Summary: Hulu’s Under the Bridge renewed attention to the 1997 killing of Reena Virk and to Kelly Ellard (who later changed her name to Kerry Marie Sim). After a series of trials, Ellard was convicted of second-degree murder in 2005 and admitted responsibility in 2016. She was granted intermittent day-parole privileges, became a parent while under supervision, but following parole breaches and positive drug tests she was arrested in Jan. 2025 and had her parole revoked months later. The case continues to spark debate about accountability, rehabilitation and the impact of true-crime portrayals on victims’ families.
Where Is Kelly Ellard Now? Life, Parole and Fallout 28 Years After Reena Virk’s Death
Summary: Hulu’s Under the Bridge renewed attention to the 1997 killing of Reena Virk and to Kelly Ellard (who later changed her name to Kerry Marie Sim). After a series of trials, Ellard was convicted of second-degree murder in 2005 and admitted responsibility in 2016. She was granted intermittent day-parole privileges, became a parent while under supervision, but following parole breaches and positive drug tests she was arrested in Jan. 2025 and had her parole revoked months later. The case continues to spark debate about accountability, rehabilitation and the impact of true-crime portrayals on victims’ families.
03:04 PM, 11/15/2025Society
Where Is Kelly Ellard Now? Life, Parole and Fallout 28 Years After Reena Virk’s Death
The 1997 killing of 14-year-old Reena Virk returned to public attention after Hulu’s 2024 series Under the Bridge renewed interest in the people involved, especially Kelly Ellard — later legally renamed Kerry Marie Sim. Ellard, who was 15 at the time, became one of the central figures in a case that exposed bullying, youth violence and questions about accountability and rehabilitation.
The crime and the investigations
On Nov. 14, 1997, Reena Virk was invited to a gathering that moved beneath the Craigflower Bridge in Saanich on Vancouver Island, British Columbia. After an initial assault by a larger group, most attendees left, but Ellard and another teen, Warren Glowatski, followed Virk and were directly involved in the events that led to her death. Authorities and witnesses described the attack as brutal and senseless, and the case prompted significant media scrutiny and public outrage.
“Every time new information came to light, it opened your eyes a little wider and it was shocking,”
— Retired Victoria Police Sgt. Rob Dibden, Vancouver Sun (2016).
Trials, conviction and name change
Ellard’s legal history was complex: she was first convicted of second-degree murder in 2000, a verdict that was later overturned by the British Columbia Court of Appeal. A 2004 retrial ended in a mistrial when jurors were deadlocked. In April 2005, a third trial resulted in a life sentence with no parole eligibility for seven years. In 2018, media reports noted that Ellard changed her name to Kerry Marie Sim.
Confession, parole and family response
For nearly two decades Ellard denied playing the decisive role in Virk’s death. It was not until a 2016 Parole Board hearing that she acknowledged responsibility, saying she had previously omitted details from testimony and admitting that Reena likely would be alive had she not participated. She denied holding Virk’s head underwater, telling the board that Virk was already unconscious when she put her in the water.
Virk’s family has remained critical of Ellard’s responses. After the 2016 admission, Virk’s grandfather told the Times Colonist that although Ellard acknowledged responsibility, she had never apologized directly to the family.
Life in custody, parenthood and parole progress
While serving her sentence Ellard gave birth to two children: one child was born while she was in custody and the second while she had day-parole privileges. The Parole Board of Canada noted in 2020 that parenthood had a stabilizing effect and cited signs of maturity and increased stability. Ellard said she sought treatment for substance use issues and asked for opportunities for reintegration, calling for a chance at "success and redemption."
Recent parole issues and revocation
Ellard was granted day parole in November 2017 and later received extended privileges including overnight stays outside custody. The Parole Board extended her day parole in March 2024. However, in January 2025 she was arrested by Surrey Police Service for allegedly breaching parole conditions. After multiple positive drug tests and other conduct the board described as presenting an "undue risk to society," her parole was revoked several months later, and she returned to custody.
Public impact and continuing debate
The case remains a focal point for discussions about youth violence, restorative justice, rehabilitation and how true-crime dramatizations affect victims’ families. Ellard has reportedly expressed concern to corrections officials that media portrayals, including the Hulu dramatization, could retraumatize Virk’s loved ones. Journalists and authorities continue to monitor any future parole decisions, appeals or related developments.
Sources: Reporting by the CBC, Times Colonist, Vancouver Sun, CTV News, Vice and the Parole Board of Canada.