Episode 4 Transcript
Inside the Crime Scene

Sequestered: A Juror’s Perspective on the Murder Trial of Jasmine Pace 

Episode 4: Inside the Crime Scene

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Before we begin, please be advised that this episode contains graphic descriptions of violence as presented during the trial. Please take care while listening.

It's Wednesday, January 15, 2025. By now, we the jurors, are moving into the routine of our new job. The lobby call at our hotel has become a steady expectation, and once we're in our jury room at the courthouse, everyone just kind of moves into their spot. I think by this point, we had all gotten a taste for the task at hand. There was no exiting this scenario. It was just time to move in and do the job. After all, it was only day three of the trial.

A knock at the door signaled it was time. We gathered our things, lined up, and took the solemn walk across the hallway into the courtroom. The door of the courtroom held open by one of our deputies as we stepped inside. Everyone was standing as we made our way into the jury box. I made it to my seat in the front row, third chair in.

I mentioned in a previous episode that 14 of the blue office-style jury chairs were bolted to the ground, seven in the front row and seven in the back. But there were 16 jurors sitting through this trial. The four alternates wouldn't be selected until just before the deliberation phase. So, that meant two extra chairs had to be added to accommodate all 16 of us.

A matching, free-standing blue office chair on wheels sat at the end of each row. The back row's extra chair stayed put throughout the trial, but the front row—that was a different story. The way the jury box was designed meant that the extra chair had to be added after we all took our seats.

Every single time we entered the room, 15 of us would file in—with the entire courtroom standing, mind you—and quietly take our seats in the utter silence that filled the air. And then: clunk. A bailiff would maneuver the final 30-pound rolling blue office chair into the last block of space in the front row of the jury box, then the last juror was finally able to take her seat. This too had become part of the routine.

But today felt different. When we stepped into the courtroom this time, my eyes immediately went to the floor in front of the jury box, where a large blue tarp had been laid out, covering the space just feet from where I would take my seat. I didn't know exactly what was coming, but I knew one thing: Today, we were stepping into the crime scene.

Episode Four: Inside the Crime Scene

There was blood everywhere. Smeared behind the couch, on the door frame, spattered on the wall, and soaked into the tile grout and carpet. CSI Michelle Johnson described the Blue Star reaction as one of the strongest she’d ever seen.

Prosecutor Moyle: “How would you describe the Blue Star reaction that you yourself observed inside this kitchen?”
Johnson: “Really intense and long in duration. It was... probably the most I've ever seen on a reaction.
Yes, strong Blue Star reaction in the bathroom?”
Prosecutor Moyle: “Yes. Was there a strong Blue Star reaction in the bedroom?”
Johnson: “Yes.”

The prosecution displayed a diagram of Chen’s apartment, depicting the layout of the unit, along with a couple of dozen circled numbers. Each number represented a marker that pointed to a piece of evidence.
Leading the questioning was Chief Homicide Prosecutor Paul Moyle, working in tandem with Michelle Johnson to methodically present the crime scene evidence. Tall and slender, with short reddish-blond hair and a neatly trimmed beard, Moyle had the air of a prosecutor who had spent years dissecting cases just like this one.

Dressed in a sharp three-piece gray suit, a crisp white button-down, and a navy blue tie, he exuded quiet authority—polished, prepared, and precise. If Johnson was the steady, unshakable witness, Moyle was her perfect counterpart: relentless, measured, and razor-sharp in his approach. He didn’t grandstand or overplay his hand. Instead, he guided Johnson through the evidence with the confidence of a prosecutor who knew exactly how to build his case, brick by brick.

With a nod, he now directed her attention to a large evidence box sitting on the floor just outside of the witness stand. Inside was a seven-foot section of blood-stained carpet cut straight from the floor of Jason Chen’s apartment.

Prosecutor Moyle asked CSI Johnson to open the large evidence box. She stepped out of the witness stand, picked up a pair of scissors, and began unsealing the box. With Moyle’s help, the large piece of carpet, along with its blue under padding, was unfolded and laid out on the tarp just steps in front of the jury box.

The stain was massive, roughly the size of a body curled in the fetal position. It saturated the carpet like a dark, haunting shadow of what had happened there. The blood, deep reddish-brown and oxidized with time, had not just soaked in but seeped through, penetrating both the carpet and the padding beneath it. This wasn’t just a surface stain. It had saturated and pooled all the way to the subfloor. In the last episode, during Investigator Crawford’s testimony, crime scene photos made it impossible to ignore this grim reality. We saw each of these layers peeled back—the carpet lifted and the under padding removed—until the final imprint was revealed: blood pooled on the wooden floorboard beneath, a silent witness to the violence that had unfolded in that very spot.

With this section of carpet now laying on the floor of the courtroom, Judge Patterson invited the jury to stand for a better perspective. I pushed myself up, leaning over the edge of the jury box. From this angle, I could see the underside of the carpet facing up where the stain was most clearly visible.

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The section of carpet was at least seven feet wide, and Jasmine’s blood filled more than half of the space. The sheer scale of it was staggering. Later in the trial, the medical examiner would confirm that nearly every ounce of Jasmine’s blood had drained from her body. Even without that knowledge, in this moment, I stood there staring at the evidence, unable to shake a single overwhelming thought: How much blood would it take to create a stain this big?

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News Clip

Latricia Thomas: “Okay, here's a picture of the carpet that they brought out here. I want to bring in now News Channel 9’s Meg Doyle. Meg, can you hear me?”

Meg Doyle: “Yes, I can. Can you hear me?”

Latricia Thomas: “We can, thank you. So, talk to me a little bit, Meg, about what was going on in the courtroom when this large piece of carpet that the prosecution says has blood on it was unwrapped and shown to the jury and everybody in the courtroom.”

Meg Doyle: “Absolutely. So, when they brought out this large piece of carpet, obviously people sitting in the general audience couldn’t really see it. But the judge allowed the jury to stand up so they could fully evaluate the carpet, get a good look at it. The entire duration that the carpet was pulled out, Michelle Johnson, the CSI witness who was on the stand, testified that this carpet, the entirety of the stain, was just over five feet. And then there’s the one main stain, which is kind of just smack dab in the middle there. That stain alone is three and a half feet by 32 inches. So, obviously a very substantial stain there.”

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“She also mentioned that the crime scene investigators did not pick up on this the first time they entered Jason Chen’s apartment during their initial search because his bed was over this portion. And due to the poor lighting in his apartment, they were not able to see that there was a stain. This stain actually seeped through the carpet into the under layer, all the way to the floor. So, obviously, it seeped through multiple layers, which shows just how substantial of a stain this was.”

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“When the apartment complex conducted renovations, they said they had to completely renovate Mr. Chen’s entire apartment because the damage was just too substantial. There was too much cleanup. They said it would just be easier to demolish everything and restart with that unit. So, during that process, they were moving everything out and came upon this stain. They immediately stopped what they were doing, called the investigators, and the investigators requested that the apartment stop all their work until they could get back out there and assess this. And obviously, this is a large piece of evidence. So, thankfully, the apartment complex did speak up when they saw something.”

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I also want to mention the glass fragments. Small shards were found in the living room. The jury watched as these fragments were admitted into evidence, and when I say they were tiny, I mean minute. The defense argued in their opening statement that Jasmine attacked Chen, first with a wine bottle, then with a broken wine glass. But as CSI Johnson prepared to reveal this evidence, the reality told a different story. Using scissors, Johnson carefully opened a small envelope and emptied the tiny glass particles onto a black piece of paper at Moyle’s request. She folded the paper into a makeshift bowl, then passed it to him.

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With deliberate steps, Moyle carried it over to the projector. Now magnified on the screen, the courtroom could finally see them— the so-called fragments of a violent struggle. Being generous here, there were maybe 10 pieces of glass, the largest no more than a few centimeters in diameter, and the rest practically dust. Then came Moyle’s response.

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Now, onto Chen’s car—a 2018 gray Toyota Camry sitting parked in the impound lot, silent and unassuming. But investigators knew better. If there was nothing to hide, why go to such lengths to conceal it in his parents’ garage?

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Forensic teams combed through every inch of the vehicle, dusting for fingerprints, swabbing surfaces, and documenting any trace of evidence. The exterior, the handles, the seats—nothing was overlooked. Overall, the car looked pretty clean. But it was the trunk that held their attention.

The trunk’s rubber mat showed unmistakable tracks—parallel streaks of dirt imprinted across its surface, marks that looked eerily similar to the path left by suitcase wheels. With the jury watching, investigators conducted a side-by-side comparison. Once again, the suitcase Jasmine’s remains were found in was presented.

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Wearing gloves, Moyle held the suitcase at a horizontal angle so the wheels faced the jury. Standing next to him, Johnson held up the trunk liner, comparing the wheels of the suitcase with the imprints on the mat. The realization settled over the room like a heavy weight, proving this was more than just a theory.

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Moyle: “Marked measurements on here, and were they consistent in size?”

Johnson: “Yes.”

Moyle: “Were they consistent in the pattern of the two wheels?”

Johnson: “Yes.”

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Finally, the prosecution introduced a blood spot card—a crucial genetic reference used in forensic testing. This small card contained a preserved sample of Jasmine Pace’s blood, collected for DNA comparison against evidence found at the crime scene. Investigators used it to confirm whether blood stains in Chen’s apartment or on any of the other key items collected matched Jasmine’s DNA.

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But the defense wasn’t satisfied. Defense Attorney Weiss pushed back, questioning the collection process and raising concerns about possible contamination, planting seeds of doubt before the jury.

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Weiss: “So, officers walked through, and they couldn't have contaminated?”

CSI Johnson: “No, if there's video of people going into the crime scene. But I think that's important to do your job, isn't it?”

Weiss: “Would it be harder?”

CSI Johnson: “We would speak with officers, and we asked officers anything that went through anything like that. But they normally tell us if anything has been moved. In this case, nobody had informed us that anything had been moved.”

Weiss also questioned how the Blue Star test was applied, reminding the jury that it’s only a presumptive test, not definitive proof of blood.

Weiss: “So, other than sending off the test swabs, did you do any other scientific tests to confirm that this was blood?”

CSI Johnson: “Just the result of the test. But yes, we had a control test based on the invisible blood that also illuminated. That’s accurate testing.”

Weiss pointed out what he felt was a critical gap in the investigation—not all of the evidence was tested.

Weiss: “Is it true that not all the evidence collected in this investigation was tested?”

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But General Moyle had one more piece of evidence—receipts. Walgreens. Walmart. Isopropyl alcohol, Bounty paper towels, hydrogen peroxide—all purchased on November 23, 2022, the day Jasmine disappeared. The debit card used for these purchases? It matched the one found in Jason Chen’s wallet.

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And then, one final unsettling fact: a box of trash bags that should have held 40 now contained only 11 or 12. We already know that Jasmine’s body had been wrapped in three layers. So, where were the other bags?

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Okay, I get it. We don’t know exactly when Chen purchased that box or how many had already been used before the night of November 22. But sitting in that courtroom, it was impossible to ignore the unspoken question hanging in the air: What happened to the rest of the bags?

After my sequestration, when my producer and I went back to Chattanooga to visit the location sites mentioned during the trial, we ended up sitting in the parking lot of the Walmart that Chen was seen visiting. Before leaving, we decided to take a drive around the rear of the building to get an idea of their dumpster situation.

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We already know that the dumpsters at the Lofts at Tremont were thoroughly searched, and no trash bags containing cleanup efforts were collected. There was a whole lot of blood in his apartment, and Jason had a big mess to clean up. I want to know where he disposed of all that material.

I wondered if he took it with him on one of those trips to Walmart. Here’s a clip of my producer and I counting the dumpsters behind Walmart on that day.

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Producer: “Okay, so now we’re gonna go look for dumpsters at the Walmart, just in case. There’s so many questions I wish I would have asked now that I’m on this side of the case, and this is one of them. Not only... was there any footage captured from Walmart’s parking lot of Jason Chen sitting in the parking lot? Secondly, were any dumpsters searched or looked through? It may have been totally irrelevant at that point because, you know, footage may have been obtained much later.

Dumpsters may have been dumped by then. I don’t know, but there could have been footage potentially. So, we’re going to see what kind of dumpsters could be around.”

Sara: “We did talk to one person who thought the dumpsters would be locked up. So, let’s just go see what it looks like.”

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Producer: “Okay, there’s a set of dumpsters over here too. Okay, yep, so there’s two dumpsters over here to the right. There’s... there’s one dumpster up against the side wall of Walmart. The ones on the right don’t even look like they belong to Walmart, so he could have easily put them there. And as we’re turning the corner to go on the backside of Walmart, there are... one, two, three, four dumpsters lined up that he could have had access to.”

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Sara: “And then on the other side, opposite of the rear of Walmart, is a wooded area which could have easily had anything discarded over there. So, the knife has never been found, the phone has never been found. Bloody towels—any of this kind of stuff has never been discovered. So, who knows if that has ended up in a landfill somewhere by now, or if it was cast over into the woods somewhere? Who knows.”

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Next to the stand, prosecutors called Crime Scene Investigator Kristen Schubert. Schubert was one of the CSI experts assigned to the search of 110 Tremont Street on November 28, 2022. Her role in this search was to apply the Blue Star forensic agent, a chemical designed to react with traces of blood. These results were clearly seen in numerous evidence photos presented thus far in the trial, but the defense was ready to poke holes in Schubert's findings.

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Could the reaction have been caused by bleach? No bleach was found in the apartment. But here's a key detail: no second test was performed to confirm that the substance was blood.

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Schubert: "Blue Star is a chemiluminescence agent, and investigators use it to help identify areas of interest where blood may not be visible to the naked eye. When applied, it reacts with the iron in blood. If there's a positive reaction, you'll see a light blue glow. It is then documented with photographs, and swabs of those areas are taken for further testing."

Prosecutor: "Have you received specialized training on the application?"

Schubert: "Yes. We have received training on the application through the National Forensics Academy."

Prosecutor: "So, are there other substances besides iron in blood that can cause a Blue Star reaction?"

Schubert: "There are some false positives with Blue Star, such as ferret blood—which is the odd thing—certain root vegetables, and some cleaning products."

Prosecutor: "Let's focus on cleaning products."

Schubert: "There are all kinds of different ones. Bleach, in particular, will give a false positive. However, the reaction looks different than that of blood."

Prosecutor: "How does it look different?"

Schubert: "Depending on how soon it's been applied, sometimes it can look more white. It's not quite as intense or as long-lasting as the glow you might get from blood. You’ll see it, and then it will fade rather quickly. And like I said, sometimes it’s not quite as blue—more of a light, very, very light blue reaction."

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Next, the prosecution walked Schubert through the details of blood spatter patterns and directionality, carefully analyzing the evidence. Among the items collected was a gray long-sleeve sweatshirt removed from Chen’s apartment.

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Investigators also turned their attention to Jasmine’s car, a white Chevy Equinox, the same vehicle found abandoned on Mountain Creek Road. Every inch was examined, searching for anything that could piece together the final moments before her disappearance.

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Suck Creek Road, a quiet, wooded stretch along the Tennessee River in Chattanooga, Tennessee. It's gorgeous. The river rages on one side and on the other, lush, forested landscapes peek between walls of limestone. Beautiful homes line the river’s edge as you make your way into Prentice Cooper State Forest. You’ll remember from episode one how beautiful and outdoorsy this area is, and in November, the colors would have been stunning on Suck Creek Road.

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Later in the trial, we gain insight into the casual moments of Jasmine and Jason’s relationship. Just days before she went missing, Jasmine sent Jason a text recommending that he go see the fall foliage on Suck Creek Road. The word "Sut" was obviously autocorrected from "Suck"—how chilling, right? Turns out, Jason did take that drive along Suck Creek Road. But we all know he wasn't taking in the fall foliage. No, he was searching for the best place to dump a body.

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Next, Prosecutor Moyle shifted the courtroom’s focus to the scene on Suck Creek Road. Schubert had been called just moments after investigators discovered the suitcase.

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Prosecutor: "Did you have the opportunity to look at the suitcase?"

Schubert: "I did. It was pulled up onto level ground by the time I had it back on scene, but I did observe it, document it, photograph it, and collect evidence from that area."

Prosecutor: "May I now retrieve what’s been previously identified for the record? Please tell me if you recognize this item."

Schubert: "This is the suitcase that was recovered at Suck Creek Road."

Prosecutor: "What happened to the suitcase after it was collected?"

Schubert: "Because we believed it had human remains inside of it, the medical examiner wanted it transported as-is. So, Hamilton County EMS came out to the scene, loaded the suitcase onto the EMS truck, and transported it to the medical examiner’s office."

Prosecutor: "Did you go to the medical examiner’s office as well?"

Schubert: "Yes, I did."

Prosecutor: "And what happened when you all arrived at the medical examiner’s office?"

Schubert: "The medical examiner X-rayed the suitcase, and once determining what was inside, I began documenting and collecting evidence."

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Graphic Content Warning

A quick reminder before we continue: This next part is heavy. We’re about to discuss graphic details from the crime scene, including evidence that was shown in court. If you need to skip ahead or take a break, please do.

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Once the suitcase was transported to the medical examiner’s office, its contents would be revealed, and investigators would finally locate Jasmine Pace. Her tiny body lay inside the suitcase, handcuffed and shackled in the fetal position, wrapped inside three layers of trash bags. Here’s something chilling that we would learn—the keys were still attached to the handcuffs.

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CSI Kristin Schubert had carefully documented each detail as the medical examiner peeled back every layer, revealing the brutality of what had been concealed inside that suitcase. The weight of the moment was undeniable. General Moyle and Judge Patterson warned the courtroom the next images would be difficult to see. A hush fell over the room because once these photos were shown, there would be no looking away.

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Prosecutor: "This is a series of photos that shows the process once we remove the victim from the suitcase, swap inside the bags, and place them on the table. This series of photos depicts the process of taking each layer off."

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Judge Patterson: "I would also give an admonition that at least one of these photos is graphic. If you feel unable to view them, you should consider stepping out now."

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I braced myself.

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Dr. Cogswell: "Yes, I do. My name is Dr. Cogswell, from the Hamilton County Medical Center."

Prosecutor: "And what are you looking at in this photograph?"

Dr. Cogswell: "These are the bags, the way they arrived from the scene. There were three layers in total. This photo shows the second layer, just cut open. The innermost layer, the third bag, is now exposed."

Prosecutor: "And what do these photographs depict?"

Dr. Cogswell: "They depict the process of cutting away each layer of the bags, revealing the body within. Here, you can see the handcuffs and shackles."

Prosecutor: "What do we see in this photograph?"

Dr. Cogswell: "This photo shows the left ankle, where the shackle was secured. The handcuffs were attached to her wrists."

Prosecutor: "Was the jacket connected to the chains as well?"

Dr. Cogswell: "Yes, but only with a single stitch."

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The garbage bags were hung to dry, swabbed for DNA, processed for fingerprints, and finally submitted into evidence. Schubert also collected swabs from the suitcase, carefully testing the handles, zippers, and other key areas for any trace of forensic evidence.

From my vantage point, Jason Chen never once looked up while these images were shown. Sitting in the courtroom each day, I often wondered what he was thinking as evidence and timelines unfolded. Was he processing it all? Was he reliving those moments? As the gears of this trial were shifting, I couldn't help but wonder if he was more prepared than the rest of us for what was coming next.

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The defense took the stand and immediately shifted the focus. A receipt from Elevated Hemp Company was found in Jasmine’s car, timestamped November 22 at 3:16 p.m. It showed the purchase of two disposable vape pens. It seemed like the defense was trying to introduce doubt—maybe even suggesting that Jasmine was under the influence that night.

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They didn’t stop there. The defense also turned its attention back to the Blue Star testing, raising questions about possible scene contamination and attempting to plant uncertainty in the jury’s mind.

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Defense Attorney Weiss: "So, you came in after a Blue Star application had already been applied, correct?"

CSI Investigator: "That's correct."

Defense Attorney Weiss: "And you walked through this scene, with booties applied, yes?"

CSI Investigator: "Yes."

Defense Attorney Weiss: "If there was blood on the floor, would your booties have picked that up?"

CSI Investigator: "If there were pools of blood or fresh blood, yes. It’s potentially possible to pick it up, but usually, it doesn’t just pick up and move around that easily."

The defense continued its line of questioning, suggesting that the Blue Star testing process itself may have compromised the scene. Investigators needed DNA proof, something concrete to tie the evidence together.

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Enter Greg Martis, a retired crime scene investigator with years of forensic experience. His job was to collect the genetic reference samples that would confirm Jasmine Pace’s identity. He gathered a couple of toothbrushes and a hair clip from Jasmine’s house, ensuring they would provide a reliable DNA profile. Then he collected swabs from each of her parents. Their genetic markers would serve as the key comparison in the forensic process. It was a necessary step—a clinical process, but one that carried an undeniable weight. A family’s DNA, not just confirming identity, but solidifying loss.

Prosecutor: "And specifically, on the 30th of November 2022, were you working with a crime scene investigator?"

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Greg Martis: "Yes, I was on that day."

Prosecutor: "Did you respond to a particular location to collect any evidence?"

Greg Martis: "Yes, I did. Detective Slaughter had called me and asked me to respond to the homicide unit office."

Prosecutor: "For what purpose?"

Greg Martis: "He wanted me to collect a DNA sample from the parents of the victim."

Prosecutor: "And what type of sample did you collect?"

Greg Martis: "I collected buccal swabs, which is a swab on the inside of the cheek. The skin inside your mouth is very soft and sheds cells easily, so it’s a good source for DNA."

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The buccal swabs were logged for identification purposes as Exhibit 193. The next witness called was Jerry McElroy, tasked with handling another crucial step in the forensic process: fingerprinting Jason Chen and ensuring key evidence made its way to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI).

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While his role may not have been as high-profile as others, it was just as essential. Every fingerprint, every properly logged piece of evidence, every chain of custody detail mattered in a case like this. Even the smallest misstep could become fuel for reasonable doubt.

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Finally, investigators turned to technology. After all, digital evidence doesn’t lie. TBI digital forensic expert Rachel Buchalet took the stand next. Her job was to extract data from the SIM card found in Jason Chen’s backpack. The results? A phone number, an ICC number—tiny breadcrumbs in a digital trail, each one a potential key to unlocking the truth.

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Then came a discovery from the SIM card. Buchalet identified the phone number associated with it, and it wasn’t Chen’s. It was Jasmine’s.

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Next week on Sequestered:

Prosecutor: "Sir, I'm now showing you two of three."

Expert Witness: "Yes. This X-ray reveals various components of the suitcase and what lies within. Here, we see a knee, a hand, and the top of the skull."

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The medical examiner takes us through Jasmine Pace’s autopsy, bringing new insight to what really happened inside Jason Chen’s apartment.

Stick with us. We’re in the thick of it now.

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Thank you for listening to Sequestered: A Juror's Perspective on the Murder Trial for Jasmine Pace. Each episode brings us closer to understanding the trial, the people involved, and the weight of seeking justice. If this story speaks to you, please follow, share, and continue the conversation with us. Jasmine's story deserves to be remembered.

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This is a BP production. The show is written, edited, and produced by me, Sara Reid, with co-production by Andrea Kleid. News clips featured in this episode were sourced from WTVC News Channel Nine, Local 3 News Chattanooga, and the Law & Crime Network. Music and sound design are curated to reflect the gravity and sensitivity of this story, with the intent to honor Jasmine, her family, and the community affected by her death.

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For more information or to connect with us, visit sequesteredpod.com or follow us on Instagram at @sequesteredpod.

Thank you for listening. Until next time, stay curious and stay safe.

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