Reena Virk’s Killer Kelly Ellard Now? Inside Her Life 28 Years After Murdering Her Classmate

Kelly Ellard became a household name in Canada in 1997. With Hulu’s Under the Bridge drawing renewed interest in the tragic killing of Reena Virk, many are once again asking: Where is Ellard now?

The horrifying crime took place on Nov. 14, 1997, when 14-year-old Reena Virk joined a group of teens under a bridge in Saanich on Vancouver Island, British Columbia. What began as a social gathering turned into a brutal assault. After Virk attempted to leave, two of her attackers — 15-year-old Kelly Ellard and 16-year-old Warren Glowatski — pursued and murdered her.

Investigators were stunned by the violence and lack of motive. Retired Victoria Police Sgt. Rob Dibden told the Vancouver Sun that each new discovery in the early days of the case was “shocking” and revealed the “absolute senselessness” of the killing.

Ellard was convicted of second-degree murder in 2005 and would not admit her role for nearly 19 years. When she finally acknowledged responsibility in 2016, Virk’s grandfather told the Times Colonist that while the admission mattered, Ellard had still never apologized.

Here’s what to know about Ellard’s life nearly three decades after the crime.

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Who is Kelly Ellard?

Ellard — who legally changed her name to Kerry Marie Sim in 2018, according to CTV News — was only 15 when she became one of Canada’s most infamous convicted killers.

Reports indicate that Virk was invited under the bridge under the guise of a group hangout after accusations that she had spread rumors and stolen a journal. According to Vice, Ellard had been obsessed with violent figures and true-crime stories before the murder. What happened under the bridge that night was a planned and vicious act of retaliation.

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What did Kelly Ellard do?

On Nov. 14, 1997, a group sometimes called the “Shoreline Six” attacked Virk. While many fled after the initial assault, Ellard and Glowatski continued to pursue the injured teen. Virk was beaten and drowned, her body discovered eight days later.

For years, Ellard denied parts of her involvement. But during a 2016 parole hearing — where she cried during testimony — she admitted pushing Virk into the water while thinking only of herself. She said she did not need to hold Virk’s head down because the teen was already unconscious.

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What was Kelly Ellard’s sentence?

Ellard’s legal battles stretched over several years:

• 2000 — Convicted as an adult of second-degree murder
• 2003 — Conviction overturned by the British Columbia Court of Appeal
• 2004 — Second trial ends in mistrial
• 2005 — Third trial results in a life sentence with eligibility for parole after 7 years

She was granted day parole in 2017 and later allowed to stay overnight in the community, according to CBC.

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What has Kelly Ellard said about her crime?

Ellard’s admission of guilt did not come until 2016, when she told a Parole Board of Canada panel that she had “omitted” key details for years. She also revealed she was eight months pregnant with her second child at the time of that hearing.

Ellard said that becoming a mother helped her understand empathy and that she wanted treatment for substance abuse so she could “grow” and pursue redemption. Still, she acknowledged that simply admitting the truth does not undo the harm.

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What has Kelly Ellard said about Under the Bridge?

After the release of Under the Bridge, CBC reported that Ellard expressed remorse and concern that the show’s depiction of the crime could further traumatize Virk’s family.

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Where is Kelly Ellard now?

While incarcerated, Ellard gave birth to two children — one conceived through intimate visits with another inmate on day parole, according to the Vancouver Sun.

In 2020, the Parole Board wrote that motherhood appeared to have a stabilizing effect and noted that the father of her children was working in the community.

But concerns resurfaced. In January 2025, Ellard was arrested by the Surrey Police Service after breaching her parole conditions. Reports say she later failed multiple drug tests and was deemed an “undue risk to society.” As a result, her parole was revoked, per CBC.

Today, Ellard remains a convicted murderer whose life outside prison has been repeatedly revoked due to violations — leaving her future uncertain, even decades after Reena Virk’s tragic death.