British Columbia

Reena Virk killer Kelly Ellard granted day parole

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Ellard, now 35, serving life sentence for 1997 death of B.C. teen

Kelly Ellard was found guilty of second-degree murder in April 2005, at her third trial. (Adrian Wyld/Canadian Press)

A British Columbia woman who killed 14-year-old Reena Virk near a Victoria-area bridge two decades ago has been granted day parole.

Kelly Ellard, who was 15 at the time of the death, is serving a life sentence for second-degree murder.

The parole board has ordered Ellard to go to a residential substance-abuse program. She will be sent to a halfway house should she successfully complete the program.

Reena Virk was 14 years old when she was swarmed and attacked by a group of teenagers under a bridge near Victoria, B.C. (CBC)

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Ellard will be out on day parole for six months until a review is conducted.

Ellard, who is now 35, first applied for day parole in 2016 and was denied, but in February she was granted temporary escorted absences to go to parenting programs and doctor's appointments with her baby son, who is now one.

When the absences were approved, a two-member panel of the parole board told Ellard that she needed to take more responsibility for her crime.

Ellard admitted during Thursday's parole hearing that she was responsible for the death.

She also said she was very sorry for what she had done and that Virk didn't deserve what happened to her.

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Suman Virk, Reena's mother, said Ellard's words are too little too late.

"She could have taken responsibility a long time ago and saved us the pain and agony of first of all going through three different trials and waiting for 20 years to finally have some acknowledgement of her guilt," Virk said.

Wants to co-parent son

Ellard told the parole board that she wants to co-parent her child with the boy's father, who at the time of the pregnancy, was also incarcerated.

She says though, that she's willing to parent alone if the father uses drugs or gets into further trouble. Ellard told the parole board that her priority in life is now her son and reintegrating into society outside of prison.

Virk was swarmed and attacked by a group of teenagers under a bridge near Victoria, B.C. She was killed later that same night by two teens who beat her a second time.

Ellard has spent about 15 years in prison, having spent some periods out on bail. She was convicted of second-degree murder in 2005 after three trials.

With files from CHEK News and The Canadian Press