'Under the Bridge': Inside the life of Reena Virk murder convict Kelly Marie Ellard after years of trials and parole
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Hulu's true crime thriller 'Under the Bridge' follows the real-life murder case of Reena Virk, a teen who was mercilessly assaulted and drowned by her bullies on November 14, 1997.
Based on Rebecca Godfrey's novel of the same name, the series follows Reena Virk, a Canadian teenager who was bullied and ostracised by her peers due to her weight and anxieties.
After a final investigation, Warren Paul Glowatski and Kelly Marie Ellard were convicted of second-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison. However, Glowatski was given full parole in June 2010 since he was 16 years old at the time of the crime, while the same cannot be said for Ellard.
Kelly Marie Ellard had three trials in the Reena Virk murder case
Ellard, who was 15 years old at the time of the crime, faced trial three times. Ellard was convicted of first-degree murder in her first trial in March 2000, but the verdict was reversed in February 2003. The second trial resulted in a mistrial in July 2004, as per The Cinemaholic.
In her third and final trial, she was convicted of second-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison with the chance of parole after seven years. However, the BC Court of Appeals overturned Ellard's third trial conviction thanks to an error by the original trial judge.
On June 12, 2009, the Supreme Court of Canada reportedly overturned the ruling of the BC Court of Appeals stating that a third trial was fairly conducted.
Kelly Marie Ellard's day parole was cancelled
After a long wait, Ellard was granted conditional day parole in November 2017, and when her day parole was renewed in 2018, it was found that she had changed her name from Kelly Marie Ellard to Kerry Marie Sim. Her day parole was stopped in August 2021 when she failed to disclose domestic abuse, as per the outlet.
Is Kelly Marie Ellard still in prison?
Ellard is still incarcerated, but her conditional parole is still in effect since it was extended two months after it was first revoked. According to The Colonist, after receiving her day parole, Ellard begins to face challenges in her personal life.
During Ellard's parole renewal, the Board remarked that she is more open about her struggles with assimilating into society. Nowadays, she is living her life as the primary carer for her two children while negotiating the challenges of integrating into society.
'Under the Bridge' trailer
