Shivangi Sinha
Jennifer Pan placed a desperate call to 911 around 10:30 p.m. on November 8, 2010, alleging that three intruders had invaded her home. She claimed they tied her to the staircase banister upstairs before proceeding to the basement, where they fatally shot her parents. However, as authorities delved deeper into the investigation and interviewed Jennifer and those close to her, a web of deceit surrounding her life began to unravel. In Netflix’s ‘What Jennifer Did,’ viewers witness the chilling police interrogations where Jennifer was confronted with her crimes and ultimately admitted her guilt.
Jennifer Pan Made Up Many Lies To Tell Her Parents
Born on June 17, 1986, to immigrant parents — Bich Ha and Huei Hann Pan — from Vietnam, Jennifer Pan had a promising start to her life in Canada. Her parents emphasized academic success and stability, discouraging her from indulging in social activities like parties. According to her friends, Jennifer’s parents were quite strict with her, a lifestyle mirrored by her younger brother Felix, born in 1989. As Jennifer matured, her academic performance began to decline from straight As to Bs. To avoid disappointing her parents, she resorted to forging report cards and deceiving them about her grades.
During her final year, Jennifer failed calculus but kept it secret from her parents, pretending instead that she had been accepted into the University of Toronto to study Pharmacy. She fabricated a facade of attending classes and living near campus during the week, while in reality, she spent time with her boyfriend, Daniel Wong, concocting fake notes to maintain the illusion. When graduation approached, she informed her parents that each student received only one ticket and would be taking a friend instead. After fabricating her academic achievements, Jennifer claimed to have started volunteering at SickKids.
Her father, Huei Hann Pan, eventually grew suspicious and asked her mother to follow her. When her lies were exposed, her father made it clear that she would no longer live with them. Upon her mother’s insistence, he allowed her to stay on the condition that she would finish high school. Jennifer’s life became tightly regulated and monitored, with strict rules imposed by her parents. She was only permitted to attend her piano lessons, a commitment she had maintained since she was 4. Moreover, her parents insisted on accompanying her to and from these lessons, and they forbade her from seeing her boyfriend, Daniel, any longer.
Jennifer attempted to maintain a secret relationship with Daniel, but the strain became unbearable, leading him to seek companionship elsewhere. In response, Jennifer incessantly called him, made false accusations about his new girlfriend, and feigned trouble to elicit sympathy. Blaming her parents for her predicament, she allegedly approached a high school acquaintance, offering $1,500 for the murder of her parents. However, the arrangement fell through. Undeterred, Jennifer turned to Daniel, who had connections in the drug trade, expressing her desire to have her parents killed. He then introduced her to Lenford Roy Crawford, also known as “Homeboy,” a drug dealer, and the plan began to take shape.
On the evening of November 8, 2010, Crawford, accompanied by Eric Shawn Carty and David Mylvaganam, arrived at the Pan residence. Jennifer’s father was asleep in his room, while her mother had just returned from line dancing classes and was resting in the living room. Jennifer facilitated their entry by signaling to them with the lights in her bedroom, and they proceeded to shoot her parents. She then placed a distress call to 911, claiming that she was tied to a banister. During initial police questioning, Jennifer portrayed herself as a victim of a home invasion and broke down several times while providing details of the incident.
Jennifer shifted the blame onto Daniel’s girlfriend, but her deception unraveled when her father woke up from a coma and revealed seeing her conversing with one of the assailants. During questioning, an officer misled Jennifer by falsely claiming that they had tracked her movements within the house using satellites. This tactic prompted her to admit her involvement in planning the crime. Subsequently, her guilt was further substantiated by incriminating text messages exchanged with Daniel and Homeboy.
Jennifer Pan is in Prison Today
Jennifer Pan’s trial commenced in March 2014, before and during which she remained incarcerated. Alongside her accomplices, she faced legal proceedings. Following a 10-month trial period, marked by her father’s testimony and the presentation of various incriminating evidence, including phone records, Jennifer was convicted in December 2014. She was found guilty of first-degree murder in her mother’s case and attempted murder of her father. The court sentenced her to life imprisonment with no chance of parole for 25 years. Additionally, a restraining order was issued, prohibiting her from contacting either her father or brother for the remainder of her life.
In 2023, Jennifer and her accomplices filed an appeal at the Court of Appeal for Ontario, contesting the first-degree murder charge. The court ruled in favor of the appeal, citing that the jury was not provided with alternative convictions to consider, such as second-degree murder or manslaughter. However, the charge of attempted murder was upheld by the court. Currently 27 years old, she is serving her sentence at the Grand Valley Institution for Women in Kitchener, Ontario, awaiting a hearing date for her appeal.
Read More: Daniel Wong: Where is Jennifer Pan’s Ex-Boyfriend Now?
