The True Story & What Happened In Real Life Explained

Potential spoilers ahead for Under the Bridge, based on the true story

Summary

• Reena Virk’s brutal murder by her peers under a bridge in 1997 is depicted in Hulu’s series, Under the Bridge.
• The Shoreline Six, including Nicole Cook and others, were charged and prosecuted for their role in Reena’s murder.
• Warren Glowatski and Kelly Marie Ellard were convicted of killing Reena, with Ellard facing multiple trials.

This article contains descriptions of graphic violence.

Hulu’s Under the Bridge fictionalizes the murder of Reena Virk, raising questions about the true story and what happened in real life. True crime shows examine the psychology that leads people to kill, and one of the most harrowing additions to the genre is Under the Bridge. Inspired by the eponymous book by Rebecca Godfrey, the Hulu miniseries tells the story of the murder of a 14-year-old Indian-Canadian girl named Reena Virk after she’s attacked by a mob of her peers.

Based on the Under the Bridge trailer, the miniseries will take a murder mystery approach to the case. Police officer Cam Bentland and writer Rebecca Godfrey will team up to investigate the night of Reena’s murder. However, what they find will likely align with the real events of Reena Virk’s murder.

Reena Virk Was Murdered In 1997 At Age 14 In Saanich, Canada: What Happened That Night

Reena Virk Was Beaten And Murdered By A Group Of Peers

On November 14, 1997, Reena Virk was murdered by two teens after getting beaten by seven girls and one boy under the Craigflower Bridge in Saanich, Canada – a suburb of Victoria. According to Godfrey’s book, Reena showed up at Shoreline School that night to party with friends. The police forced them to leave, so they moved to the location of Reena’s murder. Violence broke out starting with Nicole Cook – renamed Josephine for Under the Bridge – putting out a cigarette on Reena’s forehead (via MSNBC’s Bloodlust Under the Bridge special). The group left her lying bloody in the mud.

After the crowd dispersed, Reena got up and walked across the bridge towards her home. On the other side of the bridge, 15-year-old Kelly Ellard and 16-year-old Warren Glowatski attacked her for a second time. According to Glowatski’s later testimony where he confessed, outlined in the source material, Kelly forced Reena to partially undress. She then started punching Reena, and he joined in.

The two kicked and punched her repeatedly, continuing even after she fell. This included Warren kicking Reena in the head twice. They each grabbed one of Reena’s legs and pulled her to the edge of the water. Reena became semiconscious, and Kelly took her into the water. Kelly chopped Reena’s neck when she struggled. The teen girl then held Reena’s head under the water until she was dead. This account of the night matches up with the evidence; as such, Warren Glowatski’s testimony, outlined in Under the Bridge, may be the most accurate version of events.

The Shoreline Six Explained: Who The Girls Were Who Attacked Reena Under The Bridge

The Shoreline Six Were Charged For Attacking Reena Virk

According to The Canadian Encyclopedia, eight teens were directly involved in the first attack on Reena Virk, while numerous others watched from the sidelines. After details came out about the attack on Reena, six teen girls were prosecuted for their role in the initial attack. These kids became known as the Shoreline Six. Due to the age of the perpetrators, their identities were initially protected; however, their names have come out in subsequent years as all of them admitted to their involvement in the attack.

The Shoreline Six includes Nicole Cook, Nicole Patterson, Missy Grace Pleich, Courtney Keith, Gail Ooms, and an unnamed individual (via The Geek Review). Three of the teens pleaded guilty to the charge of assault causing bodily harm, and the other three went to trial, where they were convicted of the same charge. All of these girls were sentenced except for one who was deemed unable to serve jail time due to PTSD.

While Kelly Marie Ellard and Warren Glowatski were involved in the original attack, they are considered separate from the Shoreline Six because the pair were also involved in the murder. Due to the nature of the crime, they were charged as adults, despite their age. These two were also the only perpetrators whose real names were used in Rebecca Godfrey’s book and the characters in Hulu’s Under the Bridge.

Warren Glowatski & Kelly Marie Ellard Were Convicted Of Killing Reena After The Teens’ Fight

Kelly Marie Ellard Had Three Trials For The Murder Of Reena Virk

Rebecca Godfrey’s Under the Bridge outlines the trials of both Warren Glowatski and Kelly Marie Ellard. Both teenagers were tried as adults and took the stand in their own trials. Glowatski expressed remorse, though he downplayed his involvement. Meanwhile, Kelly Marie Ellard denied her involvement entirely, blaming everything on others. Glowatski and Ellard were both found guilty of second-degree murder for their role in the murder of Reena Virk.

However, Kelly Ellard’s sentence was immediately appealed. While waiting for the decision on her appeal, Ellard was released. Her trial was soon overturned. By Ellard’s second trial, Glowatski had time to reflect on his actions and participated in the restorative justice program. At the second trial, he outlined the actual events of Reena’s murder, including his involvement. He stated the following when asked about why he was coming clean:

I feel I have an obligation to the Virk family – to tell the truth. I’ve had time to think of what they were going through. Before, I didn’t care at the time. [And now] I care a hell of a lot.

This influenced most of the jurors, but the second trial resulted in a mistrial, with eleven in favor of conviction and one against. At the third trial, Kelly Marie Ellard was once again found guilty of the second-degree murder of Reena Virk.

What Happened To Reena’s Attackers & Killers After Their Convictions

Rebecca Godfrey’s Under The Bridge Outlines The Attackers And Killers’ Futures

There is not much information available about Reena’s attackers and killers except for what’s detailed in Part 5: The Adulthood of View Royal in Rebecca Godfrey’s Under the Bridge. In the book, Godfrey uses the names Josephine, Dusty, Willow, Laila, Maya, and Eve for the Shoreline Six. Based on how the events line up, Josephine is Nicole Cook, and Missy Pleech seems to be Dusty. It’s unclear which other characters line up with the perpetrators. As such, the names from the book will be used.

Josephine/Nicole Cook went on to become a dancer at a strip club called The Fox. She then toured strip clubs, working in both West Hollywood and Vancouver. In 2005, she did an interview with Dateline and MSNBC for Bloodlust Under the Bridge. Afterward, she moved back to Vancouver and stopped dancing at strip clubs. Cook refused to testify as a witness at any trials, but she also wouldn’t speak at Ellard’s appeal hearing. Dusty/Missy Pleech spoke out about her guilt about her involvement in the attack on Reena. She eventually had two daughters who changed her life.

The person who became Maya moved away from View Royal, putting her past actions behind her. Her best friend Willow – also involved in the attack – died of a heart arrhythmia in 2002. Eve also moved away and says she cannot recall the night of Reena’s death. As of 2005, when Godrey’s book came out, Laila lived in downtown Victoria, refused to cooperate with the government, and lived with a dangerous man.

After going through restorative justice and owning up to his actions, Warren Glowatski received day parole in 2007 with the support of Reena’s parents and full parole in 2010 Kerry Marie Sim, formerly named Kelly Ellard, has two kids and was released for day parole after admitting guilt in November 2017. She was released on day parole. Sim’s day parole was briefly suspended in August 2021 because she failed to report domestic violence; however, the suspension ended two months later. Sim waived her right to a hearing for full parole in 2022, saying she wasn’t ready (via Victoria News).

What Rebecca Godfrey’s Book Reveals About The Motives Behind The Crime

Godfrey Uncovered The Motives Through Interviews

During her interviews, Rebecca Godfrey uncovered the most likely reason for the attack on Reena and her subsequent murder, detailed in her book Under the Bridge. Josephine/Nicole Cook had a vendetta against Reena because the teen stole Nicole’s address book, calling everyone and spreading rumors. Dusty/Missy Pleech became upset with Reena because her ex-boyfriend moved on with the teen. Based on her later interview with Godfrey, Dusty understands that the attack caused the murder. However, Cook stated in Bloodlust Under the Bridge that she wasn’t responsible for Reena’s murder.

Kelly Marie Ellard seemingly killed Josephine out of fierce loyalty to her best friend, Nicole. Unlike others involved in the attack, she had a supportive family and socioeconomic resources. This makes her actions more confusing than the others. Warren Glowatski, on the other hand, didn’t have much familial support, and his parents constantly fought. He moved from place to place, creating instability in his life. Glowatski was exposed to drugs and violence far too young. All these factors caused Warren Glowatski to become an angry child who was willing to inflict pain on others.

The Aftermath Of Reena Virk’s Murder & Public Response Explained

Reena’s Parents Changed British Columbia For The Better

The murder of Reena Virk shook Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. Rebecca Godfrey’s book Under the Bridge outlined the events in the town afterward. Seven Oaks was shut down shortly after the event. An unknown person erected a memorial at the bridge, but the police removed it with the permission of Reena’s parents because it scared children in the community. Shoreline School became a middle school instead of a high school, though town officials claim this had nothing to do with Reena’s murder.

In 2008, Manjit Virk published Reena: A Father’s Story. After Reena’s death, the Virks became advocates against teenage bullying. According to The Canadian Encyclopedia, Manjit and Suman Virk pushed British Columbia to pass anti-bullying programs in schools. They spoke publicly on many occasions about the consequences of bullying. The pair received British Columbia’s Anthony J. Hulme Award of Distinction for crime prevention and community safety in 2009. It’s unclear how much of this will be included in Hulu’s Under the Bridge; however, the aftermath is still an important part of Reena Virk’s tragic story.

Sources: Under the Bridge by Rebecca Godfrey, MSNBC’s Bloodlust Under the Bridge, The Canadian Encyclopedia, The Geek Review, and Victoria News