Actress Reese Witherspoon's Production Company Develops a Movie Based on Reena Virk's Murder

Actress Reese Witherspoon's production company is developing a movie based on the 1997 killing of Reena Virk, the 14-year-old from Saanich, B.C., who was murdered by schoolmates.

It is said that Reena Virk was the typical girl who would desperately want to be accepted by her peers. Unfortunately she was constantly teased by the very girls she wanted to be accepted by. A couple of the girls knew Reena from when she spent a few days at a local group foster home due to her rebelling against her strictly religious family. These girls were heavily influenced by Los Angeles street gangs, and took pleasure into taunting Reena, and generally making her feel unaccepted. But Reena Virk never gave up on the dream of being a part of the group of girls and the local young gang culture that she found strangely appealing.

On Friday, November 14th, 1997, Reena Virk was invited to a gathering at a location near the Craigflower Bridge. This spot was often used as a place for teenagers to gather and do drugs, drink, smoke, etc, and is found west of the city of Victoria. Reena, who was desperate to belong, decided to show up. It is said that when Virk arrived, there were seven girls and one boy. There, she was abused by the girls, receiving cigarette burns, punches, and kicks. After the fight ended, Virk managed to escape, but was followed by a boy and girl from the group.. These two, Kelly Ellard and Warren Glowatski, dragged Reena back under the bridge, and beat her a second time. Apparently Ellard held Reena Virk's head under water until she stopped struggling.

On November 22, 1997, police divers found Reena Virk's body washed ashore at the Gorge Inlet, a major waterway on Vancouver Island. It was confirmed that Virk died from being drowned, however it was discovered that she had several fractures, and that the head injuries were severe enough to have killed her if she had not drowned.