In November 2022, in Chattanooga, TN, Jason Chen was accused of stabbing his then-girlfriend Jasmine Pace 60 times, leaving her body inside a suitcase and placing it along the Tennessee River. He was arrested on November 29, 2022, in connection with Pace’s murder. When he was arrested, Chen studied at the University of Tennessee-Chattanooga, majoring in computer science. He was charged with first-degree murder and abuse of a corpse. His trial recently ended after 7 days of testimony and jury deliberation. Jason Chen was convicted on the seventh day of trial, and the very next day, he was sentenced to life in prison without parole.
Horrific Turn of Events
On November 23, 2022, Jason Chen stabbed his girlfriend, Jasmine Pace, repeatedly in his apartment. After he was finished, he discarded her body in the Tennessee River. Due to the decomposition of her body, she was unable to receive an open-casket funeral. A coroner discovered her body had 60 stab wounds. The prosecution claims Pace’s murder was premeditated. If it was not, then he would not have continued stabbing her. His defense attorney argues he deserves redemption and rehabilitation, but Jasmine Pace was not given the same decency when Chen viciously and animalistically murdered her.
Jason Chen’s defense attorney, Josh Weiss, took the jury on a ride during his opening statement, going into detail about the events of the night Pace was murdered. The young couple were spending time at Chen’s house. An argument broke out after Pace heard a Tinder notification from Chen’s phone, and she found messages from other women. Weiss stated, “Jasmine attacked Chen with an empty wine bottle.” Out of fight instinct, Chen kicked her, causing her to fall backward. Afterward, Pace allegedly grabbed a wine glass and chased Chen with it. Weiss ended his version of the story with Chen blacking out after he grabbed a knife. When he came to, he was lying over Pace’s body.
Testimony in Jason Chen’s Trial
While Jason Chen refused to testify on his behalf during the trial, his mother, Shu Fang Chen, took the stand. She testified to his character and that he was obedient and nonviolent. She asked the jury for leniency, saying, “I pray to the judge and jury to give him a chance so that he could go home and restart his life.” Her testimony meant nothing in the eyes of the jury as they quickly delivered a unanimous verdict, and it took less than an hour for them to reach a sentence of life in prison.
Multiple family members of Jasmine Pace testified and read letters to the courtroom regarding their feelings on the situation and how it has affected them. Her cousin, Jacqueline White, referred to Jason Chen as a “subhuman villain” and dropped 60 stones in a jar to signify the number of times her cousin was stabbed. She said, “His mere presence defiles this very court, and I’m sorry for everyone here who has had the unfortunate fate of having to cross paths with him.”
Jasmine’s father, Travis Pace, expressed his sorrow for the loss of his daughter and also the future generations that were lost after her death. Pace expressed how she wished to be a mother someday, but that opportunity was selfishly stolen. He said, “It will not just affect us for a few years. For the next thousands of generations, we will no longer have that piece of our family.” This family is forced to suffer the rest of their lives for the horrific and ‘subhuman’ actions that Jason Chen took.
Thoughts on His Sentencing
Jasmine Pace’s family is understandably devastated. What happened to their daughter, cousin, sister, and loved one is horrific and inexplicable. Jasmine’s mother, Catrina Pace, filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Jason Chen and his parents. She seeks $12 million in compensatory and $5 million in punitive damages. They will likely be granted compensation, but if not, hopefully, the thought of Jason Chen spending the rest of his life behind bars is justice enough.
Jason Chen feels no remorse. He had the opportunity to speak to the jury, the judge, and Pace’s family but chose not to. He murdered their loved one in cold blood, attempted to cover up the crime scene, and disposed of the body, but has nothing to say now that he is facing the consequences of his actions. He should consider himself lucky the death penalty was not on the table.