Latricia Thomas (11:32)

Chad and Nugens had been following this case since Jasmine's body was found, so for more than two years. And I think there was so much, just so many eyes on it because they wanted to see what really happened to her, and they wanted to see if the family felt like they got justice in the end because the family had been so vocal in the beginning trying to look for her, trying to find her, trying to get, you know, the police to back them up. And so I think that really touched a lot of people's hearts and minds in Chattanooga and wanted to see how it played out. This story captivated Chattanooga because Jasmine was so young. Jasmine had all these friends and family speaking out for her, looking for her, and then just the gruesome way that she died and was found. Thankfully, it doesn't happen often, and to have such a young life end in such a tragic and horrible way, I think everybody wants it to mean something in the end, if at all it. To have a conclusion in a way that you can rest a little easier at night knowing all of those graphic details, you know, there was a conclusion and a story that was just so hard to hear and hard to talk about.

Sarah Reed (13:07)

The way Latricia described it, the intensity of the community's concern, the emotional investment, it struck me. It made me realize how many people outside of that courtroom were waiting and watching, hoping for answers and for justice. It was clear to See, the reach of this case extended far beyond the courthouse walls. Of course, it had impacted Jasmine's family and friends, but also her entire community. I've been able to stay in touch with many of the jurors after the trial, and some have graciously volunteered to share their thoughts and voice memos. Here's juror number eight sharing a summary of his experience serving on this jury.

Juror Number 8 (13:54)

Serving on this jury was a really sober and humbling experience. Everyone in the gallery was reliving one of the most traumatic experiences of their lives in excruciating detail. And then everyone not in the gallery was really patient with us as they explained the most elementary concepts of criminal procedure and explained all the details of a case they had been working on for over two years. For probably the hundredth time, the decision we made was straightforward, but it was solemn. And several of the more compassionate members of the jury cried just about the situation that we were in.

Sarah Reed (14:35)

It affected us each in different ways. Some of us carried it like a weight we couldn't shake, while others tried to compartmentalize the experience and just get through the day. Processing something like this is messy and imperfect, and we all felt it. Juror number one described his experience like this.

Juror Number 8 (14:57)

While the trial was going on, I didn't have super strong emotions about the details of the case themselves. Even with some of the more intense testimony, like the medical examiner, it sort of felt like I was clocked into work, and I really didn't have time to sort of process emotionally what I was seeing. It wasn't until after I got home and sort of spent some time by myself for the first time in two weeks that I began to sort of process everything that had happened. I actually realized this as I was driving to work the day after we returned, and I sort of started to get a little choked up on the drive. And then after getting to work, when the first person asked me how the trial was, I kind of broke down and started to cry. I tried to hold it together as best I could, but I was a little teary. And so my co workers told me they would just handle the rest of my caseload for the day, since they'd already planned on me being away for the full two weeks and that I should just go home and take some time to. To process it all.

Sarah Reed (16:23)

People have asked me how I've been able to process everything after this, how I was able to see all of that graphic detail or carry the weight of the responsibility, and I think the simple answer is, I haven't. Not entirely processing Something like this isn't a task you can complete or cross off a list. It's something you carry and revisit over and over. And the people connected to this case feel its weight in different ways and at varying degrees. I've learned a lot about myself throughout this process. I mean, what a wild experience I went through. There's no way I could be the same person after something like this. And I say all of that knowing that not every juror leaves their civic duty and immediately spends the next 10 weeks making a podcast about the very thing they were just semi forced to live for 10 days. What surprised me the most throughout the trial was how much I was drawn to the judicial process itself. From the legal formalities to the structure of the proceedings, the purpose behind each witness, and the strategic introduction of every piece of evidence, it's all meticulously crafted. The entire trial is a story being unfolded in real time with twists and turns and revelations. And in the end, at least in this case, it's the jury who decides how the story concludes. Being a part of that process, holding someone's fate in your hands was heavy. And I knew even then that I couldn't just walk away from it. I had to share about it. You know, during sequestration, I had a lot of time to think. And honestly, I kept wishing I had a speaker so that I could just listen to a great book. That's why I love audiobooks. Whether I'm driving, walking the dogs, or traveling, I can just press play and get lost in an amazing story anytime and anywhere. One of my all time favorites is New York by Edward Rutherford. This epic historical novel spans over 400 years, following generations of families through the city's most pivotal moments. From its Dutch settlement days and all the way to 9 11. It was one of the first audiobooks I had ever listened to. It felt like the narrator was reading the story just for me. I was completely hooked. Here's some good news. You can listen to New York or any other book for free. Audible is giving Sequestered listeners a free audiobook with a 30 day trial. Just go to audibletrial.com sequestered that's one free book. Yours to keep forever. So find something you love and get listening. Go to audibletrial.com sequestered Next, Andrea and I had the opportunity to sit down and speak with the prosecutors who fought tirelessly to bring justice to Jasmine Pace's family. District Attorneys General Cody Wamp and Paul Moyle had been at the forefront of this case from the very beginning. Determined to ensure that Jasmine's story was heard and that her killer was held accountable. This conversation was especially impactful for me because both of them had become such sources of inspiration, particularly DA Whomp. Her passion for Jasmine was so evident throughout the entire trial. You can just tell that she's someone who walks through life with justice as a guiding principle. Our conversation with them was candid and emotional. We gathered in DA Wamp's office, her and Moyle in a set of cozy chairs, and the two of us on a comfortable couch with a long coffee table. Splitting the difference between us all, Everyone was in casual attire, Burks flannel. It was nice, the opposite of official. But what struck me most was how willing they were to share their perspectives, not only as legal professionals, but as human beings who were profoundly affected by the weight of this case. We discussed the trial, shared our own questions and curiosities, and reflected on what it all meant. Hearing their insights, especially after diving so deeply into this podcast, brought another layer of understanding to everything. We ended our conversation with them with a couple of questions, and we wanted to share their responses with you. The first was for DA Wamp about her advocacy for victims rights. I wanted to know what drove her passion in this area and how it shaped the way she approaches cases like this one. Here is her response.

Cody Wamp (22:05)

I think that that's what this job is. This, this office, any prosecutor's office should be victim focused or why are we all here? And certainly crimes matter that don't have victims. You can argue that there's a lot of crimes that do have victims that we don't necessarily categorize like that, but we should all prioritize crimes with victims as prosecutors. And that's what my message is to this office all the time. We have to make sure we're taking care of this community, not just public safety, but taking care of people in this community. And so in these cases, when you prepare for a trial like this one, or any trials that we have where we spend years preparing, you really get to know the victim well. And so by the time you get to trial, you know their family, you know what they were like when they were 15 years old, you've heard all the stories, you really get a sense, for better or for worse, sometimes you learn bad things, you know, but you get to know them. And so by the time you get to trial, it really is like, for me, personal that you know this person, you know their family, they're in your office, you know, they. They've. You've seen struggle throughout the last two years since their daughter died, you've seen the ups and the downs to a certain extent. And so it is personal by the time you get to trial, in my opinion, all you really want to do is fight for them because you've been this process, seeing it from their point of view. And so it is. It's hard to not make it too personal for me. I have to remind myself to just take a step back sometimes, because it can affect you and it will affect you if you let it. But to a certain extent, I think that's a good thing. I hope that I always feel that way, and if I don't care like I do now, I hope that I'll leave this job and do something else.

Sarah Reed (24:02)

And sort of along the same lines, I also asked her what moments from her career reminded her of why she does this work. I was curious to know if there were cases, experiences, or even particular moments that reinforced her commitment to advocating for victims and their families. What fuels her passion and keeps her going even when the work feels heavy?

Cody Wamp (24:27)

Any cases involving children. The rape of a child case that I tried in Bradley county was one of my first big trials. And being able to get a victory for a child like that, who afterwards will say, I didn't think anybody was gonna believe me, because kids don't come forward often because they don't think anybody's gonna believe them, and they're scared. And so to have a victory for a child where the system believed them and protected them like we're supposed to, it makes you feel like this is not just a profession. It's a passion. It is. You know, it's. For me, it's sort of who I am. But any. Any case with children, but a case like this, with a. With a victim who really was just 1000% innocent in all of this and did not deserve to die and was not involved in any type of criminal activity, and, you know, this was just so random and did not have to happen that it makes it a real privilege to be able to fight for her. But any of these trials and most of the trials I've tried have to do with victims. Most of the cases in my office tries have to do with victims. We tried drug cases here and there. We've tried a theft in the last year. But for the most part, we focus on victims, and that means that we take these cases to trial.

Sarah Reed (25:53)

Finally, I asked both DA Whomp and DA Moyle what they hope people will take away from this trial for Jasmine, for her family, and for the broader Fight for justice. Here's how they each replied.

Cody Wamp (26:10)

I hope that the closing argument resonated with people across the country. First of all, I think that there's more victims of crime across the nation and across our state than people realize until it happens to you. And whether you're just a victim of a burglary or you're a victim of a violent crime like this one, there's a lot of victims throughout our. And survivors throughout our community that we forget about. You know, something may happen two years ago and the person goes through the court process, and then over time, they're forgotten about, and nobody around them really understands what they went through or the fact they're a survivor of this type of crime. So I hope that the community realizes that there are people fighting for victims, and especially victims and survivors. I hope that they can say, and we've gotten some of this feedback, like, I was a victim or I was a survivor, and my boyfriend did this to me in 2009. And some of the greatest emails I got were those kind of emails. Like, I was in tears during the jury verdict because this happened to me, and I didn't think anybody cared. And that really. That really means a lot to me. Like, that's. That's a reminder of why we're doing this. So I hope the community knows that there are offices like ours that are doing it for all the right reasons. Me, too.

Paul Moyle (27:30)

So, Lindsay, I think that what I would want people to take away from this and to realize is that we see names on the news, individuals who are charged with crime. Sometimes the news will tell us the names of the victim. But at the end of the day, people need to realize that crime has a real impact on people outside of those that are named on the night news. That for every one victim of a crime, there's a family, a father, a mother, brothers and sisters, cousins, people who are deeply and negatively affected by the criminal acts of another, even though they're not the actual target of the criminal conduct. And that's something that I think that most people don't realize. It's just the sheer scope of. Of crime and how it affects really, the entire community.

Cody Wamp (28:28)

I think such an example of that from this trial, when was a little bit early on to really hit home for the jury because Katrina was our first witness. But how identical she looks to her daughter so much.

Sarah Reed (28:43)

Always.

Cody Wamp (28:44)

Yeah. And I mean, always stood out to me is like, oh, my gosh, she is up there on the witnesses. She looks exactly like her daughter. We're going to show her driver's license so that you can see. But they are real people, and they have moms that sometimes look just like them, that are willing to testify on their. On their behalf. And so, yeah, I mean, what a moment. Y'all didn't know as much about the case at that point in time because she was our first witness, but looking back, I mean, oh, yeah, this mother looks exactly like her daughter who this has happened to. And I thought that.

Sarah Reed (29:11)

That.

Cody Wamp (29:12)

I mean, honestly, I think it's a sweet moment for me to see her on the stand. And what a mom. You know, what a mom. Katrina Bean is the mom that we all aspire to be. And so I thought that was a sweet moment.

Paul Moyle (29:25)

And I think also one other thing is that I know that a lot of times that we focus on the negatives with people that work in the public sector, in government, but there are dedicated professionals out there, like General Long, who believe in the rule of law, who believe in seeking justice for those who no longer have a voice. And people don't need to forget that every day across this country, across this state, there are people who are fighting for victims. And General Wong is one of those people.

Sarah Reed (30:08)

I gotta tell y'all, if.

Andrea Clyde (30:09)

If I was in Katrina Bean's spot, you guys are who I would want.

Cody Wamp (30:16)

Fighting for me, truly. Thank you.

Sarah Reed (30:21)

Their passion for seeking justice was evident. They didn't just see this as another case on the docket. It was personal for them, individually and as a team. And their dedication left an impression on me that I continue to carry. Hearing their words, their resolve, their compassion only deepened my own sense of responsibility. It made me reflect on why I felt so compelled to create this podcast in the first place, to honor Jasmine's story, to make sure her name is remembered, and to acknowledge the tireless work of the people fighting for justice every single day. This journey really has changed me. And as we come to the end of this podcast, I want to share some of the personal reflections and lessons I've taken away from all of this. Throughout this journey, we have heard from so many of you listeners who have been moved by Jasmine's story, who've followed this case closely, or who've simply had questions about the process. And as I reflect on everything we've shared, I wanted to take some time to answer a few of the questions that have come up, the most questions that I've been asking myself, too. One of the most common questions I've heard is, why did I decide to make this podcast instead of just moving on? And my answer is, Simple. These stories need to be told. We talk about serial killers and we make them heroes in our society. We talk about what they did to the victim as if that moment defines someone like Jasmine Pace. And that's just simply not the case. I know that cases like this and worse happen across the globe every single day. It's such a tragedy. This one could have passed me by, and I might have started my new year never knowing Jasmine's name or hearing her story. But January 2025 presented me with a very different set of circumstances. I couldn't just go back to my normal life after going through this experience. It has changed me. Another question I've been asked is, what do I hope people take away from this podcast? I think about DA wamp's closing statement here, Specifically, when she so passionately delivers the words about how victims matter.

Cody Wamp (32:56)

Victims matter. Jasmine Pace is not just some girl listed in an autopsy report. She is not. The photos that you have seen, don't minimize her to a name on an indictment. She is a person. She had family that loved her. She was a friend. She was a granddaughter. Please don't minimize this trial to the trial for him.

Sarah Reed (33:25)

She's absolutely right. We hear a lot about the perpetrator in cases like this. Their names are the ones splashed across the headlines, their actions dissected and analyzed. But what often gets lost is the victim, the person whose life was stolen. When it comes to crimes like this, we need to say the names of the victims and the survivors more often. They deserve to be remembered for who they were, not just for what happened to them. So I guess my hope for this podcast is the same as DA wamp's, that somewhere down the line, when you think about this case or hear it on another show, Jasmine Pace is the first name you recall, that you remember her for who she was as a person. Her kindness, her vibrancy, her dreams. And not just the tragedy that ended her life. And then there's the question that feels most personal. Would I ever serve on a jury again after this experience? I've thought a lot about that. It's hard to say yes right away because this experience has been so intense, emotionally and mentally. It's not something I could go through again. Lightly Serving on this jury was life changing, but also incredibly heavy. The weight of the responsibility, knowing that real lives are impacted by the decisions we make, it's daunting. But I also recognize how important it is to have people who are willing to show up to listen and to do their best to seek justice. I felt honored. To do that with the other 15 people I was called to serve alongside of being a juror isn't easy, and I have so much more respect for the process now. It's not just a civic duty, it's a profound act of service. So would I do it again? I think I would, but only if I felt I could give it the attention and care it deserves. After reflecting on my own experience, I kept coming back to the person who's been with me every step of the way on this podcast, my co producer, Andrea. She has spent 99% of her time behind the scenes of this podcast, researching, writing, building out the website and all of the back end details. She has poured her energy into making sure Jasmine's story was told with care and accuracy. But Andrea's experience has been entirely different from mine. She watched the trial unfold from the outside, piecing together things through life streams and endless research, and then she relived it all again as we built this podcast together. Her perspective is unique, seeing everything from a distance but still feeling the weight of it all. So I was curious, what has this entire experience been like for her? These are her thoughts.

Andrea Clyde (36:40)

Working on this podcast with Sarah has been a wild and emotional journey. From the beginning, our intention was sequestered, was to tell the truth of what happened. I've spent a lot of time asking myself why that felt so important to me. I think it's because we all carry stories inside of us that remain untold, whether out of shame, fear, or simply not wanting the world to know what we've endured. But there's power in speaking the truth and saying this happened. Jasmine didn't get a chance to walk away from a bad situation. She likely went to Jason's apartment on the night of November 22, 2022, seeking comfort after losing her grandmother. Instead, for reasons we may never fully understand, he ended her life in a terrifying way. I've always believed that we are all connected more than we might ever realize. Our work is to let that truth in, to be open to the most unexpected experiences and to partner with them when they arrive. Elizabeth Gilbert says this in her book Big Magic. Do whatever brings you to life. Then follow your own fascinations, obsessions and compulsions. Trust them. Create whatever causes a revolution in your heart. I felt compelled to tell Jasmine Pace's story because it could have been my own story or your story. I've lived and breathed the details of this trial. For the past two months with Sarah, I've dreamt about Jasmine. I've even asked her for Guidance as we've been writing and planning this podcast. And even though I never met her, the words and the emotions of her family have shown me that she was an exceptionally loving and vibrant human being. I will never forget Jasmine Pace. I think about her all the time as I go through my life now. I believe she's watching over her family right now. I feel that deeply. In an odd way, I feel connected to her because she seemed fierce and loving and passionate about life. So what will I take away from this case and this experience? I've rediscovered a passion to advocate for those who no longer have a voice. I'm still asking myself what that means, but my heart is wide open.

Sarah Reed (39:15)

In closing, I guess I just want to say I think that Jasmine was in need of comfort that night. She had no idea what was coming, and the truth is, none of us did. There's such a finality to what happened. Jasmine will never get to fulfill her dreams. Her family will never get to see her face again, hear her laugh, or watch her move through life's experiences. The loss is so profound, it's hard to put into words. And yet Jasmine's story isn't over, not really, because we remember her. We say her name. We keep her memory alive by honoring who she was, not just how her life ended. Maybe that force we were feeling to make this podcast was Jasmine herself. It's something I've often wondered, as if she's been walking with us, guiding us to share her story in a way that feels true and respectful. I want to believe she's here, still watching over her family, her presence felt in every sunset, her spirit woven into the hearts of everyone who loves her. I really hope so. Before we go, if you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence or feels unsafe, there is help available. You can contact the National Domestic violence hotline at 1-800-799-SAFE or visit thehotline.org for resources such as support and confidential assistance. 24. 7 A huge thank you to News Channel 9, Local 3 News Chattanooga and Court TV for your thorough and compassionate coverage throughout this case. Your reporting allowed us to share Jasmine's story in its fullness and accuracy. And to everyone who has listened, asked questions, and supported this effort, thank you. It means more than words can express to Jasmine's family. If you're listening, I hope we've done her justice. I hope you feel her presence close to you every day. This may be the final episode, but it's not the end of this story. Our search for answers continues, and we're committed to sharing everything we learn with you. We invite you to Visit the website sequesteredpod.com for a deeper dive into each day of the trial, including blogs and photos from the case. Finally, if you've enjoyed this podcast, please take a moment to rate and review it. It's the best way to get the word out. Thank you so much for listening. Thank you for listening to Sequestered A Juror's Perspective on the Murder Trial for Jasmine Pace. Each episode brings us closer to understanding the trial, the people involved, and the weight of seeking justice. If this story speaks to you, please follow, share and continue the conversation with us. Jasmine's story deserves to be remembered. This is a BP production. The show is written, edited and produced by me, Sarah Reed with co production by Andrea Clyde. News clips featured in this episode were sourced From WTVC News, Channel 9, Local 3 News Chattanooga and the Law and Crime Network. Music and sound design are curated to reflect the gravity and sensitivity of this story and with the intent to honor Jasmine, her family and the community affected by her death. For more information or to connect with us, visit sequesteredpod.com or follow us on Instagram @SequesteredPod. Thank you for listening. Until next time, stay curious and stay safe.