Prosecutors continued their case for a third day against Jason Chen, a Tennessee man facing first-degree murder charges in the death of Jasmine Pace.
As CrineOnline previously reported, Pace vanished during Thanksgiving week in 2022, leading her family to break into her apartment, where they found Chen’s identification and credit cards.
Days later, police executed a search warrant and discovered blood throughout Chen’s apartment. One of the investigators noted that “a large volume of blood had been cleaned up.”
On December 1, 2022, police found Pace’s body stuffed inside the suitcase and discarded along the Tennessee River, Local 3 News reports that her ankles were handcuffed and shackled to her right arm. A medical examiner confirmed that she had been stabbed more than 60 times.
Police later arrested Chen at his parents’ home near Nashville and charged him with murder.
As Chen’s trial continues this week, prosecutors and investigators are unveiling details about the couple’s troubled relationship.
Detective Zack Crawford testified in court Tuesday that police discovered notes pinned to the wall of Chen’s family home that referenced Pace’s past.
A court exhibit shared by News Channel 9 showed sticky notes of different colors and sizes, some containing detailed notes and drawings. The notes detailed Pace’s tumultuous childhood, her history of running away, and a period of homelessness, including an instance where she fled to Canada, according to testimony.
Additional evidence presented in court indicated the presence of blood beneath the carpet in Chen’s home. A detective testified that this was consistent with someone being positioned under the bed.
Chen’s defense team acknowledged he killed Pace but contended that he should be charged with voluntary manslaughter instead of first-degree murder.
Defense lawyer Josh Weiss testified that Chen ran from Pace to a bathroom and then to the bedroom, while she chased him with a broken wine bottle. Chen then found a knife and began stabbing her.
In court Monday, defense attorney Josh Weiss asserted that Pace confronted Chen with the wine bottle after she found out he was messaging other women.
Weiss said Chen allegedly stabbed Pace and then lost consciousness, waking up to find her unconscious.
In Tennessee, a conviction for voluntary manslaughter carries a maximum sentence of 15 years and a $10,000 fine. In contrast, a first-degree murder conviction can lead to the death penalty, life without parole, or life with the possibility of parole.
The trial continues. Check back for updates.
[Feature Photo: Handout]
