"The only thing she can think of is that since her mom maybe drove Alexis and her dad drove a Mercedes, maybe these robbers were after the cars?" — Britt
"From there, Hans says the man forced him downstairs at gunpoint where he saw his wife Bic Ha sitting on the couch with yet another strange man behind her holding a gun on her... one of the intruders said something strange. He said, 'Don't worry, your daughter is very nice so I won't hurt her.'" — Britt
"At the end of his statement, Han talked to Jennifer directly, and he told her, quote, 'I hope my daughter Jennifer thinks about what has happened to her family and can become a good honest person someday.'" — Britt
This episode of Crime Junkie recounts the tragic case of the Pan family, beginning with a violent home invasion on November 8, 2010, in Markham, Ontario, Canada. The narrative centers on the attack of Vickha and Hué Ha Pan, with their daughter, Jennifer, reporting the incident to 911. Initial police findings revealed Vickha Pan deceased and Hué Ha Pan critically injured. Jennifer's account described multiple intruders demanding money and tying her up before attacking her parents. However, inconsistencies in Jennifer's story, including the lack of forced entry and the peculiar details of her alleged restraint, soon raised suspicion among investigators.
As the investigation progressed, Jennifer's personal life came under scrutiny. Detectives uncovered a pattern of extensive deception, including lying about her academic achievements and her relationship with her boyfriend, Daniel Wong. The testimony of her father, Hué Ha Pan, upon waking from a coma, proved pivotal. He contradicted Jennifer's account, stating he saw her speaking with one of the intruders, not tied up. This testimony, combined with Jennifer's previous fabrications, led police to believe the home invasion was not a robbery but a planned murder.
Ultimately, Jennifer Pan was arrested and charged, along with Daniel Wong and three other men, for the murder of her mother and the attempted murder of her father. The prosecution argued that Jennifer orchestrated the crime to inherit her parents' estate. Despite her claims of a suicide attempt gone wrong, a jury found Jennifer, Daniel, David Milvaganum, and Lentford Crawford guilty. Eric Cardi pleaded guilty to conspiracy. The case serves as a stark illustration of how intense parental expectations and a deep-seated pattern of lies can culminate in extreme violence.