A new true-crime book on the violent murder of Reena Virk, a 14-year-old Indian girl living on Vancouver Island in British Columbia, recently hit the stands. 1n 1997, Virk was lured to a popular hangout spot and then beaten, kicked and burned with cigarette lighters by seven girls and one boy. She escaped, only to be followed by two people who made sure she didn't survive. Her body washed up a week later. The book, entitled "Under the Bridge", got a pretty bad review in the NY Times. This murder, which happened in 1997, kicked up a lot of media on the violence of young women but mostly failed to raise the question of race -- focusing instead on the way Virk was overweight and didn't fit in with her peers. Here is an interesting piece on the way race was ignored during the media coverage of this case.
When this incident occured, I remember being fascinated by the hip hop references that these young Canadians were making, like that Reena tried to fit into the crowd by being more into hip hop and that the girls who killed her identified with mobster John Gotti, a la rap lyrics. Kelly Ellard, the alleged mastermind behind Virk's murder and the one who finished the job, recently was sentenced to life in prison after a third murder trial.
Posted by neela at September 19, 2005 2:55 PM
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Kelly Ellard was not the "alleged" mastermind, she was the "convicted" mastermind of the murder.
I was wondering if the song "Down by the Waters Edge" by 7Mary3 was about this case or another. Or if it was even factual. It tells the story of a girl killed near a river and other teens brought by in days following to see the body. Maybe that was another case? SS
Pariah Project wrote a song named "Reena" about this story. It's a very good song.
i dont like the ppl who killed reena virk. kelly (one of the people that killed her) i think she is somewhat insane. she drew pictures of people with their hair on fire and she drew pictures of people like a police officer being shot. and who wouldnt be insane to "invite someone to a party" and hten have her come and it not really be a party and then kill her! reena had a hard enough life as it was, we dont need jerks like kelly in the world who are gonna beat up someone just becasue they dont like them, and then drown her yet! and put out ciggarets on her forhead, like i mean come on, get a life! i think she shoudl go to that all womands maximum security jail in nova acotia because then at least she wouldnt be able to do any more harm to any one else in the word, who knows, she might get married and then get in a spat with her husband n then invite him to an aniversary party and then end up beating him to death there too! i vote kelly goes to jail, dont mean to be rude, but its the harsh truth hunn!
kelly ellard was a mean mean mean girl! she was nothing but a damsel in distress! she didnt know how to do anything but beat up other kids and make fun of them. its prolbably becasue she didnt have alife herself! i mean like who, in their right mind, and with a life, goes and makes fun of other people and beats them up!! w/e i dont like her very much
I see this story as evidence of the further state of tragedy our youth have come to today. To lure a young girl out and murder her in the way they did id just despicable. All involved whether they watched or participated should be locked up for life.
It is amazing how much lack of decency there is amongst teenagers these days. No respect and no responsibility. Tougher laws for juvenile offenders please!!!
God bless Reena Virk !!!
I hope that those selfish fucks rot in jail. But even that it still would be way to good asy for them
Kelly and that gang, should recieve more severe punishment. They are nothing but f****** idiots.
So sad, and scarey. Those girls are like the devils helpers.
Man these kids were gay. Wannabes they were, who idolized the U.S's gangs and troubled ways. A bunch of Canadian kids, it's kind of funny when you think about how they were. I hope all those little fuckers, get whats coming to them. And I hope that Warren guy, becomes someones bitch behide bars. And they should have made, Kelly die for what she did. Let us watch that evil bitch die, girls like her need to be thought a lesson. That ho with the blue eyes, that started it all needs to get over herself. She is already an adult, and still claims everyones hates her because of her beauty. Those kids thought they were so bad ass, acting like american hard core kids. Because Canada has no bad crimes out there, so they say.
I just finished reading "Under the Bridge", I couldn't put it down. I remember Reena Virk's murder like it was yesterday. Although I didn't know Reena, and didn't go to school in Victoria, I was in the same grade when the hideous murder took place. I want to send my condolences to Reena's family. What the Virk family went through must have been the definition of hell itself. They were so wonderful and forgiving to all the people involved. I just about threw up when I read about Kelly Ellard and what a psycho she was. Ok, she was 15, she didn't mean to kill Reena, blah blah. But what kind of sick individual shows no remorse whatsoever? May Reena Virk rest in peace. God bless her soul. I hope Kelly spends the rest of her life where she belongs...behind bars.
This is truly sad. I wonder what could prompt someone to do this?
Hi, I'm from Massachusetts, and I'm writing about the Reena Virk thing. I think it is absurd and terrible how mean people can be. I think that she deserves to be in maximum security and never be letten out.
Thank you
GOD BLESS
This story about Reena Virk is sickening. Kelly Elland and those other punks are just trash who never got a good spanking when they were children. Parents, put the fear of God in your children when they are still very young, or you will be visiting them behind bars. Go back to the Bible, people, and raise your children in righteousness.
Reena Virk was no "misfit"Reena Virk was killed because she was Indian in a predominantly White area.Reena was killed by rage by two 14 yr old maybe one was sixteen .This killing was done in a gruesome ,violent and hateful way.Reena thought these were her friends and trusted them ,but when she realized she was in trouble it was too late.Kelly Ellard is a nasty ,evil ,hateful ,malicious,demonic person who has to pay for what she did ..an eye for an eye...someone should kill her the way she killed Reena.I cannot believe how vicious that girl was at the tender age of fourteen.of course she had the best lawyers and her family fight for her in the end but hey you always get what you deserve and she have not gotten what she deserves yet....I wish nothing more but nightmares and evil to follow Ellard because she is not human in my mind.Its mind blowing to even read a book and imagine what that poor girl went through in her last minutes of life ...how can someone beat someone to death?I asked myself.For whatever its worth ...to the Virks"my deepest sympathy"to the Ellard's "My deepest sympathy for having a monster for a daughter"
oh man i say Kelly is just a big bully! i mean, i dont know her, but i do not think what she and some other people have done to her was right!. it makes me mad and i would love to see her in jail! plus,all of them were so young!. like how does someone that young have a mind like this and actually put her sick thoughts in action?!... i think Kelly was the messed up one. I honestly really really hate girls like her!.
R.I.P Reena Virk
GOD BLESS
hey i feel srry for what happen to reena virk right now she would be 26,but she didnt make it
reena where ever you are thx for letting me stand up
hey i feel srry for what happen to reena virk right now she would be 26,but she didnt make it
reena where ever you are thx for letting me stand up