Shivangi Sinha
In November 2022, Jasmine Pace was reported missing by her family after her car was found in Chattanooga, Tennessee. The police began investigating the evidence they had gathered, which pointed them to Jason Chen, a fellow student who was dating Jasmine at the time. When authorities executed a search warrant at his apartment, they uncovered numerous clues that suggested a gruesome crime scene. The story and the struggle of Jasmine’s family to seek justice for her were featured in NBC’s ‘Dateline: The Pin at Apartment 210’, which delved into the details of the case.
Jason Chen’s Apartment Location Was Sent to Jasmine Pace’s Mother
Jason Chen was born to Min Yong Chen and Shu Fang Chen on November 9, 2000. He grew up with the values and principles of a typical family. Academically gifted, his family took great pride when he was accepted into The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. One of his friends from that time described him as an ordinary person, though they did allege that Jason had been caught snooping through their belongings on a few occasions. In early 2022, Jason met fellow student Jasmine Pace through a dating app, and the two quickly formed a strong connection and started a romantic relationship.
Jason had rented an apartment on Tremont Street in Chattanooga, Tennessee, where Jasmine visited on November 22, 2022. That day, she had lost her great-grandmother and spoke to Jason for over an hour before arriving at his place. She told her family she was spending the night with a friend, and at 2:18 am, she sent a location ping from Jason’s apartment to her mother, Catrina Pace. On November 26, 2022, some messages were sent from her phone to friends and family, where she requested that they give her some space. Concerned, her parents used the MyChevy app to locate her car, which was found near Mountain Creek Road in Chattanooga. Worried about her whereabouts, they filed a missing person’s report.
The Police Arrested Jason Chen on the Basis of Crucial Physical Evidence
On November 30, 2022, the police arrested Jason Chen at his family home in Nolensville, Tennessee. Reports from that time indicated that he had lacerations on his arm, suggesting he may have been involved in a physical altercation. He was taken to a jail, where the police presented the evidence that led to his arrest. They explained that a few days after Jasmine’s parents located her car, they traced the location from the ping Jasmine had sent, and it led them to Jason’s apartment. Upon entering, they allegedly found Jasmine’s driver’s license and several of her credit cards, but she was not there. Following this, the police executed a search warrant at the apartment. During this, the police found traces of blood on the living room hardwood floor, bathroom grout, and bedroom carpet.
They also discovered cleaning supplies and a receipt showing that Jason had purchased peroxide, a bath towel, and two bunches of asparagus on November 23. Additionally, broken glass was found in the apartment, which suggested a possible physical scuffle had taken place. A neighbor reported hearing a woman’s scream around 2 am on November 23. The police also obtained CCTV footage showing Jason leaving the building with a mask on his face, which added to the mounting evidence against him. After his arrest, the police revealed that they had used his cellphone records to track his movements, which led them to a location off the side of Suck Creek Road, near the banks of the Tennessee River just west of Chattanooga. There, they discovered Jasmine’s remains inside a suitcase. She had been stabbed 60 times. Based on this evidence, Jason was charged with first-degree murder and abuse of a corpse. His bond was set at $5 million.
Jason Chen is Serving a Life Sentence Today
Jason Chen’s trial began in January 2025, and during the proceedings, his attorney admitted that Jason had killed Jasmine Pace. However, the defense argued that it was a “crime of passion” and requested that he be tried for voluntary manslaughter instead of murder. They alleged that Jasmine had discovered texts on Jason’s phone from other women, which made her angry. This allegedly led her to confront him with a broken wine bottle. The defense argued that this should warrant a lesser charge. Despite these claims, the prosecution presented strong evidence that led to Jason’s quick conviction on the original charges of first-degree murder and abuse of a corpse.
He was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Jasmine’s mother also filed a civil lawsuit against Jason and his parents, seeking $12 million in compensatory damages and $5 million in punitive damages. Reports from March 2025 indicated that the lawsuit was privately settled. Jason, now 25 years old, is currently being held at the Northwest Correctional Complex in Tiptonville, Tennessee, where he will remain for the rest of his life.
Read More: Where Are Jasmine Pace’s Parents Now?
