Reena Virk’s killer arrested this week in B.C.’s Lower Mainland

Kerry Sim, formerly Kelly Ellard, is seen in a file image.

The B.C. woman who killed Reena Virk as a teenager was arrested this week in the Lower Mainland, CTV News has learned.

Sources confirmed that Kerry Sim, who changed her name from Kelly Ellard, was taken into custody Tuesday in Surrey.

It’s unclear whether she has since been released back into her halfway house.

Correctional Service Canada would not speak to any parole conditions Sim might have breached, citing privacy concerns, but issued a statement confirming “measures have been taken regarding this offender and appropriate processes are being followed regarding next steps.”

“If there is a change in an offender’s behaviour or compliance with their conditions, CSC takes immediate action, which can include returning them to custody,” the statement said. “We take this very seriously.”

In November, the Parole Board of Canada granted Sim another six months of day parole, in a decision that recognized her “continuing stable and co-operative behaviour.”

Sim has been permitted day parole regularly since 2017, allowing her to raise the two children she birthed while in custody.

She is serving a life sentence for drowning 14-year-old Virk underneath Victoria’s Craigflower Bridge on Nov. 14, 1997, after the victim had already been swarmed and beaten by Sim and her friends.

At the time, Sim was one year older than Virk. She’s now in her early 40s.

In response to Sim’s arrest in Surrey, Correctional Service Canada wrote: “Our thoughts are with the family and friends of Reena Virk at this time as we know the impact that this offender’s crimes still has on them and the community.”