Under The Bridge's Major Change To Kelly & Jo's True Story Removes An Extremely Chilling Detail From The Real Case

Summary Up until her trial, Kelly Ellard blamed Josephine for Reena Virk's murder, not Warren Glowatski.

Kelly's loyalty to Jo changes the motivation and chilling circumstances of the real crime.

Kelly finally admitted guilt in 2017, taking responsibility for Reena's murder.

Hulu’s Under the Bridge includes a major change to Kelly and Jo’s true story by removing a chilling detail that changes the perception of the murder case. Based on the novel by Rebecca Godfrey, Under the Bridge tells the true story of who killed Reena Virk, a 14-year-old Indian Canadian girl. The murder is so horrifying that the facts of the actual crime remain fairly true in the story. Reena was attacked on one side of the bridge and drowned on the other at the hands of Warren Glowatski and Kelly Ellard.

The events before and after the murder are often altered in Under the Bridge for narrative impact and clearer storytelling, though. Smaller examples of this include altering the relationship between Jo and her mother. However, some changes have very serious implications for the case. One of these changes relates to the relationship between two Under the Bridge characters – Josephine and Kelly.

All information on the real crime and investigation comes from Rebecca Godfrey's Under the Bridge unless otherwise specified.

Kelly Ellard Blamed Josephine (Not Warren) For Reena Virk’s Murder In Real Life

Kelly Blamed Josephine Up Until The Trial

Kelly claimed that Josephine talked about burying people frequently and was a "demented" Satan worshiper.

In this Hulu series, Josephine, Kelly, and Dusty call the police to report Warren Glowatski as the killer of Reena Virk. This changes one extremely chilling and disturbing detail from the true story. The Under the Bridge episode 5 fact check confirms that none of the three girls told investigators about Warren killing Reena. Instead, Kelly Ellard immediately turned on her best friend at the first opportunity that she got. In her initial interview at the police department, she said that Josephine must have killed Reena because she started the rumor about the teen being dead.

Kelly also brought up the disturbing things that Josephine said about burying Reena or chopping her up, removing Kelly's own involvement in the discussion. She later worsens her indictment of Josephine, saying Jo has "psycho problems." Kelly claimed that Josephine talked about burying people frequently and was a "demented" Satan worshiper. The police even directly confirmed when talking to Josephine that Kelly continued to blame her over time.

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Kelly only changed her tune when testifying on the stand at her trial, at which point she pointed the finger at Warren. This is likely because he was already convicted of second-degree murder. On the other hand, Josephine's murder charges were dropped, and she was only found guilty of assault causing bodily harm. This makes the choice to switch targets more of a practical choice, rather than guilt over betraying her best friend.

How Kelly's Loyalty To Jo Changes The Chilling Circumstances Of The Real-Life Crime

Kelly's Loyalty Gives Her An Internal Motivation For Killing Reena

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If the real Kelly Ellard turned on her friend so easily, then the loyalty excuse seems flimsy.

In Hulu's Under the Bridge, Kelly repeatedly asserts that she killed Reena for Josephine. In Warren's testimony, outlined in Godfrey's book, he says that Kelly said they should go after Reena to see if she was sorry for what she did to Reena. However, the fact that Kelly blamed Josephine so readily paints a chilling picture of Reena Virk's murder. Her readiness to blame Josephine for the murder brings into question Kelly's true motivations. There is nothing that would have made murdering Reena okay, but at least Hulu's Under the Bridge gives Kelly an internal motivation for the crime.

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If the real Kelly Ellard turned on her friend so easily, then the loyalty excuse seems flimsy. It doesn't make sense that she would feel loyal enough to take a life but not enough to guard her friend from suspicion. Even Jo acknowledged that Kelly's excuse didn't track. She told Sergeant Poulton, "I don't think it could have been just me." As such, Kelly's actions seem meaningless – internally and externally – making the crime even more tragic. It also raises questions about what Kelly really thought leading up to the murder of Reena Virk.

Did Kelly Ellard Ever Take Responsibility For Reena’s Murder In Real Life?

Kelly Ellard Finally Admitted Guilt In 2017

Throughout the investigation and trial, Kelly Ellard shirked responsibility for the murder of Reena Virk, blaming it on Josephine and then on Warren. At her second trial, she even had a moment where she repeatedly screamed “I did not cross the bridge” and “I did not kill Reena Virk.” She continued to deny her involvement all the way up to November 2017, when she admitted to murdering Reena in a roundabout way by saying, “She drowned and I put her in the water.” While this is not the most straightforward admission, it is a step forward from her previous statements.

Additionally, at her 2024 parole hearing, the board found that she admitted to having a bigger role in Reena’s murder, expressed remorse for her crime, and showed empathy for the victims in the time since her previous hearing. One notable statement from Ellard acknowledged in the hearing is that the crime is so horrible that the Under the Bridge series could retraumatize the family of Reena Virk. (via CBC) This points to the fact that she regrets her actions and wants to spare the family from more pain.

Sources: Under the Bridge by Rebecca Godfrey and CBC