Transcript
Sarah Reid (0:02)
Hey, it's Sarah. Juror number 11 from the sequestered podcast. Here's exciting news. Dateline NBC has just released a new episode titled the pin at apartment 210. In this episode, DATELINE correspondent Blaine Alexander explores the investigation, the trial, and the key moments that define the search for justice in the murder of Jasmine Pace. If you've been listening to Sequestered, you know how personal this case became for me. I had the opportunity to briefly share about my experience as a juror in this episode, and I feel incredibly honored to be a part of something that helps amplify Jasmine's story on a national level. This episode isn't about the trial or the jurors. It's about Jasmine, her voice, her family, and the lasting impact of what happened. Now streaming on Peacock. You can watch this episode of Dateline tonight or anytime you want. So check it out and help us continue to honor Jasmine Pace's memory. Go to peacocktv.com to start your free trial. Before we begin, please be advised that this episode contains graphic descriptions of violence as presented during the trial. Please take care while listening. It's Wednesday, January 15, 2025. By now, we, the jurors are moving into the routine of our new job. The lobby call at our hotel has become a steady expectation and once we're in our jury room at the courthouse, everyone just kind of moves into their spot. I think by this point we had all gotten a taste for the task at hand. There is no exiting this scenario. It was just time to move in and do the job. It was only day three of the trial after all. A knock at the door signaled it was time. We gathered our things, lined up, and took the solemn walk across the hallway into the courtroom. The door of the courtroom held open by one of our deputies as we stepped inside. Everyone is standing as we make our way into the jury box. I I make it to my seat in the front row third chair in I mentioned in a previous episode that 14 of the blue office style jury chairs were bolted to the ground. Seven in the front row and seven in the back. But there were 16 jurors sitting through this trial. The four alternates wouldn't be selected until just before the deliberation phase, so that meant two extra chairs had to be added to accommodate all 16 of us. A matching freestanding blue office chair on wheels sat at the end of each row. The back row's extra chair stayed put throughout the trial, but the front row, now that was a different story. The way the jury box was designed meant that the extra chair had to be added after we all took our seats. So every single time we entered the room, 15 of us would file in with the entire courtroom standing, mind you, and quietly take our seats in the utter silence that filled the air. And then. Clunk. A bailiff would maneuver the final 30 pound rolling blue office chair into the last block of space in the front row of the jury box. Then the last juror was finally able to take her seat. This too had become a part of the routine. But today felt different. When we stepped into the courtroom this time, my eyes immediately went to the floor in front of the jury box where a large blue tarp had been laid out, covering the space just feet from where I would take my seat. I didn't know exactly what was coming, but I knew one thing. Today we were stepping into the crime scene. This is sequestered. A juror's perspective on the murder trial. For Jasmine Pace, I'm Sarah, juror number 11. Each episode I'll take you inside the courtroom, behind the scenes and into the weighty moments of this trial as we honor Jasmine's life and navigate the complexities of seeking justice. Let's begin. This is episode four. Inside the crime scene, the prosecution called their next witness to the stand, Michelle Johnson, a seasoned crime scene investigator with years of experience. Michelle was a middle aged woman with shoulder length blonde hair, wearing glasses and a light blue pantsuit with a black blouse. Serious and guarded, she carried herself with the confidence of someone who had seen it all. She was stern, yet soft spoken and gave the distinct impression that she wouldn't be easily swayed. Plainly put, Michelle Johnson was no rookie. This wasn't the first crime scene she had stepped into. Everyone who entered that apartment saw it through their own lens. The Pace family searching for answers and investigators piecing together evidence. But Johnson, she had one focus honed by experience. She was looking for blood and she found it. There was blood everywhere, smeared behind the couch, on the door frame, spattered on the wall and soaked into the tile grout and carpet. Johnson described the blue star reaction as one of the strongest she'd ever seen.