Reena Virk’s killer Kelly Ellard denied day parole, yet to admit her role in the crime

THE media went into a frenzy on Monday following a Canadian Press report that Kelly Ellard, now 33, the killer of Reena Virk was seeking day parole.
Virk’s parents, Manjit and Suman, and grandfather, Mukand Pallan, were sought after by the media for comments. Her parents were reported to have left town to avoid the media, but Pallan noted that Ellard had never admitted her role in the crime. They did not attend Tuesday’s parole hearing at Abbotsford’s Fraser Valley Institution for Women in which Ellard was denied day parole.
Ellard was convicted of second-degree murder along with Warren Glowatski for the brutal beating and drowning of 14-year-old Reena Virk in November 1997 in Saanich. Ellard was 15 and Glowatski was 16 at the time of the crime. Six other teens were convicted of assault-related charges.
Glowatski served his maximum seven-year term and was released on day parole in 2007 and on full parole in 2010. Ellard’s verdict was overturned on appeal. Her second trial in 2004 ended in a hung jury. She was convicted at the third trial in 2005, but that verdict was overturned by the B. C. Court of Appeal. In 2009, the Supreme Court of Canada by an 8-1 ruling overturned the split decision of the B.C. Court of Appeal in 2008. If the top court had upheld the lower court’s ruling, it would have forced a fourth trial, or the Crown could have decided to set Ellard free.
The board on Tuesday noted Ellard had now admitted her role in Virk’s killing, but not according to the version outlined by the judge.
Ellard had made some progress such as not being involved in any known violent acts for the past seven years and being drug-free for 11 months.
Parole board regional spokesman Patrick Storey told CBC that the board was not convinced Ellard was ready to be released into the community yet, noting: “She still seems to be minimizing many aspects of the offence. We want to see more evidence.”
Ellard can next apply for day parole in a year. An automatic full parole review is scheduled for February 2017.