Day 2 of the trial: Tennessee v. Jason Chen

The murder trial for Jasmine Pace

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WARNING: contains graphic images

Sequestration is not just about physical isolation—it’s about carrying the weight of a case that changes you. In Episode 3 of Sequestered, Sara (Juror #11) takes listeners deeper into the day-to-day life of a sequestered juror, the overwhelming forensic evidence against Jason Chen, and the painstaking investigative work that led to his arrest. With each new piece of evidence, the puzzle of Jasmine Pace’s murder becomes clearer. But for the jurors, the emotional impact of their duty grows heavier with every passing day.

Sketch of Sequestered hotel room (by Juror #11)

The Daily Life of a Sequestered Juror

Jurors in the Jason Chen trial followed a strict, regimented routine:

6:00 AM: Wake up, get dressed, and prepare for another day of trial proceedings.
Breakfast: A quiet meal with fellow jurors, forming unexpected bonds.
Courtroom Shuttle: Escorted by deputies, cut off from phones and outside communication.
Trial Proceedings: Hours of testimony, surveillance footage, and forensic evidence.
Evenings: Limited activities back at their accommodations, with nothing to do but reflect.

Sara describes how, over time, these strangers became a family—bound together by a devastating case and an unshakable responsibility. But while jurors were grappling with their own isolation, they were also unraveling the truth of how Jasmine Pace’s life was stolen from her.

The Forensic Puzzle: Uncovering the Crime Scene

Investigators searched Jason Chen’s apartment at 110 Tremont Street and uncovered a horrifying scene:

Blood stains illuminated by Blue Star (a forensic chemical similar to luminol), revealing traces of Jasmine’s blood throughout the living room, bathroom, and bedroom.

Jason Chen's bathroom illuminated with Blue Star, which detects blood

Here is investigator Zack Crawford walking through the crime scene:

Investigator Zack Crawford described noticing several pieces of clothing with what appeared to be blood in a dumpster outside Chen’s Tremont Street apartment, including:

Blue jeans and white sneakers, both bloodstained.
A sanitary pad soaked in blood, raising disturbing questions.

Items found by the Chattanooga Police Department outside the dumpsters at 100 Tremont

Comparison of the shoes Jason Chen wore in the video footage from Walmart compared to the shoes found next to the dumpster.

Dumpsters located outside of 110 Tremont

Jason Chen’s Arrest and the Evidence He Left Behind

On November 28th, Crawford requested a search warrant for Chen’s cellphone data, which revealed his phone was located at his parents’ home in Nolensville, Tennessee, near Nashville.

A photo presented to the jury shows Chen’s arrest at his parents’ home in Nolensville, Tennessee, near Nashville. Investigator Zack Crawford described Chen’s demeanor as “more defensive and calm." Photo: WTVC — A photo presented to the jury shows Chen’s arrest at his parents’ home in Nolensville, Tennessee, near Nashville. Investigator Zack Crawford described Chen’s demeanor as “more defensive and calm." **Photo: WTVC**

That’s where officers, including Investigator Crawford, caught up with Chen.

Investigators executed a search warrant at Jason Chen’s parents’ home in Nolensville, Tennessee, where they uncovered more damning evidence.

*Photo of the room Chen was staying in at his parent's home in Nolensville, Tennessee. Photo: WTVC*

📱 Chen’s iPhone – revealing deleted text messages and altered timestamps, hinting at an attempt to rewrite the past.

Jason Chen's phone found in a red box in the room he was staying in at his parent's home in Nolensville, Tennessee

📝 Handwritten notes – suggesting Chen was crafting a story before speaking to law enforcement. Investigators say they found a handwritten note in his bedroom titled 'The last time I saw her.' Crawford testified that they found handwritten notes in Chen's bedroom at his parents' home.

They said:

"Saturday Nov 19 last time I saw her
Tuesday Nov 22nd last time she called
She has a history (marked out) long history of running away from her parents, ran away to Canada, has a restraining order against her ex"

post it notes on a bulletin board — A screenshot during the trial of the handwritten notes found at Jason Chen's parents' house in the room he was staying in after his arrest.

📱 Jasmine’s SIM card – found hidden inside an eyeglasses case, raising chilling questions about Chen’s attempts to erase her digital presence.

Jasmine Pace's SIM Card was found in Jason Chen's possession.

Crawford then disclosed the findings from Chen’s cellphone investigation.

He reviewed records detailing the frequency of communication between Chen and Pace, including one hour-long call.

Prosecutors presented a screenshot of a text message Chen sent to Pace on November 23, 2022—one day after she was last seen.

*Included in the screen shot is a picture of a Starbucks matcha. But an investigator testified that metadata shows the picture was actually taken in July of 2021.Image: WTVC*

The prosecution’s case grew stronger with each discovery, and Jason Chen’s story unraveled further.

🔬 Forensic delays proved frustrating—a backlog in forensic testing meant crucial evidence took time to process. But what they did have pointed overwhelmingly to one conclusion: Jason Chen was attempting to cover up a brutal crime.

The Surveillance Footage That Told the Truth

In a city monitored by over 3,000 security cameras, investigators painstakingly reconstructed Chen’s movements:

📹 Surveillance footage from Arctic cameras showed Jasmine entering Chen’s apartment parking lot —but never leaving.

Jasmine arrived at 110 Tremont just before midnight on November 22, 2022

Footage captured Chen purchasing cleaning supplies shortly after Jasmine’s disappearance.

Jason Chen checking out at Walmart the morning after Jasmine Pace went missing

Another juror asked Investigator Crawford whether Chen had any visible injuries at the time of his arrest—specifically, and that might explain the bandages he purchased at Walmart.

Crawford responded that he observed what he described as "knife slippage" on Chen’s right palm. He explained that when a knife is used repeatedly, it can become slippery, and the wound on Chen’s hand appeared consistent with that scenario.

Another juror inquired about the use of BlueStar technology to detect traces of blood, asking whether Crawford could pinpoint the exact location in Chen’s apartment where Pace was killed. Crawford’s response:

I believe the main portion of of where the stabbings occurred in that apartment is the tiled part of the bathroom.

Prosecutors then called Doug Lynch, a resident of the Tremont Street apartments and a neighbor of Chen.

*Doug Lynch, a neighbor of Jason Chen's, testifies that he captured Chen on his Ring camera on the night of November 22nd. Photo: WTVC*

Lynch testified that on November 27th, Pace’s mother, Catrina Bean, approached him to ask if he had any Ring camera footage that could help with the investigation.

He also shared that he knew Jason Chen before Pace’s murder, recalling that Chen once asked him where the mailboxes were when he first moved in. Lynch noted that he occasionally interacted with Chen, typically about once a month in the hallway.

The Most Devastating Discovery: Jasmine’s Body

When Detective Stephen Bulkley took the stand, the courtroom fell silent. He described in harrowing detail the moment Jasmine’s body was recovered in a suitcase on Suck Creek Road.

Bulkley testified about obtaining Chen’s phone records through a search warrant while Jasmine Pace was still classified as missing and her body had yet to be discovered.

He explained to the jury that he retrieved Chen’s phone data from Verizon, which revealed that Chen traveled along Suck Creek on the evening of November 23rd.

Detective Steven Bulkley describes how he and other officers located the suitcase containing Pace's body. Photo Credit: WTVC

Bulkley noted that Chen briefly stopped at a specific location on Suck Creek Road before turning around. He suggested that this stop could indicate the possible location where Jasmine’s body might be found. Bulkley testified that within 30 seconds of officers arriving on the scene, they spotted a suitcase that was about 10 to 15 feet up from the waterline of the Tennessee River.

Chattanooga Police Dept finding the suitcase

After retrieving the suitcase, which "took some effort," Bulkley said he carefully opened it.

🎥 The courtroom watched footage from an investigator’s phone, showing the crime scene—an image that jurors would never forget.

Sara and her fellow jurors absorbed the full weight of the case—this wasn’t just forensic analysis or legal arguments. This was a life lost in the most horrific way.

When I unzipped the suitcase I saw a black trash bag inside. I wasn’t able to identify the contents. Because I had gloves on, I could feel what was consistent with a human head and torso.

Reflections and the Road Ahead

As Episode 3 closes, Sara shares her reflections on:

⚖️ The responsibility of seeking justice—understanding the finality of their decision. The emotional toll—from grieving with Jasmine’s family to grappling with the harsh realities of violence.📍 Visiting key locations—Sara and the podcast team visit Suck Creek Road, attempting to understand the scene of the crime firsthand.

Sara and her producer visiting Suck Creek Road about a week after the trial ended

What’s Next? The Most Damning Evidence Yet

In Episode 4, the case takes an even darker turn:

More forensic breakthroughs—what investigators found during a renovation of Chen’s former apartment.
The defense fights back—how Chen’s attorneys attempt to shift the narrative.
A deeper dive into the mind of a killer—what Chen’s own words and actions reveal about his state of mind.

The dots are connecting. Justice for Jasmine is within reach.

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Website: sequesteredpod.comFull Coverage of Day 2 of the Trial is here:

Episode 3 – Connecting the Dots