogswell testified that Pace was likely stabbed on one side of her body, in the fetal position, and rolled over onto that side, causing the large carpet stain found in Chen's apartment. Cogswell says the large portion of blood missing from Pace's body is consistent with the size of the stains on the carpet.
"The stain is extremely consistent with her body as found," said Cogswell.
Pace had injuries to her neck consistent with strangulation, but Cogswell could not tell for certain if she was strangled.
Cogswell says he did not find any food, medicine, or odor of alcohol in Pace's stomach. A test of THC was cancelled due to "interfering substances," so it could not be confirmed or denied if she had THC in her system. No other substances were detected.
The fifteenth witness was the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation Forensic Scientist Special Agent, Kim Lowe, admitted as an expert witness in DNA analysis. Lowe confirmed the carpet stains found in Chen's apartment were Pace's blood.
The fifth day began with the sixteenth witness, Hamilton County Sheriff's Office fingerprint technician Jennifer Moody, who testified on the office's process of taking the fingerprints of every person arrested.
The seventeenth witness was former Automated Fingerprint Identification System (AFIS) Unit Sergeant and Certified Latent Print Examiner, Lieutenant David Franklin, who was admitted as an expert witness.
Franklin explains there are two different methods used nationwide to process fingerprints, powder and cyanoacrylate fuming.
Latent prints are unintentional fingerprints gathered usually from sweat, oils, or contaminations on the skin. There are different qualities with latent prints due to various different factors. Latent prints were recovered from two of the three trash bags Pace was found in, and identified as Chen's prints.
"I did a thorough analysis and I came to one conclusion, these prints were made by Jason Chen," says Franklin.
The eighteenth witness was current Chattanooga Police Department Automated Fingerprint Identification System (AFIS) Unit Sergeant, William Salyers, who is also a certified latent print examiner and admitted as an expert witness. Salyers job was to try to disprove Franklin's findings, but he was unsuccessful.
The next witness was the District Attorney's Office Investigator Mark Hamilton, admitted as an expert witness in digital forensics and radio frequency engineering. Hamilton was asked to review Pace's and Chen's cell phone download and carrier records data.
Hamilton went through the GPS data and where each phone was pinging in the days after Pace went missing, the prosecution pairing Hamilton's findings with video evidence. Hamilton says GPS phone data is very accurate, while pinging off of a cell phone tower is not as accurate.
On the sixth day, the state rested its case. The defense began with their witnesses.
The defense's first witness was Chen's downstairs neighbor, Courtney Paglino -Brewer, at the time of Pace's murder. Brewer says she remembers being jolted awake by a loud scream in the early morning hours of November 23, 2022, around 2am.
"I checked my phone to see the time, I was about to call 911," said Brewer.
Brewer recalls hearing a female voice screaming, footsteps running towards the front door, and crying but felt the situation calmed down and did not call the police.
Brewer reached out to police days later after seeing the missing persons poster for Pace and seeing her last known location was that apartment on social media. Brewer was then interviewed by police and a private investigator.
“Approximately how long after you heard the scream did you hear the garbage disposal?,” asked Wamp.
“Probably about an hour,” answered Brewer.
“Approximately how long after the scream did you hear the washing machine?,” asked Wamp.
“The washing machine and the garbage disposal were around the same time, they were running in tandem,” answered Brewer.
“Approximately how long after the scream did you hear the TV come on?,” asked Wamp.
“That was sooner, maybe 20 minutes,” answered Brewer.
“20 minutes after the scream, a TV came on in the apartment above yours?, asked Wamp.
“Yes,” answered Brewer.
“You testified about a door slamming. Would you describe it as a door from inside the apartment right above your or the door coming into the front door?” asked Wamp.
“I would say the front door, the front door slams a little bit louder,” answered Brewer.
The defense's second witness is Pace's father, Travis Pace, who says he spoke to multiple people living at the Tremont Street complex before arriving at Chen's unit. Pace says he lifted the handle of Chen's door and was able to get inside. He testified that once he found some of his daughter's belongings, he called police.
Pace says he was not notified that the defense had subpoenaed him as a witness until he showed up for the first day of the trial.
An image of Jasmine Pace was posted to her Facebook page on November 26, 2022. Her father says it was not a photo she would have posted herself.
"It was the match that lit this on fire, because it was not a modest photograph. Anyone that knew Jasmine knew she would not have posted that," said Pace.
Pace said the photo did not have her current tattoos.
"I'm sorry to have to show you this photo, but do you recognize it?" asked Wamp.
"I do," replied Pace.
"Is this your daughter?" asked Wamp.
"It was," said Pace, his voice breaking.
The defense's third witness was crime scene investigation expert Johnny Lawrence, admitted as an expert witness in crime scene reconstruction and blood pattern interpretation.
Lawrence said he first went to Chen's apartment to take photographs of the scene in December 9, 2022. He testified that not all guidelines were followed when using Bluestar, and that investigators should have done a presumptive blood test like hemastix before Bluestar.
Lawrence testified due to a potential blood stain on bed sheets found in Chen's room, there is a possibility Pace was not bound at the time she was stabbed.
Jury instructions were read to the jurors, and they were told they could use any notes they had taken as reference for themselves, but could not read their direct notes to other jurors. Jurors were not allowed to take notes from closing arguments, since closing arguments are not evidence.
Moyle delivered closing arguments for the state, walking the jury through the timeline of events and reminding them of evidence in the case. Moyle says Chen's actions show his demeanor.
"Everything he does is calm. It's collected, and most importantly it's rational. Everything he does is to a point and that's to escape capture," said Moyle.
Morrison delivered closing arguments for the defense, claiming the opposite, that Chen's actions were not rational.
"Cleaning a scene after the fact does not give you premeditation, removing Jasmine's body, shackling her, putting her in garbage bags and putting her into the suitcase and discarding her on the riverbanks does not give you premeditation," said Morrison.
Wamp delivered the rebuttal, pointing out the mistakes and attempting to poke holes in Chen's team's defense.
"The opening statement from the defense was meant to confuse you. It was meant to have you thinking about other things and possible defenses that the state disproved. Not only did you not hear evidence of what they said in their opening statements. The state outright disproved it. That's why you don't hear it today," said Wamp.
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2025
January
Motorcycle driver killed in single-vehicle crashTBI investigating deadly deputy-involved shooting at local Publix locationDriver rams New Year's revelers in New Orleans, killing at least 10. FBI investigating as 'act of terrorism'TVA winter prep, saving energy tipsLakesite man arrested, arson and possession of Molotov cocktailUPDATE: Car that veered over side of East Brow Road still unrecoveredCold weather car preparationNew Tennessee license requirement for certain state residentsDog helps save North Chattanooga family from early morning fireLee University mourns passing of veteran faculty, Coach Kay McDanielCleveland City Board of Education meeting recapBradley County Commission meeting recapBradley Trustee's Office receives positive state audit for 2023-2024 fiscal yearDownload Mix 104.1 App for winter weather updatesTDOT preparing Tennessee Valley for possible winter weather this weekBonnaroo Music & Arts Festival Unveils 2025 LineupCohutta mobile home fire kills grandmother, mother, and young childrenCar crashes into Etowah Nutrition storeSerious car crash on Highway 153 Thursday eveningFood City in Cleveland celebrating Grand Opening of pharmacyTEMA holds media briefing to discuss winter storm preparationsRecent snowfall helps HCSO arrest wanted fugitive from GeorgiaCleveland State's Mark E. Smith Performance Center Grand Opening to be held on WednesdayMan arrested for shooting at family playing in snowBradley County Commission meeting recapSearch warrant reveals multiple containers of fentanyl, Sweetwater man arrestedCleveland City Council meeting recapOpponents of Governor Bill Lee's school voucher bill holding rally in Hamilton CountyWater main break shuts down part of Shallowford Rd. for 24-hoursLocal state senator coauthors bill to ban electronic devices in Tennessee classrooms46-year-old woman killed in crash on Apison PikeWoman & man found dead after shooting in Rhea Co. WednesdayLee University to honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.Bradley County School Board meeting recapCleveland Mayor Kevin Brooks delivers State of the City addressTwo TN lawmakers agree to sponsor bill to change state's statute of limitations on some privacy lawsPOST Commission approves deal allowing Grundy Co. Sheriff to keep certificationDalton man arrested after shooting at woman, SWAT standoffTrump taps former TN education commissioner Penny Schwinn as next US Deputy Secretary of EducationCPD investigates pedestrian killed on Highway 153; truck slams into TDOT vehicle on sceneGarden Plaza hosts Warming Hearts Coat DriveHamilton County woman fighting to get husband out of prisonLee University's Presidential Concert Series to present Alan Wyatt Jazz EnsembleSweetwater woman arrested and charged with murder and elderly abuseBradley County deputies arrest suspect in attempted burglary at CBD storeJason Chen sentenced to life in prison without parole for murder of Jasmine PaceSettlement reached in Family Dollar Stores rodent-infested products investigation in TNCleveland City Schools Board of Education opposes Gov. Lee's Education Freedom ActBradley County Commission meeting recap
2024
July
Cleveland State - Advanced Business ProgramThe Learning College - TCPSCleveland City Councilman Dale R. Hughes honored with title of ColonelTennessee’s tax-free weekend provides opportunity to save money on back-to-school shoppingBystanders pull Bradley County crash victim from car before it burst into flamesCrews battle two fires inside Dayton chemical packaging company SaturdayESC en Mezcla TV 08-02-24
August
UPDATE: THP identifies the driver whose car went into Parksville LakeLee’s Dr. Murray receives COG Distinguished Educator AwardCleveland City Schools & Bradley Co. Schools back-to-school schedulesBradley County Commission meeting recapCleveland City School Board meeting recapOoltewah home destroyed in early morning fireTennessee announced as first state to provide families with free diapers, amid new TennCare benefitPolk County residents concerned after picture showing decaying bridge pillar surfacesTwo Bradley Co. Schools educators nominated for TN Principal / Supervisor of the Year awardsSearch continues for missing juvenile in ClevelandCity of Cleveland announces revised hours for public pools for rest of seasonAll Bradley Co. Schools students eligible for free meals for 2024-25 school yearAthens drug best leads to arrest, seizure of drugs, guns, cash and explosivesUPDATE: Body found, believed to be missing Grundy Co. manTVA to upgrade technology and relocate operations system to Georgetown, TNInfant found dead in unattended car in Collegedale; father charged with reckless homicideBradley County Commission work session recapCleveland City Council meeting recapHCSO School Resource Deputy involved in head-on collision on Hwy. 58 in Meigs Co.Cleveland City Schools announces passing of longtime educator, Barbara EctorTN celebrating three consecutive months of record-low unemploymentDBJ Realty and J-&-S Restaurants, Inc. file lawsuit against new Food City on Highway 411 in Polk Co.Bradley County Commission meeting recapState of Tennessee begins issuing newly designed driver licenses & ID cardsUnemployment rates drop in a majority of Tennessee counties“RARE INCIDENT” Cleveland construction worker dies trapped 9 feet under trenchHigh School Football Schedules 2024UPDATE: TOSHA now investigating fatal trench collapseWalmart recalls apple juice sold in 25 states due to elevated arsenic levelsUPDATE: Man faces murder charge after woman's body found in Athens church fireCollegedale police arrest woman for using drugs with children in carUPDATE: All three victims dead after Cleveland house fireCyclist dies in crash on South Lee HighwayCleveland City Council meeting recapBradley County Commission meeting recapTVA plans to increase power rates to 5.25% this fallStudent arrested for carrying stolen, loaded handgun at Howard High SchoolAuto theft suspect arrested after police chase on Hwy 153; stolen car recoveredChancellor Jerri S. Bryant denies 10th Judicial District Attorney Elect Stephen Hatchett's petition to take office before term beginsCleveland State to receive GIVE grant from state8 school threats reported in first 3 weeks of school in Tennessee ValleyUPDATE: Chattanooga State Confirms Campus is SafeUPDATE: “Potential gunman” threatened to harm Chatt State students if payment not receivedManhunt underway for man who fired shots at deputies