Jason Chen Reacts at Sentencing for Killing Girlfriend Jasmine Pace

Jason Chen cried as his mother testified at his sentencing hearing on Tuesday for the murder of his girlfriend Jasmine Pace.

The jury unanimously agreed to sentence Chen to life without the possibility of parole.

Why It Matters

Chen was accused of stabbing Jasmine 60 times and leaving her body in a suitcase along the banks of the Tennessee River in November 2022.

When was Jason Chen convicted of murdering Jasmine Pace?

The sentencing hearing was held one day after a Tennessee jury found Chen guilty of first-degree murder and abuse of a corpse. The jury deliberated for less than an hour.

What To Know

The first person to testify at the hearing was Chen’s mother, Shu Fang Chen. Shu Fang, who does not speak English, testified via an interpreter.

She said he “knows right from wrong” and was not violent as a child.

“We are a law-abiding family. We teach our children well to study hard, to work hard and to get a good job and have a good life,” Shu Fang said.

She asked the judge and jury to be lenient in their sentencing.

“I pray to the judge and jury to give him a chance so that he could go home and restart his life,” Shu Fang said.

Chen declined to testify at the sentencing hearing.

Jacqueline White, Jasmine’s cousin, began her testimony by dropping 60 stones in a jar to represent the number of times Jasmine was stabbed. White called Chen a “subhuman villain”

“His mere presence defiles this very court, and I’m sorry for everyone here that has had the unfortunate fate of having to cross paths with him,” White said.

Travis Pace, Jasmine’s father, spoke about how she wanted to be a mother someday.

“Jasmine was not the only person we lost,” Travis said. “We lost her children. We lost her grandchildren. The entire family tree has been cut down.

He added: “It will not just affect us for a few years. For the next thousands of generations, we will no longer have that piece of our family.”

Gabrielle Pace, Jasmine’s older sister, said she had “the most beautiful aura and soul.”

“She never gave up on people, and she never gave up on herself,” Gabrielle said. “No matter how hard or how busy, she always made time for family and friends, because it was the most important thing to her.”

Who Is Jason Chen?

Chen was…