An Ontario woman at the centre of a notorious murder-for-hire case—and the focus of a popular Netflix true crime documentary—will face a new trial in connection with the deaths of her parents.
The Supreme Court of Canada has upheld a decision ordering new first-degree murder trials for Jennifer Pan and three co-accused, after concerns were raised over how the original trial was conducted. While the convictions for attempted murder remain in place, the top court has confirmed that the original first-degree murder convictions must be revisited.
Pan, who was sentenced to life in prison in 2015, was convicted of orchestrating a plot to have her parents—Bich Ha-Pan and Huei Hann Pan—killed in a staged home invasion. The fatal attack occurred on November 8, 2010, at the family’s home in Markham, Ontario.
Initially believed to be a victim herself, Jennifer was later identified as the mastermind behind the plan, after investigators uncovered a series of text messages and calls linking her and then-boyfriend Daniel Wong to the hired gunmen. The attackers were reportedly promised $10,000 to carry out the killings.
The high-profile case gained renewed attention through the Netflix documentary What Jennifer Did, which spotlighted the shocking betrayal and subsequent investigation.
The Ontario Court of Appeal had previously ruled that a new trial was warranted, citing an error by the trial judge who presented the jury with only two interpretations of the evidence—either that the murders were premeditated or occurred during a robbery gone wrong. The appeals court determined this narrowed the scope for the jury and warranted a fresh examination of the facts.
With the Supreme Court’s latest decision, Jennifer Pan and her co-accused will return to court for a new trial on the first-degree murder charges.