In this powerful episode, Juror #11 takes listeners through the final, weighty moments of the trial for Jasmine Pace. After eight days of evidence, testimony, and deliberation, the jury returns to the courtroom to deliver its verdict. But the journey isn’t over. The jury must reconvene to determine Chen’s fate—whether he will be eligible for parole or spend the rest of his life behind bars. Sara describes the complexities of the sentencing phase, from Jason Chen’s mother’s heartbreaking plea for mercy to the gut-wrenching victim impact statements delivered by Jasmine’s family. Jasmine’s sister, her cousin, and father each paint a vivid and haunting picture of the young woman whose life was short. They share memories of Jasmine’s kindness, her love for family, and her resilience through repeated grief and loss. As the jury wrestles with their final decision, Sara reflects on the enormity of the task before them. The emotional toll of the trial and the responsibility to seek justice weigh heavily. With meticulous detail and heartfelt reflection, Sara provides a firsthand account of what it’s like to serve as a juror in such a high-profile and emotionally charged case. This episode brings listeners inside the courtroom, into the jury room, and ultimately into the lasting impact of Jasmine Pace’s story. Here is the blog for this episode on our website. On our website, you can see more photos, videos, and blogs about each day of the trial, organized by episode. Go to SequesteredPod.com Website: sequesteredpod.com Instagram: @sequesteredpod TikTok: @sequesteredpod Thank you for listening. SEQUESTERED is a BP Production.
Chapter 1: What happens when the alternate jurors leave the trial?
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 still Monday, January 20th, 2025, day eight of the trial. But now things feel different. The alternate jurors had already been selected and asked to leave the courtroom. Exiled to their own alternate jury room until further notice.
Four people who had been part of our group. People we had eaten with, shared rides with, walked the depths of the earth with. People who had laughed with us, sighed with us, and silently held the weight of this case with us for eight days. Suddenly, they were gone, dismissed, and it all happened so fast. The rest of us, those whose numbers weren't called, just sat there, watching them leave.
It was a gut punch, like a family suddenly being split apart. I remember feeling an ache in my stomach because those alternates weren't just observers. They were just as invested as the rest of us. They had listened to the same testimony, seen the same evidence, and developed their own opinions. But now the 16 of us were down to 12. 12 people who would carry the full weight of this next decision.
Judge Patterson didn't leave us much time to process. He continued right away, reading through our final instructions, explaining the legal framework we'd have to follow, the rules we'd need to abide by as we deliberated. It felt surreal. Everything we'd heard, everything we'd seen, was now left for us to make sense of.
And for the first time since this trial began, we were going to be allowed to speak freely. We were allowed to form opinions out loud, allowed to share our thoughts, our doubts, and our convictions. It was a big moment, and I kept thinking about Jasmine. Her texts, her voice, her fear. And I wondered if the rest of the jurors were thinking about her too.
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Chapter 2: How does the jury begin deliberations on the verdict?
Then the courtroom stood, and one by one, each of us walked across the hall into the jury room. It was time to deliberate on a verdict. But it felt like so much more than that now. It felt like stepping into a place where all the noise and chaos of the trial faded away.
Where everything came down to 12 people, sitting around a table, confronting the truth, and trying to decide whether justice could be found in the wreckage of something so profoundly wrong. We were about to find out if any of us were truly ready for what came next. This is Sequestered, a juror's perspective on the murder trial for Jasmine Pace. I'm Sarah, juror number 11.
Each episode, I'll take you inside the courtroom, behind the scenes, and into the weighty moments of this trial as we honor Jasmine's life and navigate the complexities of seeking justice. Let's begin. This is Episode 9, The Verdict and Sentencing. It was 4.12 p.m. when the jury room door closed behind us.
Just before the bailiff shut it, we were instructed not to begin our discussions until all 12 members were seated and present. Once we were together, we were to select a foreperson and begin our deliberations.
Upon arriving at a unanimous decision, each juror would sign the official verdict statement, and the foreperson was instructed to flip on a light switch on the wall, which would illuminate a light in the hallway, alerting the bailiff that the jury had reached their verdict. Court was adjourned while the jury was out.
Everyone shuffled out for the evening, I would imagine, likely anticipating the long haul. Inside the jury room, we were truly on our own for the first time. The room felt emptier than before. With four fewer people to fill the space, it was startling how much of a difference that made. Without them, the room seemed bigger, quieter,
We shuffled around like strangers waiting for a bus, each of us taking turns using the restroom, which, oddly, was the only truly private space any of us had the entire week. A chance to relieve ourselves, yes, but it was also a chance to turn off the noise and take a few honest breaths, if only for a couple of minutes.
I lingered a bit longer than necessary this time, my hands pressed against the countertop, breathing slow, trying to quiet my nerves. The restroom break stretched on, eight, maybe ten minutes. Meanwhile, the four empty alternate chairs were rolled away from the large conference table and into the hallway, as if we needed more room to breathe.
When we were all finally seated, there was a heaviness to it. The first thing we had to do was choose a foreperson, someone to speak on behalf of the group when the verdict was ready. It quickly came down to me and one other juror. We both hesitated, dancing around the weight of the responsibility.
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Chapter 3: What does premeditation legally mean in this case?
For each charge, we had to reach a unanimous decision, starting with the first charge of first-degree premeditated murder. If we couldn't unanimously agree on premeditated murder, then we were to move on to the next charge down, and so on until a consensus was found. The foreman started with a show of hands. Who thinks Jason Chen is guilty of first-degree premeditated murder?
One by one, we went around the table. All but two hands went up. Those who hesitated were given a chance to speak, and the deliberations began. The obvious topic was premeditation, and we needed to be certain we understood what it meant. So what is premeditation?
It's a word most people hear and immediately think of extensive methodical planning, like something out of a movie where the killer plots every detail out well in advance. But what I came to learn during this trial is that, at least in Tennessee, premeditation doesn't have to include an extensive drawn-out plan. Legally, it means an act done after the exercise of reflection and judgment.
And that can happen in an instant. All it requires is for someone to make a conscious decision to kill and have a moment, no matter how brief, to reflect on that decision before acting on it. Jason Chen didn't have to plan Jasmine's murder for days, hours, or even minutes. He just had to make the decision however quickly and then act on it.
Remember the prosecution's explanation of this with the yellow stoplight analogy in his closing statement? During his statement, D.A. Moyle pulled up a clip from the Arctic footage of Jason in his 2018 gray Toyota Corolla. Jason is seen waiting to turn right at the corner of Tremont and Fraser.
The timestamp was 6.13 p.m., and the suitcase containing Jasmine Pace's body was already in the trunk of his car. Jason is in the turning lane as the traffic light above him flips from green to yellow. Traffic slows and a final car slips through at the last moment, just before the light turns red. Moyle pauses the video and explains the split-second decision that driver just made.
We've all been there. We've all calculated the cost of tapping the brake or hitting the gas in that moment. A completely rational decision that really doesn't take long at all. It was a huge revelation, one that reframed how I understood the word premeditation. Back in the jury room, I recalled this analogy, if even in an effort to help explain it to myself.
There was a brief discussion before the group agreed to put it to another vote, and mere minutes after our deliberations had begun, the 12 of us had already unanimously agreed on the ultimate charge. The next vote for the charge of abuse of a corpse operated similarly, and resulted in another unanimous vote. We were done. Now what? It felt quick.
I remember saying something to the group like, they're gonna say the jury deliberated for X amount of minutes. We've got to be sure. Is there anything else we should discuss? But what else was there?
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Chapter 4: How quickly did the jury reach a verdict and what was it?
It couldn't have been more than 30 minutes that had gone by. He poked his head in, a little confused, and asked if we meant to turn on the light switch. We did. Had we already come to a decision? We had.
Good morning, I'm Megan Fee of the WKRound.com alert desk with breaking news. A guilty verdict reached in the Jason Chen murder trial. It's news coming in overnight from Chattanooga. According to WTVC, Chen is convicted of first degree premeditated murder and abuse of a corpse and the death of his girlfriend, 22-year-old Jasmine Pace.
He was on trial for killing her and stuffing her body in a suitcase back in November of 2022. A jury took just 45 minutes of deliberation to reach that verdict. Those in the courtroom say there were audible sighs of relief from Pace's family once it was read. The judge says Chen will be sentenced this morning at 10 o'clock.
Chapter 5: What is the judge's role as the 13th juror?
At 4.56 p.m., less than one hour after we were excused to deliberate, we were already making our way back into the courtroom. 44 minutes. That's all it took. From start to finish, it took us 44 minutes to deliberate and decide on the charges we believed were suitable for Jason Chen's actions.
Everyone needs to maintain the calm.
This is your individual verdict.
guilty of the first remurder of Jasmine's face.
This brings us to the sentencing phase of this particular matter.
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Chapter 6: What happens during the sentencing phase of the trial?
The jury will be asked to determine whether or not there's a presence of an aggravating factor.
This will require proof.
We're going to do that tomorrow.
So at this point, I've left the defense and the state together to prove if they want to put someone, then that'll be happening tomorrow morning.
Again, we can't talk about murdering anyone.
We're still part of this case, so you must
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Chapter 7: Why did Jason Chen choose not to testify at sentencing?
We, the jury, had found Jason Chen guilty of first-degree premeditated murder and abuse of a corpse. When the verdict was read, you could hear Jasmine's family exhale. There were audible gasps, maybe even a few whispered thank yous, and the kind of tears that come from holding your breath far too long. Judge Patterson gently hushed the room. It felt like a final moment, a heavy one.
And even the word guilty echoed through that room. I knew this would never really be over for them. Nothing we decided could bring Jasmine back. Nothing could undo what had been done. Once the verdict was read, Judge Patterson responded with words I didn't fully understand at the time. He said, as the 13th juror, I agree with this verdict.
I remember feeling reassured, like he was in agreement with our unanimous decision. It felt like validation. It wasn't until later that I understood what he meant. The judge, acting as a 13th juror, is responsible for determining whether the evidence supports the jury's verdict. It's a safeguard, a final layer of confirmation, if you will.
And in that moment, it was as if he was telling us, you did your job. You got it right. But our role as jurors wasn't done yet. Because of the charge we had decided on, we still had one more decision to make. How long Jason Chen would remain behind bars.
Judge Patterson announced to the courtroom that sentencing would take place the following day at 10 a.m., and court was dismissed for the evening. We walked out of that courthouse carrying the weight of what we had just done. It was quiet between us. No one said much. We still weren't really allowed to say much. But we knew we'd be back in less than 24 hours. The judge had made that much clear.
After such a heavy day, we made the much less weighty decision of opting to eat dinner at the hotel's restaurant rather than going out. None of us had the energy to be anywhere but close to our rooms. But when our van pulled into the hotel parking lot, we were stalled by the sight of our four alternates.
They were packing their luggage and climbing into the other van and heading home to their families, their own beds, their normal lives. We would have just one more night in our hotel rooms because our role carried just one more responsibility to decide if Jason Chen would ever be eligible for parole. Now it's Tuesday, January 21st, 2025, day eight of the trial.
We returned to the courtroom one last time, our suitcases already packed and ready for departure. But before we could head home, we had just one more heavy decision to make. It was a strange, almost cruel juxtaposition, to be preparing to go home, thinking of familiar comforts, our own beds, our families, only after deciding how long Jason Chen would spend in his new home.
For us, the end was in sight, but for him, today was the day he would learn his own fate. There was something chilling about the finality of it all. Knowing that the same doors we would walk through to reclaim our freedom would close behind him, sealing him away from everything he once knew. This wasn't just the final day of his trial. It was the day his future would be decided.
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Chapter 8: What impact did Jason Chen's mother's testimony have on the jury?
Mr. White, do you want to talk a little bit about how you talked about it with him and gone over it?
Yes. Jason, we've met a number of times. We've talked about what your testimony would be. And you understand that even though you might have an opportunity to say your piece, that you would be subject to cross-examination. And I've explained to you that the cross-examination would probably be very intense and relentless. And by subjecting yourself to that, you can change the status of your case.
Before Jason Chen's decision was finalized, there was an important legal step that had to happen in front of the judge. Defense attorney Joshua Weiss stood beside Jason and walked him through a formal confirmation process. I've learned that this is standard in criminal trials.
Before a defendant waives their right to testify, the court needs to be absolutely certain that the decision is being made knowingly, voluntarily, and without pressure from anyone else. Weiss asked Jason a series of direct questions. Had he discussed this decision thoroughly? Did he understand the consequences? Was this entirely his choice?
Only after Jason clearly stated that he was making this choice of his own volition did the court move forward. Mr. Weiss confirmed Jason's decision not to testify.
Whatever it is that your decision is, it is a personal decision that only you can make. Have you had enough time to consult with me, talk about whether or not, go over the benefits and detriments of testifying? Yes. Are you deciding not to testify on your own volition? Yes. And that's what your personal decision is?
Yes.
That exchange might have sounded routine, but in reality, it carried tremendous weight. With each yes, Jason Chen was sealing his fate, choosing silence over explanation, and placing his future entirely in the hands of his attorneys and the evidence already presented. From that moment forward, the jury would never hear from him directly.
No justifications, no explanations, only the defense that had been built on his behalf. Another thing I found interesting, something I learned after the fact, was that technically, Jason Chen should have been seated in court that morning wearing his prison-issued attire. He was, after all, a guilty man now. The jury was out of the courtroom during this exchange.
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