A new documentary titled “What Jennifer Did” explores the chilling case of Canadian woman Jennifer Pan, who orchestrated the murders of her parents in 2010 with the help of her boyfriend Daniel Wong and his associates David Mylvaganam and Lenford Crawford. Initially, Pan claimed to be an unwitting survivor of a home invasion that resulted in her mother’s death and her father’s injury. However, incriminating evidence, including text messages and conversations with detectives, eventually revealed her involvement in the plot. The documentary delves into Pan’s motivations, including her desire to collect $500,000 from her parents’ estate.
The Pan family initially appeared to be victims of a random home invasion, but detectives became suspicious of Jennifer’s story early on. Security footage showed three men entering the home without any sign of forced entry, valuables were left behind, and Pan was able to call 911 without her hands being bound. Director Jenny Popplewell questioned why the intruders would leave a surviving witness if their intention was to harm the family, casting further doubt on Pan’s claims of innocence. Despite being a talented pianist, Pan struggled academically and began forging report cards to deceive her parents about her academic performance.
Pan’s deception reached new heights when she fabricated acceptance letters from universities after losing her early admission to Ryerson University due to failing a calculus class. She continued to lie to her parents about her achievements and even pretended to volunteer at a children’s hospital, a lie that was ultimately exposed by her mother. Pan’s father wanted to kick her out of the house, but her mother convinced him to let her stay under strict conditions. Meanwhile, Pan’s relationship with Wong was strained, leading her to become increasingly depressed and desperate for an escape.
When Pan revealed that she had hired hitmen to kill her, she claimed that she did so out of a desire to end her life because she felt like a disappointment. However, an interrogating officer used false information to elicit a confession from her, revealing the extent of her involvement in the murder plot. Police discovered text messages and evidence that Wong had helped Pan recruit hitmen, leading to their arrests and eventual convictions. Despite winning an appeal in their case, the Supreme Court of Canada will decide whether Pan, Wong, and the others will face another trial where the option of second-degree murder may be considered for Pan’s mother’s death.
