Under the Bridge is based on a true story. Its central killer, Kelly Ellard, is still behind bars.
The Hulu true crime mini-series stars Oscar-nominated Lily Gladstone as Cam Bentland, a detective who takes on the investigation of the murder of a teenage girl.
Based on the book of the same name by Rebecca Godfrey, the series premiered on April 17, pulling the curtains back on this real-world case from Saanich, British Columbia, Canada.
The Trial of Under the Bridge's Kelly Ellard
After much investigation (as adapted for the screen in Under the Bridge), Kelly Ellard was found to be one of the primary perpetrators in the murder of teenager Reena Virk.
Virk (then aged 14) was found dead on the evening of Friday, November 13, 1997 after attending a party in Saanich, British Columbia, Canada.
She was brutally beaten by a group that would become known as the Shoreline Six, with Ellard being one of the few to admit her involvement in the killing.
Following the death of Virk, Ellard would go on trial three separate times for killing, eventually receiving a life sentence in prison from the Supreme Court of Canada in June 2009.
As a part of this prison sentence, she would also have no parole eligibility for seven years.
Ellard is one of six who have admitted involvement in the case. Three (including Ellard) were sentenced to extended prison stints.
In November 2017, Ellard was granted day parole, allowing for public activities during the day but requiring a return to prison nightly.
Where Is Kelly Ellard Now?
Kelly Ellard has since changed her name to Kerry Marie Sim.
She also had her day parole suspended in August 2021 due to her failure to report intimate partner violence with her partner (per CTV News).
Ellard denied any violence had transpired but lost her expanded privileges nonetheless.
The suspension was eventually lifted in October 2021. Then, the Canadian Parole Board offered Ellard a hearing to assess whether she would be eligible for full parole.
Ellard turned down the chance at full parole, citing she was "situationally [not] ready" to return to regular life outside of prison (via Saanich News).
The parole board still went ahead with a review of Ellard's case, releasing a statement saying, "To [Ellard's] credit, [she] readily acknowledge[s]" she is "not ready" for release and denied exploring any further release plan for the killer at that time:
“To your credit, you readily acknowledge you are not ready for a more expanded form of release at this time. As a result, the board concludes your risk on full parole is undue and full parole is denied.”
According to Times Colonist, Ellard remains on day parole as of May 2023, allowing her to live outside her correctional facility for up to five days a week.
Under the Bridge is now streaming on Hulu.
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