Suvechha Sarkar
The day of November 23, 2022, began like any other for the residents of Chattanooga, Tennessee. However, it was shattered when 22-year-old Jasmine Nicole Pace, affectionately known as Jazzy, suddenly went missing. Her family quickly began searching for answers, which eventually led them and the authorities to Jasmine’s remains. The episode titled ‘The Pin at Apartment 210′ of ABC’s ’20/20’ delves deeper into the pieces of evidence, including a crucial location pin, which led the law enforcement officials to the killer. Through emotional interviews with her loved ones and the officials involved in the case, the episode also sheds light on the brutality of the crime.
Jasmine Pace’s Upbringing Shaped Her Into a Compassionate Soul
Born on May 29, 2000, in Chattanooga, Tennessee, Jasmine Nicole Pace brought immeasurable joy to the lives of her parents, Catrina and Travis Wayne Pace. Jasmine was lovingly known as Jazzy and always felt the abundance of love that her parents had for her. She grew up playing alongside her brothers, Enoch and Travis Wayne Pace Jr., and her sister, Gabby Pace. As time passed, Catrina and Travis drifted apart, and they eventually got a divorce. Catrina received a second chance at love when she met Scott Bean, and it wasn’t long before they tied the knot.
Shortly after, the couple welcomed their son, Aydan Bean, into the world. Unfortunately, the family faced a significant tragedy when Travis suddenly passed away at a local hospital on August 31, 2016. Despite the profound loss, Jasmine did her best to keep the light alive within herself. According to her loved ones, Jasmine lit up any room she walked into and possessed a thoughtful nature. Jasmine’s warm personality came to the forefront even more through her love for animals, leading her to welcome four kittens into her life.
After graduating from high school, Jasmine enrolled at the University of Tennessee to pursue higher education. While studying there, she became interested in joining her family’s business. Consequently, she began working at Catrina and Scott’s construction company. In her free time, Jasmine loved reading and enjoyed taking long walks along the riverbanks. By 2022, she crossed paths with Jason Chen through Tinder, and they soon began dating. Sadly, Jasmine and her family were once again left devastated when they lost their beloved matriarch, Katie Jenkins, in November 2022.
Jasmine Pace’s Remains Were Discovered on a Riverbank Days After Her Disappearance
On November 22, 2022, Catrina was shocked when she received a text from Jasmine saying she planned to spend Thanksgiving at a friend’s place. Catrina found it unusual because the holiday was approaching, and Jasmine loved to spend it with her family. Catrina recalled that she had last seen Jasmine around 11:27 pm on Tremont Street. When none of her family members heard from Jasmine for three more days, they grew worried and began searching for her. Despite multiple attempts to call her, they were unable to reach the 22-year-old. According to reports, Catrina tracked Jasmine’s location and car application data. It led the family to a parking lot of the Signal View Condominium complex off of Mountain Creek Road on November 26, where they discovered Jasmine’s abandoned SUV.
Right after, Catrina called 911 to report the situation, which prompted authorities to begin searching for Jasmine. Catrina grew even more concerned when she saw that Jasmine had posted a picture in clothing that seemed out of character for her. Catrina also came across a location drop from Jasmine around 2:18 am on November 23 that the mother had missed while grieving the loss of the family’s beloved matriarch. As her family arrived at the pinged location, they found Jasmine’s driver’s license, credit cards, and an overnight bag in an apartment on 110 Tremont Street.
After Jasmine’s family gave all the evidence to the detectives, the search for Jasmine became more intensive. It ultimately led authorities to the banks of the Tennessee River in the Suck Creek Road area on December 1, 2022. There, they reportedly found Jasmine’s remains in a fetal position inside a suitcase. Detectives reportedly noted that the remains were placed in trash bags and her legs were bound by handcuffs. The autopsy report revealed that Jasmine suffered 60 stab wounds on her upper back, head, right arm, and neck. The expert also found the tip of a knife inside her remains during the autopsy. It determined her cause of death to be multiple fatal stab wounds.
Jasmine’s Last Call and Location Pin Led Authorities to the Killer’s Apartment
During the initial part of Catrina’s search, she accessed Jasmine’s phone records because they shared the same mobile plan. Reports state that the records revealed that Jasmine last spoke to Jason for 71 minutes on November 22, 2022. When Catrina called him, he initially claimed that he last spoke to Jasmine on November 21. However, when Catrina informed him that she had the phone records, Jason admitted he had spoken with the 22-year-old on November 22. He reportedly claimed he had forgotten about the call. When Catrina and her family followed Jasmine’s dropped location, they arrived at Apartment 210 at 110 Tremont Street. Court records state that although the apartment was locked, a neighboring couple reported hearing a scream around 2:15 am on November 23.
Official records indicate that Jasmine’s family then broke into Apartment 210 and discovered Jasmine’s personal belongings, besides a notebook with Jason’s name on it. When authorities executed a search warrant at the place, they noted a smell of cleaning supplies. Forensic experts uncovered a bloody shoe print on the apartment floor. They reportedly also found traces of cleaned-up blood in large amounts, which turned the case into a homicide. After digital forensic experts tracked Jason’s cell phone data, they found that on November 23, he had visited Walmart and Walgreens, where CCTV footage captured a man resembling Jason buying cleaning supplies. On that same day, the location tracked him leaving the apartment and going to his parents’ home in Nolensville, Tennessee.
On November 29, 2022, Jason was arrested and charged with first-degree premeditated murder. However, he soon obtained an attorney and refused to speak to investigators. After Jason’s cell phone location helped discover Jasmine’s remains, things became complicated. Before the trial, the defense emphasized that the crime scene was compromised the moment Catrina entered Jason’s apartment unauthorized, and claimed that some evidence was inadmissible. Jason’s jury trial began on January 13, 2025, during which the defense alleged that after seeing a Tinder notification on Jason’s phone, Jasmine attacked Jason with an empty wine bottle, and he acted in self-defense. However, the prosecution’s expert witness refuted the claim, noting that Jason didn’t use Tinder until the morning of November 23. Ultimately, Jason was convicted of first-degree murder on January 20, 2025, and was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole on January 21.
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