Netflix's What Jennifer Did: Where Is Jennifer Pan Now and Did She Kill Her Parents?

Netflix is back with another murder doc, and it's enough to have parents everywhere rethinking their childrearing strategies. What Jennifer Did recounts the horrific events from Nov. 8, 2010, when intruders broke into a home in a peaceful Canadian community in Ontario. 

The invasion left Jennifer Pan's father in critical condition and her mother dead. The biggest twist? This case wasn't a random home invasion. It was a crime orchestrated by the couple's picture-perfect daughter. And it was one she almost got away with. 

The documentary film digs into the gritty details of the case with police interview footage, conversations with those who knew the family, and reports from investigators at the time. But there's a lot more to this story of murder. Who was Jennifer Pan, and where is she now? Read on to find out.

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Who Was Jennifer Pan?

In 2010, Jennifer Pan was a 24-year-old living with her parents in Markham, Ontario. On Nov. 8 that year, she called 9-1-1 and claimed home intruders had tied her up, shot her parents, and ran away. Her mother, Bich Ha Pan, died instantly, but her father, Huei Hann Pan, was shot in the face and shoulder and went into a medically induced coma. He miraculously survived, and that's when the truth about what happened that fatal night emerged. 

What Was So Strange About Jennifer Pan's Case?

Initially, police believed this case was a home invasion gone wrong. However, as investigators began digging into the events surrounding the incident, there were all kinds of questions. How did the intruders get in that night? There were no signs of forced entry. Then there was the question of how Jennifer was able to call for help, given that her hands were supposedly tied behind her back.

As the days continued, investigators also learned that Jennifer and her once-secret boyfriend, drug dealer Daniel Wong, had been forced to call things off because of her parents. From there, even more lies emerged. 

What Did Jennifer Pan Lie About?

On paper, Jennifer was the perfect daughter. She was a competitive figure skater on the Olympics track until an injury sidelined her. She was a skilled piano player and a straight-A student. She had been accepted into the University of Toronto's pharmacology program, which was her father's dream. 

In reality, almost none of that was true. Although Jennifer skated and was a dedicated piano student, her parents eventually learned she had been forging her marks since Grade 8. Officials rescinded her offer to Ryerson University (now the Toronto Metropolitan University) due to bad grades in high school, and she was never accepted into pharmacy school. Instead, she had been hanging out with Daniel Wong and wasting her days away.

According to an article published in Toronto Life, Jennifer's parents finally realized what was going on when Jennifer claimed to be volunteering for the Hospital for Sick Children but couldn't produce a badge or uniform. Her father told her she could stay home and go to school or go with her boyfriend and never return. He also made it clear: If she wanted to be with Daniel, she would have to wait until he was dead.  

Why Did Jennifer Pan Lie?

The Toronto Life article, which a former classmate of Jennifer's wrote, paints a picture of strict rules, a regimented schedule, and high expectations set forth by Vietnamese immigrant parents. According to the author, Jennifer's father was a "classic tiger dad:" a parent who emphasizes academic achievement and discipline and sets high expectations that are often impossible to meet.

Some of the stories Jennifer's former classmates shared give you the sense that she was under so much pressure that she lied instead of letting her parents down. When she was still training for the Olympics, there were nights she would practice until 10 p.m. Then, she'd come home and do homework until midnight. Eventually, she began cutting her forearms from the pressure. 

What Did Jennifer Do?

When Huei Hann Pan woke up from his coma, the investigation into his attempted murder and his wife's murder took a wild turn. He recalled seeing Jennifer walking around the house with the assailants. That's when Jennifer changed her story. 

According to prosecutors, Jennifer worked with Daniel Wong — who was by then with a new woman — to hire three men to kill her parents. In court, Jennifer claimed she hired Lenford Crawford, Eric Carty, and David Mylvaganam to kill her. She claimed it was a way to commit suicide without bringing shame to her family. The fee for such an act? $10,000.

In court, Jennifer explained the murder was supposed to take place on Nov. 3, 2010, but was delayed a week when her parents revealed last-minute dinner plans. So on Nov. 8, Jennifer gave the go-ahead via text. She came downstairs that night to say goodnight to her mom, who had just returned from line-dancing class. Jennifer then unlocked the front door and went to her room. 

Where Is Jennifer Pan Now?

Pan, Wong, Crawford, and Mylvaganam pled not guilty. Carty, who was involved in another murder at the time, was severed from the case when his lawyer became ill but later pled guilty. He died in 2018 after he was stabbed in prison.

After a 10-month trial (one of the longest in Canadian history), a jury didn't believe Jennifer's story and convicted her, as well as the other three, of first-degree murder and attempted murder. In 2015, Jennifer was sentenced to life in prison with no parole for 25 years for the first-degree murder charge and life for attempted murder one. 

Last year, all four of the convicted murderers appealed the charges. The Court of Appeal for Ontario denied the appeals for attempted murder but granted them the first-degree murder ones. According to the court, they found that the original trial judge failed to present second-degree murder and manslaughter as other possible verdicts in the case.

However, just because the Court of Appeal for Ontario has granted the appeals doesn't mean Jennifer and Co. will have a new trial. Their cases currently sit with the Supreme Court of Canada, which will decide whether the original decision or the Appeal Court's decision was the right one.

If the appeal is denied at that level, the Crown can run a new trial. If it decides not to order a new trial, the accused can begin to seek parole on the attempted murder conviction. 

What Happened to Jennifer Pan's Family?

According to Toronto Life, Hann is unable to work due to his injuries; he has insomnia, anxiety attacks, and nightmares. He cannot do activities he previously enjoyed, like gardening, working on cars, or listening to music. He no longer resides in his family home, but has moved in with nearby relatives instead.

He also has no intention of speaking to his daughter. Huei Hann Pan and his son, Felix Pan, have a non-communication order against Jennifer, preventing her from ever contacting them again.

"When I lost my wife, I lost my daughter at the same time," Hann wrote in his victim impact statement. "I don't feel like I have a family anymore. […] Some say I should feel lucky to be alive but I feel like I am dead too."

Catch What Jennifer Did, now streaming on Netflix.