Man Accused Of Stabbing Girlfriend 60 Times, Stuffing Body In Suitcase Gets $5M Bond

A Tennessee man accused of killing his girlfriend by stabbing her 60 times was issued a $5 million bond during last Friday's hearing.

Jason Chen, 22, was accused of criminal homicide concerning the death of 22-year-old Jasmine "Jazzy" Pace. If Chen completes that bond, he must reportedly remain under house arrest with geographical restrictions. He also has to forfeit his passport, KFOX-TV reported.

Chen and Pace were dating at the time the victim went missing. Pace was last seen alive by her family on Nov. 22. By the end of the month, Chen was charged with murder, as per Law & Crime. He was arrested in his mother's home in Williamson County.

Pace's body was found wrapped in a garbage bag and stuffed inside a suitcase near Suck Creek Road in Chattanooga on Dec. 1.

Chattanooga Police Department Detective Zack Crawford testified that blood evidence suggested Pace was murdered inside Chen's apartment. The lead detective on the case stated that Chen's phone records showed he had traveled near the location where the suitcase containing Pace's remains was discovered.

According to police, the victim was handcuffed and both of her ankles were bound to her right wrist. Pace was stabbed a total of 60 times, said Hamilton County's medical examiner.

During Chen's bond hearing, the prosecutors stated the final moments of Pace's life from the state's viewpoint.

"Primarily, there's a total of 60, that is six-zero, sharp force injuries," Hamilton County Medical Examiner's Office Chief Medical Deputy Dr. Stephen Cogswell told the court, according to CBS affiliate WDEF. "That's stab wounds and cuts in varying sizes."

"Her bound position is such that virtually all of the wounds can be inflicted with her in that position," Cogswell went on to explain, according to NBC affiliate WRBC.

Meanwhile, Chen's mother, Shufang Chen, who spoke through a translator, emotionally testified that her son was a "good kid" without any mental health issues that she was aware of.

According to Chen's mother, her son was born in New York, then went to reside with his grandparents in China until he was four years old. He later moved and lived in Tennessee with his parents.

Chen's next hearing is scheduled for Jan. 19, 2023.