A new crime drama series delves deeper into the gripping true story of a 14-year-old girl who was ruthlessly murdered by her peers.
Hulu’s Under The Bridge will unravel the heartbreaking story of Reena Virk who was attacked by eight teenagers – seven girls and one boy – at a rally in Saanich in British Columbia, Canada, in 1997.
She was initially allowed to stumble home, but was followed by two of the original perpetrators – Warren Glowatski, 16, and Kelly Ellard, 15 – who continued the brutal beating before Reena’s unconscious body rolled into a waterway.
Reena was found dead by authorities eight days later, while the unlikely killers were tried as adults due to the gravity of their crime.
Here, FEMAIL has exposed the disturbing reality surrounding Reena’s death.
Hulu’s Under The Bridge will unravel the heartbreaking story of Reena Virk (pictured) who was attacked by eight teens – seven girls and one boy – at a rally in Canada in 1997
Warren Glowatski (left), then 16, and Kelly Ellard (right), then 15, continued the brutal beating before Reena’s unconscious body rolled into a waterway
Reena, who attended a predominantly white school, had long been bullied for being an outsider.
Her friends said she was self-conscious about her weight and struggled with self-esteem.
She also struggled with the burden of her parents’ strict religious rules — the couple had converted from Hinduism to become Jehovah’s Witnesses.
The troubled teen made a desperate attempt to break away from her parents after fleeing the family home and succeeded placed in the care of her grandparents.
But after she also failed to comply with that arrangement, she was soon transferred to a group foster home.
Struggling with turmoil and still dreaming of fitting in with those around her, the then 14-year-old was overjoyed when she received an invitation from her peers to hang out.
The meeting, held on November 14, 1997, was to take place near the Craigflower Bridge, which spans the Inner Gorge Waterway.
But not all was as it seemed.
The meeting, held on November 14, 1997, was to take place near the Craigflower Bridge (pictured) that spans the Inner Gorge Waterway.
Glowatski, who testified against Ellard at two of her trials, has since been forgiven by Reena’s family. On the picture (from left to right): Brother Aman, father Manjit and mother Suman
Reena arrived to find the teens smoking cannabis and drinking alcohol before a small group turned on the unsuspecting contestant over claims she had been spreading rumors about them.
Eight youths, who were members of the Shoreline Six gang, beat Reena, put lit cigarettes out on her forehead and tried to set her hair on fire.
The attack eventually cooled down and a desperate Reena was able to break free in an attempt to find 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 likely have killed the teen had she not drowned.
The Shoreline Six reportedly all agreed not to “betray” each other as speculation continued to swirl around the school.
Unfortunately, Reena’s mother Suman (pictured) died in June 2018 at the age of 58 after a choking accident while eating at a restaurant
Eventually, other students overheard the killers bragging about the murder and the police found out the truth.
Glowatski and Ellard were arrested and charged with aggravated assault and murder – and, despite their age, 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 first attack were prosecuted in juvenile court with their identities protected.
Three of the girls pleaded guilty to assault causing bodily harm, while the three others were convicted of the same offense at trial.
Glowatski was found guilty of first degree murder and given 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 manslaughter in March 2000, but the verdict was overturned on appeal because she had not received a fair trial.
She was released pending a retrial, but while she was gone she was charged with assaulting a 58-year-old woman in a Vancouver park.
The docuseries Under The Bridge is inspired by Rebecca Godfrey’s 2019 book of the same name
Ellard was returned to prison to await her second trial in June 2004, where she alleged that others killed Reena.
The jury was deadlocked and a mistrial was declared.
She received a third trial in April 2005, with Ellard again convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to life without 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 Canadian Encyclopedia reported, “(Ellard) eventually changed her name to Kerry Sim and in 2016 had given birth to a child conceived during a conjugal visit with her new boyfriend, an ex-con.
“By 2020, in her late 30s, Ellard had a second child with the same partner and was granted a day’s parole as part of a program to reintegrate her into the community.”
Glowatski, who testified 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 main reason we’ve forgiven Warren is so we can just put this whole thing aside and for our own healing and sense of wholeness.”
Reena’s family later launched a campaign to highlight school bullying and teenage violence.
They received the 2009 Anthony J. Hulme Award of Distinction for their work.
Unfortunately, Suman Virk died in June 2018, aged 58, after a choking accident while eating at a restaurant.
The docuseries Under The Bridge is inspired by Rebecca Godfrey’s 2019 book of the same name.
There is no official release date yet.