Where is Jason Chen Now? Update on the Killer

When Jasmine “Jazzy” Pace was reported missing by her family in November 2022, an extensive search commenced as it was extremely unlike her to stay away from loved ones for long periods. As iterated in NBC’s ‘Dateline: The Pin at Apartment 210,’ she had last been seen 4 days prior, and there was suspicious activity on several of her social media accounts through her cell phone. Thankfully, authorities were soon able to figure out what had transpired, resulting in the arrest of Jason Chen for first-degree murder and abuse of corpse — the 22-year-old had died at his hands.

Jason Chen Was in College and Casually Dating Jasmine Pace at the Time of the Crime

As one of two sons born to Chinese immigrant parents, Shu Fang Chen and Min Yong Chen, Jason Chen knew the significance of ambition, hard work, and perseverance from an early age. He reportedly grew up in Nolensville, Tennessee, while his parents operated a restaurant just outside of Nashville, enabling him to take advantage of several opportunities and pursue his dreams. In fact, by the time fall 2022 rolled around, the Nolensville High School graduate (class of 2019) was a junior in the Computer Science program at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga (UTC).

Jason was actually on a scholarship, so everything seemed to be going right for him by all external accounts, yet his internal dialogue and proclivities were reportedly different than expected. According to his former friend-turned-roommate-turned-co-worker Ryan Barreett, they initially got along so well that they even spent some holidays together, but things changed in early 2022. He claimed they had a strange falling out after his e-mail, Venmo, and social media accounts were hacked, leading to his also being fired from his job at the company they both worked for.

Ryan suspected Jason was responsible because he was the only person with unrestricted access to his phone at any given point, so he moved out even though he could never figure out a motive. It was reportedly around this same time that the latter first encountered fellow University of Tennessee at Chattanooga undergraduate student Jasmine “Jazzy” Pace on an online dating app. The duo connected over many things, including their ambitions and familial values, resulting in them starting to casually date shortly after, unaware that everything would change in November.

Suspicions Against Jason Chen in Regards to Jasmine Pace’s Case Flared Quickly

While Jasmine was last seen by her family at roughly 11:30 pm on November 22, 2022, on Tremont Street, it wasn’t until November 26 that they contacted police upon realizing something was amiss. A text from her phone had come in on the 23rd, stating she was going to spend Thanksgiving with a friend in South Carolina, as she couldn’t even think of celebrating the holiday amid all their grief. After all, they had lost her great-grandmother on the day the young 22-year-old was last seen, but she herself was the one who had suggested it would be best if they all stuck together.

Therefore, after some posts on Jasmine’s social media that her family knew she would never make, they contacted the friend mentioned in the text, only to learn they had no plans together at all. That’s when her loved ones reported her missing and went into investigative mode themselves by retracing her steps, checking her phone records, and looking into the GPS of her vehicle. They found her car abandoned in the parking lot of the Signal View Condominium complex, all the while learning she had spoken to her casual boyfriend, Jason, for 71 long minutes that afternoon. Her family didn’t think the call was strange since they were dating and she had just lost someone she was close to, but they became suspicious after he said he last spoke to her on the 21st.

Jason tried to backtrack moments later, but the damage was done, and it was all caught on the body camera of a local police officer because Jasmine’s mother had called him in front of them. Then, she suddenly discovered that her daughter had messaged her a location at roughly 2:18 am on November 23, which she had missed owing to her grief over her grandmother’s demise. The family immediately rushed to the pin site – a building on 110 Tremont Street, with the exact coordinates leading them directly to apartment 210 – but no one opened when they knocked. A neighbor revealed it was Jason’s residence before adding they had heard a scream in there on the fateful night, which had bothered them so much they noted down the time — 2:15 am.

With the Help of a Mountain of Evidence, Jason Chen Was Convicted and Setenced to Life in Prison

Jasmine’s family admittedly broke into Jason’s home in their desperation for answers, only to have their hearts broken when they found no signs that the 22-year-old was physically there anymore. However, they noticed her usual overnight bag on the couch, her identification and credit cards in a drawer, and some other personal belongings strewn about, so they called the police again. They were subsequently informed that, while official investigations had begun, deputies couldn’t act at that exact moment because they had neither cause nor a warrant to enter the apartment. The family was also warned to keep out, but they still went inside to gather all the evidence before contacting a trusted lawyer and having them reach out to the district attorney for further inquiries.

What followed was an extensive process that brought to light the fact that it was indeed Jason who had driven Jasmine’s car and abandoned it in the parking lot off Mountain Creek Road. Furthermore, the execution of a search warrant in his home revealed indications of not only a bloody shoeprint but also cleaned-up pools of blood, which made it clear to officials that Jasmine was likely dead. Their hypothesis was confirmed when her remains were recovered from the banks of the Tennessee River on December 1, 2022 — she was stabbed 60+ times, dismembered, stuffed in a suitcase, and disposed of. By this point, Jason had already been arrested at his parents’ home in Nolensville, thanks to all the recovered evidence, surveillance footage, and witness statements.

Jason was taken into custody on November 29, 2022, before officially being arraigned on one count each of first-degree premeditated murder and abuse of a corpse a few days later. He stood trial for the charges against him two years later, in January 2025, with his defense being that he was guilty of murder but not premeditated murder because his actions stemmed from an argument. However, after less than an hour of deliberations, the jury sided with the prosecutors’ claim of his having planned out his actions based on the heinousness of the crime as well as his behavior in the time to follow. He was consequently found guilty as charged on January 20 and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole on January 21. So, today, at age 25, he is incarcerated at the mixed-security Northwest Correctional Complex in Tiptonville, Tennessee, where he is expected to remain for the rest of his natural life.

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