Where Is Warren Glowatski Now? Life After Prison and Why Reena Virk’s Parents Forgave Him

Where Warren Glowatski is now — and how Reena Virk’s parents came to forgive him

Warren Glowatski was one of two teenagers convicted in the 1997 killing of 14-year-old Reena Virk near Saanich, British Columbia. He was 16 at the time of the attack and was later convicted of second-degree murder, receiving a life sentence with parole eligibility after seven years. The case returned to public attention with the 2024 Hulu miniseries Under the Bridge, adapted from Rebecca Godfrey’s book.

The assault occurred under a Saanich bridge, where a group of teens beat Reena. After she staggered away, Glowatski and then-15-year-old Kelly Ellard followed and participated in the drowning that ended Reena’s life. Glowatski went to trial in 1999 and was sentenced to life with parole eligibility after seven years.

Rehabilitation, remorse and restorative justice

While incarcerated, Glowatski took part in rehabilitation courses, spoke to at-risk youth about bullying and violence, and engaged in the restorative justice process that brought him face to face with Reena’s parents, Suman and Manjit Virk. During his parole hearings he acknowledged his past motives as "bravado" and an attempt to appear powerful, telling a board in 2007: "My thoughts back then were about being powerful. I call it bravado, or trying to be a gangster."

"Seeing what he had to say for himself, it doesn't make things right or take away the pain, but you can let go of the questions you have and put it behind you," Suman Virk told the Vancouver Sun in 2009.

The restorative meetings allowed Reena’s parents to confront Glowatski, hear his remorse, and describe the harm he caused. That process — and the family’s difficult decision to support his parole — has been cited repeatedly in reporting and commentary about forgiveness, accountability, and restorative justice.

Parole and life after prison

Glowatski served seven full years in custody before being granted day parole in 2007; he lived under day-parole conditions for several years and was granted full parole in 2010 under conditions that included abstaining from intoxicants, avoiding contact with known criminals, and regular reporting to a parole officer. While on day parole he lived part-time in an apartment and pursued education; he had also expressed an interest in learning a trade, such as welding.

During his rehabilitation Glowatski learned of his Indigenous heritage and invited an elder to perform a traditional smudge ceremony at the start of a parole hearing. Those involved in his supervision described him as having accepted responsibility and working to make amends by mentoring youth at risk of violence.

Cultural impact

The Hulu dramatization places particular emphasis on Suman Virk’s forgiveness as a narrative and moral focal point. Series creator Quinn Shephard said she aimed to show how confronting cycles of violence and choosing to forgive can carry broader significance — while also acknowledging that forgiveness does not erase the harm or the loss suffered by Reena’s family.

Glowatski’s story continues to be discussed in conversations about juvenile accountability, restorative justice, and the long aftermath of bullying and group violence. Reena Virk’s death and the subsequent legal and restorative processes remain a painful and influential chapter in Canadian discussions about youth crime and community healing.