Reena Virk
Reena Virk (March 10, 1983-November 14, 1997) was a teenaged resident of Victoria, British Columbia in Canada. She was viciously beaten and subsequently drowned by a group of other teenagers, many of them girls, on November 14th, 1997 near Victoria's Craigflower Bridge.
The murder, a shocking example of teen violence, caused a sensation. Particularly shocking for some was the fact that so many girls were directly involved in the beating and, allegedly, in the murder.
Trials
- On February 9, 1998, three teenaged girls plead guilty to assault causing bodily harm for their roles in the attack.
- On February 13, 1998, three more teenaged girls were convicted of assault causing bodily harm.
- Between April and May 1998, six teenaged girls were sentenced for their roles in beating Virk.
- On March 9, 2000, Kelly Ellard was tried and convicted of second-degree murder; her case was raised to adult court where she was sentenced to life in prison with no chance of full parole for five years.
- On November 15, 2000, 3 years and 1 day after the murder of Reena Virk, her parents sue the teenagers who took part in the beating, the BC government, and several other people.
- On February 4, 2003, the BC Court of Appeal announced that due to improprieties in the way she was questioned during her first trial, Ellard would be retried. The trial began on June 14, 2004.
- In June 2004, several witnesses including Glowatski testified that Ellard admitted to killing Virk.
- On July 6, 2004, Ellard admits to taking part of the initial beating but only for self-defense.
- On July 18, 2004, a mistrial was declared in Ellard's second trial after the jury declared it was deadlocked 11-1.
- Between July 19 and July 21, 2004, BC prosecutors decided that a third trial will take place starting on October 12, 2004.
