In 1987, 15-year-old Jennifer Pandos disappeared from her locked first floor bedroom in a gated community of Williamsburg. No one has seen her since. Did she leave on her own? If so, why leave behind all her possessions except clothes on her back, even her contact lenses? If she was taken out by force, why did nothing seem disturbed and her mother even called her room "pristine" the morning it was discovered she was gone. And what to make of the note her parents said they found in her room, written in a sloppy hand and stating that Jennifer was leaving to be with an unnamed older man for a few days...seemingly written by the unknown older man himself. This incredibly moving, haunting and intriguing documentary focuses on the work and heartache of Stephen Pandos, Jennifer's older brother. Away at college at the time she disappeared, Stephen has had the unsolved mystery of his sister looming large his whole adult life. For the last decade, give or take, he's come to believe his parents, Ron (described as a troubled Vietnam vet with ptsd) and Margie (coming off as quiet and passive), were responsible. Now on his absolute mission to prove this at any cost is where the documentary begins. I have to say, I, like Stephen, completely believed his parents the most likely suspects for the first half or more of the docuseries. Stephen described his father as physically abusive, and the mom doesn't deny it, which leaves open whether he was capable of a supreme violence against his own child. Also, for parents who discovered their minor child missing, they seemed hardly alarmed, claiming they believed the letter left in Jennifer's room was genuine and they decided to let her have a few days. I'm a parent, and if one of my kids was gone in the night leaving behind a note saying they were off with an unnamed adult and would return, I'd call every law agency in the book, including the coast guard, within about 2.5 seconds. Yet, Ron and Margie did not, they waited 3 days, even giving phony excuses about Jennifer being ill and unable to come to school to her friends. And what to make of them not contacting family far and wide to see if they'd seen or heard from Jennifer...a few of these people who lived in another state say they weren't even told Jennifer was missing for years, always being given excuses of why she wasn't around. Baffling, inexplicable behavior. And who could this older man be, none of her friends interviewed have a single clue. In fact, by all accounts, Jennifer was still madly in love with her ex-boyfriend, a fellow student at her high school. Stephen Pandos is such a strong person, visibly containing his sorrow, anger and frustration so he can work for an answer. When the evidence starts to definitively point away from a conspiracy by his parents as the series progresses, his transforming pain is palpable. He's been so sure it had to be them for so long that justice for Jennifer seemed only 2 steps away, and now he finds his crusade against them might have been meaningless, his refusal to continue a relationship with his mom all these years while she "lied" a cruel miscalculation. I feel terrible for him. He couldn't even take relief in knowing his parents probably didn't kill their child, because it means everyone is just as far from a solution as ever. No closer to knowing Jennifer's fate than that cold morning in 1987 when she was gone. Could her ex-boyfriend, who may have still been seeing her in secret despite having a new girlfriend, hold the key? Could another teen have really so expertly crafted a fake runaway scenario in the middle of the night, leaving behind no evidence whatsoever...ever? Is Jennifer still alive, a runaway after all, too moved on from her old life to come forward? Stephen and his mother are left almost where they started by the end, with no Jennifer and no closure. At least it was good to see them at the beginning of rebuilding their relationship. My heart goes out to the family and Jennifer's friends, I hope one day they really do get an answer and can find a better peace. Definitely worth a viewing, the cinematography is also excellent and the editing is perfect.
Review of Burden of Proof
