Chen’s defense attorney questions Pace family over apartment searches
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) – The man awaiting trial for the death of a woman in his Northshore apartment in November 2022 was back in court on Monday.
It was an emotional day in court as Jasmine Pace’s biological parents, stepfather and sister were all called by Jason Chen’s defense attorney to the stand.
Jason Chen’s defense attorney, Joshua Weiss, questioning Jasmine Pace’s mother, Catrina Pace, over her searches of Jason Chen’s apartment while trying to find her daughter.
That attorney, Joshua Weiss, is trying to argue that his client’s constitutional right due to what he believes is an illegal search that violates the Fourth Amendment.
The questioning of the Pace family by Weiss lasted hours on Monday, leading to frustration from the Pace family.
Jasmine Pace’s mother, Catrina Pace, chided at Weiss, “I think you’re missing our, how our daughter was stabbed 60 times and was dead. So, talking about who went into an apartment, it didn’t matter, our daughter was dead. Why would we continue to talk about it?”
The Pace family felt that Chattanooga Police were not helping them in their search leading to the family feeling neglected and desperate.
Jasmine Pace’s sister, Gabriella Pace, testified about one encounter between her father and police, “There was a lot of… male testosterone, like trying to voice over each other if that makes any sense.”
Catrina Pace testified that her daughter had been getting to know Jason Chen, including taking a trip to Chicago together.
She testified her daughter had left in the middle of the night upset after her grandmother had died earlier in the day on November 22, 2022.
She further testified that she actually called Jason Chen as she was growing concerned about her daughter’s whereabouts.
Catrina Pace testified, “I asked him, “Jazzy’s (nickname for Jasmine Pace) missing, have you seen her?…” He started lying.”
However, Weiss went on to accuse Catrina Pace of lying as she testified that she entered Pace’s apartment at least three times looking for information to help find her daughter.
She testified Monday that her statement to police back in 2022 that Jason Chen’s front door was unlocked was false.
Weiss asked Catrina Pace, “Why did you lie to police?”
She responded, “Because the police were unwilling to help me all night long.”
She further testified to giving a credit card to Pace’s father, Travis, to help unlock the door, something he denied in his testimony.
Travis Pace recalled, “I know there was a conversation about a credit card.”
Weiss asked, “Do you know who used the credit card to open up the door?”
Pace responded, “I didn’t see anybody use a credit card to open up the door.”
Weiss further pushed, “I know you said you didn’t see it but do you know of anybody?:
Pace responded, “Or know of anybody that did it.”
The family testified to finding some of Jasmine’s personal items inside the apartment including a travel bag, her wallet and identification.
Additionally, her mother Catrina testified to taking some notebooks that belonged to Jason Chen that contained some of his documents.
Weiss asked, “Is there a specific reason that you took his bank records, lease agreement, and tax returns?”
Catrina Pace responded, “I looked through his notebooks to see if there was any kind of note or lead to find my daughter.”
Travis Pace told Weiss that maybe some confusion in memory is to be expected given the emotional circumstances at the time of Jasmine Pace’s killing.
He pleaded with Weiss, “Walking away two days before Thanksgiving that her grandmother and then surprises her with an instant death that they didn’t anticipate, and then they have to go looking for Jasmine? Yeah if her testimony is shaky I fully understand why!”
Joshua Weiss plans to call some of the officers involved in this case at a future hearing in March as Judge Boyd Patterson will have to decide whether or not to grant this motion.
Additionally, we learned that this trial will be pushed back to at least August and that the state has agreed to an outside jury being brought in due to the high publicity of this case.
