The Perfect Daughter Who Ordered a Hit on Her Parents: Inside Jennifer Pan’s Deadly Double Life

The story of then 24-year-old Jennifer Pan is not one of a troubled upbringing or parental abuse, but of a young woman who chose deception over honesty and violence over accountability.

The Illusion of Perfection

Jennifer Pan is the daughter of Vietnamese immigrants, Bich Ha and Hann Pan. Her parents were devoted, diligent and focused on providing their children with the opportunities they never had. They believed in the value of education, discipline and achievement—not as punishments, but as stepping stones to a better life.

Jennifer appeared to meet these expectations effortlessly. She was a star student, a talented pianist and an honor roll fixture. She even claimed she was attending university and working toward a degree in pharmacology. To everyone—including her parents—Jennifer was the ideal daughter.

But it was all a lie.

She had forged report cards, lied about her university acceptance and spent years weaving an elaborate fake life, sneaking around with a boyfriend her parents disapproved of, and pretending to go to class while instead sitting in cafes or staying with friends.

When the Lies Fell Apart

In 2010, Jennifer’s secret life unraveled. Her father discovered that she had never graduated high school, let alone been admitted to university. Furious but not violent, he demanded she cut ties with her boyfriend, Daniel Wong, and focus on rebuilding her life. He revoked her privileges but still allowed her to live at home.

Instead of coming clean or moving out, Jennifer took a darker path. She and Daniel rekindled their relationship in secret—and began discussing an unthinkable plan: to have her parents killed so she could inherit their money and live freely.

It wasn’t a sudden decision made in panic—it was premeditated, calculated and executed over several days.

The Crime

On the night of November 8, 2010, Jennifer unlocked the door to her family’s home and staged a home invasion. Three intruders entered, tied up her parents and demanded money. They led them to the basement. Her mother, Bich, was shot and killed. Her father, Hann, was also shot—but miraculously survived.

Jennifer tied herself up upstairs to make it look like she was a victim, too.

However, inconsistencies in her story, phone records and text messages between her and her co-conspirators quickly unraveled the plot. Police interrogations revealed a calm but chilling Jennifer, who appeared more concerned with how she appeared than with remorse.

The Trial and Conviction

Jennifer Pan and her accomplices were arrested and charged with first-degree murder and attempted murder. In 2014, all were convicted. Jennifer was sentenced to life in prison with no chance of parole for 25 years.

Her father, who survived the attack but now lives with lasting physical and emotional scars, made a powerful statement:

“I hope my daughter Jennifer thinks about what happened every day and why she’s there.”

Jennifer Pan: Legal Update

In 2023, Jennifer Pan’s legal case took a turn when a court overturned her first-degree murder conviction. The reason wasn’t about her innocence, but rather a legal issue: the original jury had not been allowed to consider lesser charges like second-degree murder or manslaughter during her trial. However, her conviction for attempted murder (for the shooting of her father) remained fully intact.

Later that year, prosecutors attempted to challenge the decision, appealing to a higher court to reinstate the original murder conviction. This process temporarily paused preparations for a new trial.

By 2025, the country’s highest court upheld the decision to retry the murder charge, agreeing that the jury in the original trial should have been given a broader range of options. As a result, Jennifer Pan now awaits a new trial for the murder of her mother.

Despite this development, Jennifer remains in custody, serving her sentence for attempted murder. The legal system has not overturned her incarceration, but her potential sentence could change depending on the outcome of the new trial.

As of mid-2025, no trial date has been officially announced.

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What Makes This Case So Disturbing?

Jennifer had options. She could have told the truth, moved out, started her own life. Instead, she chose to kill.

She was not abused. Her parents were strict but supportive, never criminally controlling or violent.

The crime was deliberate, not impulsive. It involved weeks of planning, text messages and hiring strangers to carry out a hit.

Her behavior in court and during interrogations was eerily composed—devoid of the desperation you’d expect from someone who had just lost her family.