Sign up to our free US news bulletin sent straight to your inbox each weekday morning
Sign up to our free morning US email news bulletin
The body of a 22-year-old missing Tennessee woman was found on Thursday, a day after her boyfriend was charged with her murder.
Remains of Jasmine Pace were found during a search operation along the Suck Creek Road in Chattanooga, the police confirmed.
She was last seen by her family on surveillance footage leaving her mother’s home in Chattanooga on 22 November.
Authorities on Wednesday arrested Pace's boyfriend Jason Chen, 22, from his family home in Nolensville and brought him to Hamilton County to face charges of criminal homicide.
Police said blood stains were found on the living room floor, bathroom grout and the bedroom carpet of the apartment rented by Mr Chen in North Chattanooga. There were splatters of blood also on the bathroom wall.
Pace and Mr Chen were in a relationship for a few months, police said, adding that her last known location that she shared with her mother via a text message pin drop was at his apartment after 2am on 23 November.
Pace's mother traced her daughter's 2021 Chevy Equinox in the 900 block of Mountain Creek with the help of an app.
The evidence “shows the victim had been murdered during an altercation that occurred” inside Mr Chen’s apartment, an affidavit from the General Sessions Court of Hamilton County said, according to WKRN.
It added that additional evidence, such as footage from surveillance cameras in the area, indicated she had been “transported away from the crime scene location".
Childhood friend Bailey Putman said they had initially thought she might have left town to grieve the death of a relative. When she failed to show up for Thanksgiving Day dinner, they began to fear the worst as it was completely out of character.
Ms Putman said her friend’s phone had been inactive since 23 November, while her social media accounts had been in use. They were suspicious of a Facebook post made at 6.52pm on Saturday from Pace’s account.
The post contains three videos and a dated photo of Pace with the words: “Enjoying Thanksgiving with my baby!!”
Pace’s mother Catherine and her husband reportedly visited the Tremont Street apartment but could not find either her daughter or Mr Chen.
Hamilton County district attorney Coty Wamp in a statement on Thursday said: “Our hearts are with Jasmine’s family tonight as they deal with unimaginably difficult news.”
“We are grateful that thanks to the hard work of the Chattanooga Police Department she may now be laid to rest surrounded by the friends and family that so deeply loved her.”
