Hulu's new true-crime series "Under the Bridge" looks back at the death of 14-year-old Reena Virk, who was beaten and drowned by her peers in Victoria, Canada.
The 1997 attack resulted in six teenagers being convicted of assault, two of whom were convicted of second-degree murder. But nearly 30 years later, the fates of several of Vic's attackers are surprising, especially what happened to Warren Glowatski after the events of "Under the Bridge."
he was sentenced to life imprisonment
According to the late writer Rebecca Godfrey (whose reporting "Under the Bridge" is based on), Glowacki did not know Vick but participated in the kicking and assaulting her . After the group of teenagers who assaulted Vick dispersed, Glowacki and Kelly Ellard reportedly caught up with Vick on her way home and continued the violence.
Glowacki and Ellard were both convicted of second-degree murder in connection with Vick's death. At a parole hearing in 2007, Glowacki said he did not drown Vick, but he was "ashamed" that he stood by while it happened, CTV News reported.
(Ellard said she did not drown Vic on purpose, but took her into the water to "wake [her] up.")
Surprising sources of support
In 2007, Glowacki was released on day parole and embraced an unexpected person: Vick's mother, Suman Vick. "He was an angry, scared kid trying to prove something in a negative way," she said via CCTV at the time. "Today, I think we saw a young man take responsibility for his actions and try to right the wrongs he made."
He revealed that the deceased teenager's parents, Suman and Manjit, had visited Glowacki in prison. "They reached out to me and provided care," he told the hearing. According to the Vancouver Sun, the Vickers actually participated in a restorative justice program with Glowacki. Suman told the newspaper it didn't "take away the pain" but it did help her move on.
"You can let go of your problems and put it behind you," she said.
Glowacki's own niece was moved by examples of restorative justice and went on to become a lecturer in the field. “I’ve seen firsthand how powerful and transformative this model of justice can be,” Krystal Glowatski told Simon Fraser University.
In 2010, Glowacki was granted full parole. "We don't want to hear anything about him," Suman told Vancouver City News at the time. "I hope this is the end and that he has really turned his life around, for his sake and ours."
If you or someone you know has been affected by bullying, visit the PACER National Bullying Prevention Center website at PACER.org/bullying .
