17:58 2024-04-22
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_ Inside the harrowing real-life story behind Under The Bridge: New Hulu series reveals how bullied Reena Virk, 14, was brutally murdered by gang of teens who lured her to a party with promises of friendship
_ Inside the harrowing real-life story behind Under The Bridge: New Hulu series reveals how bullied Reena Virk, 14, was brutally murdered by gang of teens who lured her to a party with promises of friendship
A new
Under The Bridge unravels the heart-wrenching tale of Reena Virk who was attacked by eight teenagers - seven girls and one boy - at a gathering in Saanich in British Columbia,
The series is based on the 2005 book of the same name by Rebecca Godfrey, which chronicled the heinous bullying and murder of 14-year-old Reena.
After the initial attack, she was allowed to stumble home but was followed by two of the original offenders - Warren Glowatski, 16, and Kelly Ellard, 15 - who continued the brutal beating before rolling Reena's unconscious body into a waterway.
Reena was found dead by authorities eight days later with the killers tried as adults over the severity of their crime.
Here, Femail takes a look at the disturbing circumstances surrounding Reena's death.
Reena, who attended a predominantly white school, had long been bullied for being an outsider.
Her friends said that she was self-conscious about her weight and struggled with self-esteem.
She also grappled with the burden of her parents' strict religious rules - with the pair having converted from Hinduism to become Jehovah's Witnesses.
The troubled teen made a desperate bid to break away from her parents after fleeing the family home and was placed in the care of her grandparents.
But, after not taking to that arrangement either, she was soon moved into a group foster home.
As she battled with upheaval, and still dreamt of fitting in with those around her, the then 14-year-old was thrilled to receive an invite from her peers to hang out.
The gathering, held on November 14, 1997, was set to take place near the Craigflower Bridge, which spans the Inner Gorge Waterway.
But all was not as it seemed.
Reena arrived to find the teens smoking cannabis and drinking alcohol before a small group turned on the unsuspecting attendee over claims she had been spreading rumors about them.
Eight youngsters, who were members of the Shoreline Six gang, beat Reena, stubbed lit cigarettes out on her forehead and attempted to set her hair on fire.
The assault eventually cooled off and a desperate Reena was able to break free in a bid to make her way home.
But she was followed by two of the teens - Warren Glowatski, 16, and Kelly Ellard, 15 who dragged her under the bridge and continued to beat her until she was unconscious.
The duo then rolled her body into the waterway with Ellard accused of holding Reena's head underwater until she drowned, which she denied.
Her parents reported her missing at the time, but authorities reportedly did little to intervene given Reena's turbulent history of running away.
It took police eight days to find her body.
Reena's autopsy revealed that her head injuries would probably have killed the teen had she not drowned.
The Shoreline Six reportedly all agreed not to 'rat each other out' as speculation continued to swirl around the school.
Eventually, other students heard the killers boasting about the slaying and the police uncovered the truth.
Glowatski and Ellard were arrested and charged with aggravated assault and murder and, despite their ages, were tried in adult court due to the extreme nature of the crime.
In February 1998, the six other girls who took part in the initial attack were prosecuted in youth court with their identities protected.
Three of the girls pleaded guilty to assault causing bodily harm with the three others convicted of the same offence at trial.
Glowatski was found guilty of second degree murder and received a life sentence.
He took responsibility for his crime in prison and enrolled in a restorative justice program that included reconciliation with the Virk family before being released in June 2010.
Ellard was convicted of second-degree murder in March 2000, but the ruling was overturned on appeal on the grounds that she did not receive a fair trial.
She was released pending a new trial but, while out, was charged with assaulting a 58-year-old woman in a Vancouver park.
Ellard was sent back to prison to await her second trial in June 2004 where she claimed it was others that had killed Reena.
The jury was deadlocked and a mistrial was declared.
She received a third trial in April 2005 with Ellard once again convicted of second-degree murder and sentenced to life with no eligibility for parole for seven years.
The conviction was overturned on appeal but, this time, the Supreme Court of Canada reinstated the conviction and sentence.
The
'By 2020, then in her late thirties, Ellard had a second child with the same partner and was receiving day parole as part of a program to reintegrate her into the community.'
Glowatski, who gave evidence against Ellard at two of her trials, has since been forgiven by Reena's family.
Her mother, Suman, previously told The Globe and Mail: 'I think the most important reason why we've forgiven Warren is so we can just put this whole matter aside and for our own healing and sense of wholeness.'
Reena's family later started a campaign to bring awareness to bullying in schools and violence among teenagers.
They were awarded the Anthony J. Hulme Award of Distinction for their work in 2009.
Sadly, Suman Virk died in June 2018, aged 58, following a choking accident while eating in a restaurant.
Under The Bridge is now available to stream on Hulu
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