Kerry Sim, who killed B.C. teen Reena Virk in 1997, loses parole revocation appeal

The killer of British Columbia teenager Reena Virk has lost an appeal over the cancellation of her day parole last year following a positive drug test result.

A decision of Parole Board of Canada’s appeal division says Kerry Sim, known as Kelly Ellard when she was convicted of the 1997 killing, had appealed the move, arguing it was unfair and relied on “erroneous or incomplete information.”

It says Sim had first postponed and later waived her right to a hearing last year after objecting to media attendance, and the board “grappled with the different versions of events” about a urine test that was positive for methamphetamine. 

The decision released Thursday says Sim claimed the positive result could have been related to a medication she was prescribed. 

It says the board conducted a “fair and adequate risk assessment” of Sim, noting she’d admitted stress from being a single parent, dealing with a violent ex-partner and “safety concerns” about a television series released about Virk’s murder.

The decision says the board revoked Sim’s day parole in June 2025 after concluding she presented “an undue risk to society” by potentially reoffending, and it wasn’t required to consider any less restrictive options.

Sim was a young offender at the time of Virk’s murder, but the case was raised to adult court.

After exhausting appeals up to the Supreme Court of Canada, she was convicted of second-degree murder in 2005 and given a life sentence. 

Virk was killed in November 1997, suffering a beating from a group of teenagers under Victoria’s Craigflower Bridge and later drowned by Sim, who was 15.

Her co-accused, Warren Glowatski, was also sentenced to life in prison, but he was paroled in 2010. 

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 5, 2026.