Diksha Sundriyal
The murder of 14-year-old Reena Virk in November 1997 in Canada shocked the nation when the truth about what happened to her came to light. The events surrounding her death are dramatized in Hulu’s ‘Under the Bridge,’ which is based on the non-fiction book of the same name by Rebecca Godfrey. The show makes some changes while approaching the narrative from the point of view of Godfrey, played by Riley Keough, and police officer Cam Bentland, played by Lily Gladstone. The details regarding the crime, however, remain the same.
When the investigation was concluded, it was found that several teenagers had beaten up Virk and left her alone, but she was later killed by two teenagers, one of whom was Warren Glowatski, who, interestingly, had never had any connection with Virk before that night.
Warren Glowatski Rebuilt His Life After Being Forgiven by Virk’s Family
Sixteen-year-old at the time of Reena Virk’s death, Warren Glowatski was tried as an adult and convicted of second-degree murder in June 1999. He confessed to his role in the crime, saying that he stood and watched as Kelly Ellard held Virk’s head underwater and drowned her. He was sentenced to life in prison, with eligibility for parole after seven years of the sentencing, and was granted full parole in 2010.
Glowatski first applied for day parole in November 2004 but was denied. On July 20, 2006, he was allowed “unescorted temporary passes.” In 2007, he was allowed out on day parole, which permitted him to live outside of prison in a halfway home, be involved in community-based activities, and hold a job outside prison while regularly reporting to his parole officer. On June 23, 2010, he was granted full parole, which meant that he could live on his own and keep in regular touch with his parole officer, updating them with his current address, his job, as well as the updates on his relationships, especially new ones.
Glowatski’s parole was granted because the National Parole Board, after reviewing his time in prison, believed that his presence in public was not a cause for “an undue risk.” The board also noted that Glowatski had taken many strides in his recovery process. Reportedly, he discovered that he had Indigenous ancestry, and delving into it allowed him the means to change his life. He fully immersed himself in the culture and received a traditional smudge ceremony from an elder before his parole hearing. Apart from this, he also took rehabilitation courses and has since spoken out about his experience in the hopes of helping young people like him who could be pushed, by their situations or otherwise, to walk down the path of crime. Since receiving full parole, he has laid low, staying out of the public limelight, sticking to all the conditions of his parole, and living a quiet life. While the details of his current life remain unknown, he had previously talked about the plans to take a welding course.
One of the important things in Glowatski’s rehabilitation journey was receiving forgiveness from Virk’s family. He got in touch with them, and they were a part of a restorative justice session held in a church basement. The family had attended Glowatski’s trial, and later, they also appeared in his parole hearings. At the session in the church, he apologized to the Virks for his involvement in their daughter’s murder. The Virks, who believed that all the children involved in Reena’s death were misguided children who needed help, forgave Glowatski, saying that he had shown true remorse and knew the error of his ways. Suman Virk, Reena’s mother, called Glowatski “an angry, scared little kid who was trying to prove something in a negative way.”
In 2007, when Glowatski was first let out on day parole, Suman Virk did not disapprove of the parole board’s decision, saying that he was “a young man who has taken responsibility for his actions and is trying to amend the wrong that he did.” In return, Glowatski said he was grateful for the Virks’ forgiveness and didn’t take their support for granted. He hoped to “one day be able to be as caring and selfless.”
Read More: Is Josephine Bell Based on Reena Virk’s Real Friend? What Happened to Her?
