Warren Glowatski Was One of Two Teens Found Guilty of Murdering Reena Virk — Where Is He Now?

Saanich is a district municipality located on Vancouver Island in British Columbia, Canada. It is an area rich with history and, in particular, that of the indigenous people who have lived on that land for centuries. Geographically speaking, it has everything: mountains, beaches, bodies of water, and the kind of beauty that is specific to Canada. Although it's not small, Saanich feels quaint. It also has one of the lowest crime rates in British Columbia, making it a very safe place to live.

Unfortunately no place is perfect, and Saanich is no exception. In November 1997, 14-year-old Reena Virk was beaten then drowned by eight of her fellow classmates. Two of them would end up going to prison for their involvement in Virk's murder. Kelly Ellard and Warren Glowatski were directly responsible for her death. Ellard is still in prison. Where is Warren Glowatski now? Here's what we know.

According to the CBC, in June 2010 Glowatski was granted full parole. After spending 11 years in prison, it was decided that he didn't pose an undue risk to the public. He was able to move into an apartment but told the parole board that finding work was difficult. Since his release, Glowatski has remained out the public eye.

Three years prior, Glowatski was allowed day parole, per the CBC. Present at that hearing were Virk's parents who Glowatski, then 26, profusely thanked for their support. "I hope that one day I will be able to be as caring, selfless," he said. "I don't take your support for granted." When addressing the parole board, Glowatski commented about who he was in 1997. He hardly recognized that person and openly spoke about how his primary concern then, as an angry 16 year old, was about feeling powerful.

In a move that many people couldn't understand, Virk's parents formed a relationship with Glowatski while he was incarcerated. They met several times and at one point when they were discussing the possibility of marriage, Glowatski understood the gravity of what he had done to their daughter. "The topic of marriage came up and I realized just what I had taken away from Suman and Manjit," he shared. "They reached out and offered me their hand and their care."

While in prison, Glowatski was determined to better himself. He "took rehabilitation courses ... and speaks as a mentor to young people at risk of getting involved in crime," reported the CBC. Glowatski has always maintained that after Virk was beaten, he watched Ellard hold her head under water. "I feel ashamed," said Glowatski. Despite that, Virk's parents see a man who has learned from his mistakes and told the outlet he appeared to be the only who did.

Canadian nonfiction writer Rebecca Godfrey grew up in the same area where Virk and Glowatski were from. This is partially she decided to write an investigative book about Virk's murder tilted Under the Bridge. In the book she interviewed several people involved, including Glowatski, who she learned had a troubled childhood. At the time of the murder, Glowatski was living alone in his father's trailer while receiving money from his dad who had moved away with his new wife.

His mother was an alcoholic who Glowatski hadn't seen since his parents' divorce in 1996. While having a troubled childhood is no excuse for what Glowatski did, it is helpful to paint a full picture. On the night of the murder, Glowatski was a party under the Craigflower Bridge when the fight broke out. Ellard and a group of six girls were exacting revenge on Virk who had stolen the journal of another girl who wasn't present at the time.

Despite not being involved, Glowatski joined in and kicked Virk twice in the head. They didn't stop until someone else intervened. Virk managed to leave but collapsed by the water's edge where her body was eventually found. Both Glowatski and Ellard followed Virk and when she briefly woke up, he claimed Ellard held the injured girl's head under the water. Eventually they were found guilty of second-degree murder and were sentenced to life with the possibility of parole after seven years.