Witnesses Say Jasmine Pace Had 60 Stab Wounds; Body Was Found Inside A Suitcase Wrapped In A Bag

A witness said Friday that 22-year-old Jasmine Pace suffered 60 stab wounds and her body was found inside a suitcase that was wrapped in a bag.

Dr. Steven Cogswell of the Medical Examiner's Office said the body was located in a patch of kudzu on Suck Creek Road. It was found by tracking the cell phone of Jason Chen, who is charged with her murder.

A $5 million bond was set for Chen, and General Sessions Court Judge Larry Ables set a preliminary hearing date of Feb. 16.

District Attorney Coty Wamp was asked by Judge Ables if it was a capital case, and she said the state was not seeking the death penalty.

But she said Chen could get life without the possibility of parole. She said, "You have a body that was packaged like something from Amazon. It's a homicide as an egregious as any that has been seen here."

Det. Zach Crawford said phone records were also used to track Chen to his parents' house at Nolensville, Tn., on Nov. 30. He said contact was made with the parents and they told him they do not speak English. He said the first words that Chen said were "Do you have a warrant?"

At the Chen apartment on Tremont Street in North Chattanooga, the detective said he found "the largest amount of blood I have ever seen." Blood samples have been sent to the TBI along with Ms. Pace's toothbrush.

Det. Crawford said in a call Chen made from the jail after his arrest he said he "wished he would have killed himself."

Dr. Cogswell said he responded to the scene at 1600 Suck Creek Road. He said the body in the suitcase was in a fetal position.

The witness said the victim had 60 sharp force entrees on the right side of the neck, shoulder and upper back. There were minor wounds elsewhere that were shallow to deep.
One went into the chest cavity where the knife broke off. Another went into a lung.

He said Ms. Pace had defensive wounds from trying to fend off the attack.

The forward part of the knife was recovered in the body - two inches deep.

Dr. Cogswell said the victim was bound with shackles or handcuff devices. Her right side was bound with her arm tied to her ankle, while her left arm was free when the body was found.

Judge Ables said Chen did not have much connection to the local community, saying, "Nothing's tying him to Chattanooga." He said he had very little employment record. And he said the safety of the community was a bond factor.

If Chen makes bond, he is to be under house arrest and forfeit his passport.

There was standing room only for the bond hearing for Chen, also 22. The judge would not allow the hearing to be livestreamed by local news stations.

Chen was arrested in the case and brought back from Williamson County prior to the body of the victim being located at a boat ramp off Suck Creek Road.

A translator of Mandarin Chinese was on the phone to assist the defense in making sure the defendant was clear on what was going on. His parents were in the courtroom at the Courts Building.

It was testified that the Chens have one other child, who is 25 and lives in New York. Jason Chen was born in New York, then went to China to live with his grandparents until he was four when he came back to the U.S. He attended UTC and was set to graduate in May of next year in computer sciences.

His mother, Sufang Chen, denied that he has mental health problems and said he had never been convicted of a crime. She called him "a good kid."

Mrs. Chen said she knew of a missing girl. She said someone called them to tell them about it. She said both she and her husband asked him about the missing girl and he said it was not his business. He said he did not know anything about it, and he then returned to Nolensville.

The mother denied that she knew that her son was a suspect in the missing person case. She said when a member of the Pace family showed up at their door, he said he "didn't know anything about" the matter.

She said they are scared for her son's safety.