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Doting daughter deceived parents for decade before hiring hit man to kill them

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Doting daughter deceived parents for decade before hiring hit man to kill them
Doting daughter deceived parents for decade before hiring hit man to kill them

On the surface, Jennifer Pan was a straight-A student with a bright future ahead of her after securing a scholarship to Ryerson University in Toronto.

Following her graduation she found a volunteering role at a children's hospital and her Vietnamese refugee parents' - Huei Hann and Bich Ha Pan - dream of a secure life for their daughter was coming true. But in reality, the young woman had spun a web of lies for almost a decade and when the truth was finally uncovered, she did the unthinkable.

In 2014, Jennifer Pan received two life sentences with no possibility of parole for 25 years for the murder of her mum and attempted murder of her dad. Miraculously, Huei Hann survived being shot in the face during a staged home invasion orchestrated by his daughter. Mum Bich Ha was not so lucky and died after being fired at point blank.

But how did such a promising woman manage to somehow turn to wanting to kill those that loved and raised her? An upcoming Netflix documentary looks into Jennifer's life and deadly motives.

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Doting daughter deceived parents for decade before hiring hit man to kill themJennifer Pan, who arranged for her parents' murder (York Regional Police)

Although her parents appeared to enforce a strict life on the young Jennifer, from ensuring that she focused heavily on her education and being banned from school dances, they did so because they wanted a better life for her.

Both parents fled Vietnam in 1979 and after settling in Markham, Ontario, Canada, only wanted Jennifer - born in 1986 - to have the opportunities they never had. During her formative years, the youngster had excelled in school, according to some of her peers.

A turning point apparently came in eighth grade after she failed to receive a valedictorian award. From then on her grades began to deteriorate - but only down to Bs and this was still good enough to gain her an early acceptance into Ryerson University.

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Doting daughter deceived parents for decade before hiring hit man to kill themJennifer's dad Huei Hann and mum Bich Ha Pan (True Crime Daily/Youtube)

By the 11th grade she had also begun dating Daniel Wong, who was eventually made to change schools after being caught with marijuana. However, she failed a calculus test and her university offer was withdrawn.

Fearing that her parents would be unhappy with her crumbling grades and failure to get into a good university, she never told them and instead began forging report cards indicating that she was still a top-A student. Jennifer even pretended that she had started at Ryerson in the autumn of 2004.

She informed her parents she would spend two years there studying science before transferring to the more prestigious University of Toronto to study pharmacology, much like her dad had always wanted her to. On top of this, she claimed that she'd secured a $3,000 scholarship to help pay for her education.

But instead of going to classes, as her parents believed, she would go and stay with her boyfriend or to the library to study subjects she thought would crop up in her subject. Two years later, Jennifer was due to 'graduate' and told her parents that the university only issued one ticket per student due to overcrowding.

Doting daughter deceived parents for decade before hiring hit man to kill themDaniel Wong, Jennifer's boyfriend and co-conspirator, being questioned by police (York Regional Police)

To solve any potential clashes between her parents over who would go, she pretended to give the ticket to a friend. Following her supposed graduation, she told her parents that she had started to volunteer in the blood-testing lab at SickKids hospital.

After nearly a decade of deception, Jennifer's dad became suspicious that something wasn't up when he noticed she had no work uniform or identification. Huei Hann dropped his daughter off at work one day but asked his wife to tailgate her inside. She was nowhere to be found.

Husband and wife enjoy Xmas dinner days before she's charged with his murderHusband and wife enjoy Xmas dinner days before she's charged with his murder
Doting daughter deceived parents for decade before hiring hit man to kill themThe crime scene after the fake home invasion where Jennifer's parents were dragged into the basement and shot (Netflix)

The parents confronted her and she revealed everything to them. Understandably, they were shocked at the revelation and ultimately felt betrayed. Huei Hann banished her from the home but Bich Ha convinced him to let her back under strict rules.

She was forbidden to see her boyfriend, and not allowed to use her computer or mobile phone unless under supervision. Initially furious at her restrictions, Jennifer eventually regained her parents' trust - but not before her relationship with Wong deteriorated and he started seeing someone else.

Doting daughter deceived parents for decade before hiring hit man to kill themA bullet found in the home after the shooting (Netflix)

Eventually the pair reconnected and it was then that they plotted to murder Jennifer's parents, bag £393,000 ($500,000) inheritance and move in together. Wong introduced her to one of the hit men, Lenford Crawford, who said he'd do it for $10,000.

However, the boyfriend backed out of the deal and returned to his previous girlfriend. Undeterred, Jennifer insisted that her parents must die, telling Wong: "I want it for me."

Doting daughter deceived parents for decade before hiring hit man to kill themDavid Mylvaganam received a life sentence after being found guilty (York Regional Police)
Doting daughter deceived parents for decade before hiring hit man to kill themEric Carty was sentenced to 18 year for his role in the shootings (York Regional Police)

On the night of November 8, 2010, Jennifer's mum was watching TV while her dad slept in his room. It is believed that she then texted the killers to make their move and Crawford along with associates David Mylvaganam and Eric Carty stalked in through the unlocked front door carrying guns.

The terrified parents were taken down to the basement while Jennifer was apparently tied to a bannister in a bid to make the intrusion look authentic. The group stole money in the house and then shot both Huei Hann and Bich Ha, the latter fatally.

Doting daughter deceived parents for decade before hiring hit man to kill themA documentary about the horrific crime is being aired on Netflix from April 10 (Netflix)

The murderers ran away but Jennifer gave her her mobile phone so she could call the emergency services. The seemingly panicked daughter told the operator: "Help me, please. I need help. I don't know where my parents are. Some people broke into our house and stole all this money. I could hear my parents yelling. Please send help!"

The dad was placed in a medically-induced coma for three days and, after waking up, told police that he saw his daughter talking casually to one of the gunmen as if they were a friend. The authorities were already suspicious over how Jennifer could reach her phone while tied up and this comment only intensified their beliefs that she had something to do with the horrific incident.

Doting daughter deceived parents for decade before hiring hit man to kill themJennifer's parents were shot in cold blood at point blank range (Netflix)

Investigators brought in the then-24-year-old for questioning and she soon admitted the truth. She told them that she had in fact called off the killings after making amends with her dad - but the police didn't believe her and she was convicted of first-degree murder alongside attempted murder in December 2014.

Wong, Mylvaganam, and Crawford were also given life sentences with no chance of parole for 25 years. In December 2015, Carty was given an 18-year sentence after pleading guilty to conspiring to commit murder, with eligibility for parole after nine years.

The maximum sentence for attempted murder was given because Huei Hann only survived the 'crime of terrifying violence' through luck. Judge Cary Boswell said at the time: "Each of the offenders knew that he or she was involved in a murder plot," and in addition that they understood the "abject immorality" of their actions.

None of Jennifer's family attended her trial but in a statement Huei Hann wrote: "When I lost my wife, I lost my daughter at the same time. On the day Bich died, I feel I died too. I hope my daughter Jennifer thinks about what happened to her family and can become a good, honest person someday." While Jennifer's traumatised brother Felix said that the events of that night in November 2010 will haunt him for the rest of his life.

'What Jennifer Did' will be available on Netflix from April 10

Steven White

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