Disclaimer: This article contains mentions of murder. Reader discretion is advised.
Netflix’s What Jennifer Did explores the case of Jennifer Pan, who allegedly plotted to murder her parents. According to Today.com, the ordeal began when intruders broke into the Pan family’s home in Markham, Ontario, in 2010. These men fatally shot Jennifer’s mother, Bich Ha Pan, and gravely injured her father, Huei Hann Pan, who survived. Hann Pan later recounted the night of the attack to police, implicating his daughter in the crime.
Authorities eventually arrested Jennifer and her on-again-off-again boyfriend, Daniel Wong. They also arrested and charged two others – Lenford Crawford and David Mylvaganam. The case resulted in four convictions on the counts of first-degree murder and attempted murder. Jennifer received a life sentence without the possibility of parole for 25 years. A fifth man, Eric Carty, pleaded guilty but died in prison in 2018, per Business Insider.
The outlet stated that the Supreme Court of Canada is currently reviewing the convictions of Jennifer and her co-defendants. The recent update came after Ontario’s Court of Appeals’ found an error the first trial judge made. As of now, all four convicts continue to serve their respective prison sentences.
According to People Magazine, Jennifer Pan, today, continues to serve her sentence in the Grand Valley Institution for Women in Kitchener, Ontario.
Jennifer Pan: What was she accused of?
According to CBC News, allegations suggested that Jennifer Pan hired hitmen in a plot to kill her parents in November 2010. Three armed intruders reportedly broke into the Pan home on November 8 and fatally shot Jennifer’s mother, Bich Ha Pan. They also shot her father, Huei Hann Pan, who survived the incident but remained in a medically induced coma for a couple of days. After waking up, Hann Pan told authorities the real version of the incident.
People Magazine reported that Jennifer allegedly first began plotting her parents’ murder in the spring of 2010. She claimed to have enlisted a man named Ricardo Duncan to murder her father. She alleged that she paid him $1,500 for the deed. However, Duncan appeared in court and denied ever accepting money from the accused.
The outlet stated that after this, Jennifer Pan and her on-again-off-again boyfriend, Daniel Wong, started concocting their plan. Wong hired Lenford Crawford, promising him $10,000, to execute their plan of murdering Jennifer’s parents so she could collect a sum of $500,000 from her share of the estate.
Later that year, on November 8, three armed men, including Crawford’s friend David Mylvaganam, went to the Pan family’s home. There, they shot Jennifer’s parents, killing her mother and severely injuring her father. Per CBC, prosecutors later claimed that neither Daniel Wong nor Lenford Crawford were present at the crime scene when the attack occurred.
According to Business Insider, Jennifer Pan’s father, Hann Pan, who was in a coma for three days, implicated his daughter in the crime. Hann recalled Jennifer’s cordial behavior with one of the intruders, which contradicted her statements to police about being a victim. Hann also alleged that the men tied him and his wife but did not do the same to Jennifer. This resulted in her arrest.
Reportedly, Jennifer stood trial four years later in 2014, which resulted in her conviction on counts of first-degree murder and attempted murder. Three of her co-defendants, Daniel Wong, Lenford Crawford, and David Mylvaganam, were also convicted. The following year, they each received life in prison without parole for 25 years. A fifth man, Eric Carty, pleaded guilty later and died while serving his sentence in prison in 2018.
Despite the conviction, Jennifer Pan has always maintained her innocence. The four co-defendants appealed their convictions, and last May, Ontario’s Court of Appeal granted them a new trial. The Appeals Court’s decision came after it found an error their trial judge made, reported Today.com. The judge had reportedly failed to offer the jury other potential verdicts, such as second-degree murder and manslaughter.
Prosecutors then took the case to the Supreme Court of Canada and are currently awaiting a review. Based on recent developments in the case, the Supreme Court has yet to decide whether Jennifer Pan and her co-defendants will receive a new trial.
What Jennifer Did premiered on Netflix on April 17, 2024, and is now streaming.
