On November 8, 2010, 24-year-old Jennifer Pan dialed 911 to report that assailants had entered her home and shot both of her parents.
Initially, police suspected that Jennifer was no more than a victim but as more evidence came to light, it was revealed that she was more involved than anyone could have suspected.
Born to Vietnamese immigrants Bich Ha and Huei Hann Pan, Jennifer grew up in a strict household where academic excellence was not just expected but demanded.
Her parents had high hopes for their daughter, enrolling her in piano lessons at the tender age of four and figure skating classes, where she trained tirelessly with dreams of becoming an Olympic champion.
However, a torn ligament in her knee dashed those aspirations, and Jennifer found herself under immense pressure to excel in her studies at Mary Ward Catholic Secondary School. Despite her parents’ relentless expectations, Jennifer’s grades were average, hovering around the 70% range.
Desperate to maintain the illusion of being a straight-A student, Jennifer began forging report cards, deceiving her parents into believing she was thriving academically. Her web of leads grew when she failed a grade 12 calculus class, causing Ryerson University to rescind its early admission offer.
