Jennifer Pan, the daughter of Vietnamese immigrants to Canada Bich Ha Pan and Huei Hann Pan, almost, almost planned the perfect murder. With the help of her drug-dealing boyfriend, Pan meticulously planned the execution of her parents. The plan was to make it look like a robbery turned awry, but something unexpected happened: Jennifer’s father survived.
The hit-men put three bullets in Bich Ha Pan’s head, killing her instantly. Hann Pan got one bullet to the shoulder and another to the head. Miraculously, he survived and retained all memories he had from that night. Hann’s testimony supported suspicions that Jennifer was the mastermind behind the whole operation.
Jennifer’s chance to get out of prison will come in 2039, 25 years after he conviction
To Bich Ha Pan and Huei Hann Pan, Jennifer was their golden child. Bich and Hann had moved to Canada separately following the fall of Saigon. They met, married, and had two children, Jennifer and Felix. The pair found jobs at auto parts manufacturer Magna International, and with their salaries, managed to buy a large house on a quiet residential street.
Bich, and especially Hann, demanded perfection from their children. At age four, they enrolled Jennifer in piano classes, and later, they introduced her to figure skating. Jennifer’s parents expected her to excel in everything, and the pressure started to tell. By Grade 8, Jennifer had started cutting herself.
Jennifer hit rock bottom when she failed to be named valedictorian and received no medal for her academic achievements. Outwardly, Jennifer put on her ‘happy mask,’ but secretly, she was devastated. Feelings of inadequacy, shame, and self-doubt tormented Jennifer whenever she failed to emerge victorious in her endeavors.
She felt like she was letting down her parents. Hann comforted Jennifer by telling her, “You know all we want from you is just your best – just do what you can.” By the end of Grade 9, Jennifer was a B student. Not that B is a bad grade, but her parents demanded As. Therefore, she resorted to doctoring report cards to make it look like she was an A student.
Jennifer weaved her web of deceit for years until her parents found out that she never graduated high school and didn’t start the pharmacy course they thought she’d enrolled in. To their dismay, they found out that Jennifer had a secret boyfriend, Daniel Wong. Daniel broke up with Jennifer after her parents put further restrictions on her.
Unable to deal with the heartbreak, Jennifer plotted to kill the people who stood between her and happiness, her parents. It would free her to live with Daniel and make her $500,000 richer. At trial, Jennifer claimed that she’d hired hitmen to kill her and not her parents, but the plan went wrong.
The court found her guilty and sentenced her to life imprisonment with no chance of parole for 25 years. Jennifer will be eligible for parole in 2039. Before then, she has plenty of time to think about the consequences of her actions. “I hope my daughter Jennifer thinks about what has happened to her family and can become a good honest person someday,” Hann wrote at the end of his victim impact statement.
Unable to work and plagued by nightmares, Jennifer’s father lives a life of despair
“When I lost my wife, I lost my daughter at the same time,” Hann wrote. “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.” Hann and his son Felix cut all communication with Jennifer after her conviction.
Hann survived the attack, but it left an indelible mark on his life. He’s unable to work and suffers anxiety attacks and nightmares. Hann is in constant pain, and nothing he does brings him any joy. He can’t live in his house, so he lives with relatives. Hann has tried to sell the house, but no one will buy it.
Felix moved to the East Coast to escape the stigma of being associated with Jennifer Pan. Still, he suffers from depression and has become closed off. Jennifer’s desired to be free of the shackles placed on her by her parents, but her actions ended up causing far more pain to a greater multitude of people.