Latest news with #ReenaVirk
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Yahoo
Reena Virk's killer has day parole revoked over positive drug tests, 'negative' behaviour
Canada's parole board has revoked day parole for the woman who killed 14-year-old B.C. teen Reena Virk, following a series of positive drug tests and behaviours the board said represent "an undue risk to society." According to parole documents, Kerry Sim — who was known as Kelly Ellard in 1997 when she killed Virk — first saw her limited release into the community suspended last January when she tested positive for methamphetamine following months of "negative and non-compliant" behaviour. Although she denied using drugs — blaming prescribed medication for what she claimed were false positives — Sim again tested positive for non-prescribed medication in prison in April and later admitted that she "had taken another offender's medication." In a decision issued last month, the Parole Board of Canada told Sim "you present with an anti-social or delinquent value system, that you have an unwillingness to accept responsibility for your own actions and your rebelliousness puts you at a high risk for future delinquent behaviour." "Your behaviour in the community prior to your suspension is inconsistent with what is minimally required or expected on an earned release," the decision says. "You disregarded minimum supervision expectations and when this was addressed with you, you became hostile, argumentative, antagonizing, lacked accountability and deflected blame." 'Antagonizing, threatening and insulting' Sim is serving a life sentence for second-degree murder in the 1997 killing. The decision describes a 42-year-old struggling with children, single-parenting, substance abuse — and the consequences of her actions. The impact of Virk's murder continues to reverberate years after Sim and Warren Glowatski followed the teenager across the Craigflower Bridge and dragged her into Victoria's Gorge waterway following a savage beating by a swarm of teens Virk thought were friends. The case has inspired books, plays, podcast episodes and a recent Hulu true-crime TV series — starring Oscar-nominee Lily Gladstone — based on the 2005 non-fiction book of the same name, Under the Bridge. Sim — who has had a troubled history before the parole board — has long stood in stark contrast to Glowatski, who was convicted of second-degree murder in 1999 but sought forgiveness from Virk's parents, meeting with them to express his remorse. Sim stood trial three times for the murder before the Supreme Court of Canada finally upheld her conviction in 2009. She was released on day parole in 2018, but has been hauled back in front of the parole board multiple times for domestic violence and positive urine tests. According to the parole documents, Sim was arrested in 2021 because of a deterioration in behaviour. She returned to a community residential facility in the Lower Mainland in 2023, but was in and out of trouble. Staff described her behaviour as "antagonizing, threatening and insulting." 'An undue risk to society' According to the parole board, Sim was ultimately apprehended at the facility following the positive drug test last January, but would not leave her room, making "vague suicidal comments" and "screaming and kicking" before she was taken into custody. Sim — who is the mother of two young children — has "struggled emotionally" due to her child's behavioural issues, being a single parent and "managing legal custody issues" with her ex-partner. WATCH | Reporter Jason Proctor recounts what it was like to cover the high-profile murder case in 1997: The parole decision says she also voiced safety concerns following the release of the television mini-series. At the time of the series release, the board noted that Sim had "demonstrated some remorse and victim empathy after a discussion about an upcoming television series based on your crimes." "You said the series is disrespectful to the victim and her family, and that the index offence was so horrendous that it would re-victimize the victim's family," the board noted in a previous decision. The parole board noted that Sim has been working as a cleaner since returning to jail and has "demonstrated positive behaviour" but concluded the risk of releasing her was too great. "Despite the time you have had for self-reflection since returning to custody, the board finds you continue to engage in behaviours and thinking that contributed to your suspension," the decision concludes. "You will, by re-offending before the expiration of your sentence, present an undue risk to society."
CBC
2 days ago
- CBC
Day parole revoked for Reena Virk's killer, citing 'undue risk to society'
Canada's parole board has revoked day parole for the woman who killed 14-year-old B.C. teen Reena Virk. The decision comes after a series of positive drug tests and behaviours the board said represent 'an undue risk to society.'
National Post
2 days ago
- National Post
Kelly Ellard, who killed B.C. teen Reena Virk in 1997, has parole revoked over drug use
VANCOUVER — Day parole has been revoked for the woman who drowned Victoria teenager Reena Virk 28 years ago. Article content A Parole Board of Canada decision says Kerry Sim, known as Kelly Ellard when she was convicted, breached her conditions to abstain from drugs. Article content The decision says Sim at first adamantly rejected the test result for methamphetamine, and instead argued it was a false positive from her own medication. Article content Article content The board says that Sim, at 42 years old, still has an anti-social and delinquent value system and is unwilling to accept responsibility for her own actions, putting her at high risk for future delinquent behaviour. Article content Article content She is a single parent of two children and the decision says she has struggled emotionally due to one child's behavioural issues and she also voiced safety concerns after a TV miniseries documented Virk's murder. Article content Fourteen-year-old Virk had already been badly beaten by a group of teenagers under the Craigflower Bridge before Sim, then 15, drowned her in the nearby Gorge waterway. Article content The swarming attack on Virk and subsequent trials and appeals gained international attention, with the judge saying that Virk was the defenceless victim of a prolonged and brutal attack in which Sim played a central role. Article content
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Yahoo
Convicted killer Kerry Sim, formerly Kelly Ellard, loses day parole over drug tests
Kerry Sim, formerly Kelly Ellard, has had her day parole revoked after she breached release conditions. According to a decision issued last month and shared with Postmedia this week, the Parole Board of Canada cited Sim's refusal to participate in drug tests, her eventual positive test result after using drugs belonging to another prisoner, and uncooperative behaviour as being factors in her parole being revoked. 'Despite the time you have had for self-reflection since returning to custody, the Board finds you continue to engage in behaviours and thinking that contributed to your suspension and are related to your risk to reoffend. 'Consequently, the Board concludes that you will, by reoffending before the expiration of your sentence, present an undue risk to society. Therefore, the Board revokes your day parole.' In 1997, Victoria teen Reena Virk was lured to a party where she was swarmed and violently assaulted. Sim, then 15 years old, was among those who beat Virk and later drowned her. In 2005, Sim began serving a life sentence for second degree murder. She was granted day parole in 2017 and released to a community facility in 2018. At the start of 2020, she was granted extended leave privileges along with a number of conditions such as not to consume alcohol or drugs, avoid contact with certain individuals, and to follow a treatment plan. In 2021, her extended leave privileges were suspended following a domestic violence incident with her then partner and father of her two kids, and she was ordered to follow a new psych treatment plan and to report any relationships. In late 2024, concerns were raised about Sim's 'negative attitude' and behaviour described as 'antagonizing, threatening, and insulting.' She also refused drug tests and when eventual drug tests returned positive, she claimed it was due to prescription medication that caused a false positive. Earlier this year, Sim was arrested following a positive drug test but initially resisted arrest, refused to leave her room, and was argumentative. 'While in police custody, you were noted to be uncooperative (screaming and kicking),' the decision read. 'While in provincial custody, your behaviour remains problematic.' In a parole decision released this week, the Parole Board of Canada revoked Sim's parole, citing positive drug tests and refusals to undergo drug testing as breaches of her parole conditions. The PBC also noted Sim's attitude when interacting with facility staff or parole supervisors as being a determining factor in her parole revocation. sip@ Day parole extended for woman who killed Victoria teenager Reena Virk 25 years ago Day parole suspension lifted for killer Kerry Sim (formerly Kelly Ellard) 24 years after Reena Virk's murder, parole board continues Kelly Ellard's release
CBC
2 days ago
- CBC
Reena Virk's killer has day parole revoked over positive drug tests
Social Sharing Canada's parole board has revoked day parole for the woman who killed 14-year-old Reena Virk, following a series of positive drug tests and behaviours the board said represent "an undue risk to society." According to parole documents, Kerry Sim — who was known as Kelly Ellard in 1997 when she killed Virk — first saw her limited release into the community suspended last January when she tested positive for methamphetamine following months of "negative and con-compliant" behaviour. Although she denied using drugs — blaming prescribed medication for what she claimed were false positives — Sim again tested positive for non-prescribed medication in prison in April and later admitted that she "had taken another offender's medication." In a decision issued last month, the Parole Board of Canada told Sim "you present with an anti-social or delinquent value system, that you have an unwillingness to accept responsibility for your own actions and your rebelliousness puts you at a high risk for future delinquent behaviour." "Your behaviour in the community prior to your suspension is inconsistent with what is minimally required or expected on an earned release," the decision says. "You disregarded minimum supervision expectations and when this was addressed with you, you became hostile, argumentative, antagonizing, lacked accountability and deflected blame." 'Antagonizing, threatening and insulting' Sim is serving a life sentence for second-degree murder in the 1997 killing. The decision describes a 42-year-old struggling with children, single-parenting, substance abuse — and the consequences of her actions. The impact of Virk's murder continues to reverberate years after Sim and Warren Glowatski followed the teenager across the Craigflower Bridge and dragged her into Victoria's Gorge waterway following a savage beating by a swarm of teens Virk thought were friends. The case has inspired books, plays, podcast episodes and a recent Hulu true-crime TV series — starring Oscar-nominee Lily Gladstone — based on the 2005 non-fiction book of the same name, Under the Bridge. Sim — who has had a troubled history before the parole board — has long stood in stark contrast to Glowatski, who was convicted of second-degree murder in 1999 but sought forgiveness from Virk's parents, meeting with them to express his remorse. Sim stood trial three times for the murder before the Supreme Court of Canada finally upheld her conviction in 2009. She was released on day parole in 2018, but has been hauled back in front of the parole board multiple times for domestic violence and positive urine tests. According to the parole documents, Sim was arrested in 2021 because of a deterioration in behaviour. She returned to a community residential facility in the Lower Mainland in 2023, but was in and out of trouble. Staff described her behaviour as "antagonizing, threatening and insulting." 'An undue risk to society' According to the parole board, Sim was ultimately apprehended at the facility following the positive drug test last January, but would not leave her room, making "vague suicidal comments" and "screaming and kicking" before she was taken into custody. Sim — who is the parent of one child — has "struggled emotionally" due to her child's behavioural issues, being a single parent and "managing legal custody issues" with her ex-partner. WATCH | Reporter Jason Proctor recounts what it was like to cover the high-profile murder case in 1997: New miniseries turns spotlight back on 1997 murder of Victoria's Reena Virk 1 year ago Duration 6:41 The new Hulu series Under the Bridge is drawing renewed attention to the murder of 14-year-old Reena Virk in Victoria. CBC's Jason Proctor, who covered the story of the killing when it happened in 1997, takes us through the latest court documents and reaction to the show from those involved. The parole decision says she also voiced safety concerns following the release of the television mini-series. At the time of the series release, the board noted that Sim had "demonstrated some remorse and victim empathy after a discussion about an upcoming television series based on your crimes." "You said the series is disrespectful to the victim and her family, and that the index offence was so horrendous that it would re-victimize the victim's family," the board noted in a previous decision. The parole board noted that Sim has been working as a cleaner since returning to jail and has "demonstrated positive behaviour" but concluded the risk of releasing her was too great. "Despite the time you have had for self-reflection since returning to custody, the board finds you continue to engage in behaviours and thinking that contributed to your suspension," the decision concludes.
