Murder of Victoria teen Reena Virk subject of new television series

One of British Columbia’s most notorious murders is the subject of an upcoming television series currently in production in the province.

Under The Bridge will tell the story of the 1997 killing of 14-year-old Reena Virk, who was swarmed and beaten by a group of teenagers and drowned in the Gorge waterway in Saanich, B.C.

The series is based on the book of the same name by author Rebecca Godfrey, who grew up in Victoria and later settled in upstate New York before her death in October.

Publisher Simon and Schuster says the story "takes us into the hidden world of the seven teenage girls — and boy — accused of a savage murder," adding the series will be available on the streaming service Hulu.

The eight-episode Under The Bridge is now filming in B.C. and is scheduled to remain in production until April, according to Creative BC.

A filming notice posted online showed the production was filming residential street scenes last week in New Westminster, B.C.

Retired Saanich police Detective-Staff Sgt. Chris Horsley told CTV News on Wednesday that the Saanich Police Department consulted on the show.

"It certainly took off and was a far bigger story than I think anyone anticipated," Horsley said. "I suppose the unusual nature of the crime is testament to why they are doing the production even now 25 years later." 

Actors Lily Gladstone, Riley Keough, Chloe Guidry and Archie Panjabi have taken roles in the series, according to entertainment news sites Deadline and Variety. Actor Ezra Faroque Khan will play Virk's father while Keough will play the book's author, Variety reports.

Production company Stage 49 Ltd. did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The Parole Board of Canada extended day parole for one of Virk's killers in September, nearly 25 years after the murder.

Kerry Sim, who was formerly known as Kelly Ellard, was allowed to remain on day parole but with several conditions.

In addition to conditions to avoid consuming drugs and alcohol, the parole board ordered Sim to follow psychiatric treatment to address her anxiety and other mental health issues.

Now 40 years old, Sim was 15 when she and a group of teenagers swarmed and beat Virk, and her trial heard she and a co-accused later followed the 14-year-old girl to continue the beating and drown her.

"It shocked the community and it also shocked the country," Horsley added. "You have these landmark cases that form the roadmap of your career. And this case, although it was 25 years ago, was certainly one of those incidents in my own career."

The retired detective, who was interviewed extensively for the book that will form the basis of the screen adaptation, said he won't pass judgement on the production until he sees the finished product.

"The author did a lot of research and really worked hard to make the book accurate to the events that took place," Horsley said. "However I think having a production at all about something that was so tragic in our area is only going to – for people who live here – bring up some bad memories."