Episode 3 of Under the Bridge introduced multiple new suspects in the murder of Reena Virk. Everyone from Reena’s father Manjit to abandoned white rapper Warren are now at the top of the pile. For anyone familiar with the case, some of these names will be significant, so based on what we know let’s figure out who murdered Reena Virk in the Hulu series ahead of Episode 4’s release.
Josephine Bell DID NOT Murder Reena Virk
It was revealed in Episode 3 that despite having confessed to the murder to Becca, Jo had an alibi that was double-checked by Cam. So, Jo did not murder Reena Virk.
The first two episodes of Under the Bridge clearly reveled in pushing Jo as the likeliest suspect. However, the reveal that she was just overstating her involvement to impress Becca and earn her way into meeting John Gotti paints a more tragic portrait of her. Not only is she awful, but she’s also stupid and delusional.
The character of Jo is based on Nicole Cook, one of the real-life perpetrators who participated in the initial beating of Reena. Nicole instigated the attack by putting out a lit cigarette on Reena’s forehead, which is what Jo did — or claims to have done — in the show. However, she was involved in only the first attack, and not the second, fatal one.
In real life Nicole Cook returned to the crime scene and retrieved some items of Reena’s clothing, forcing another girl at the group home to hide them. In Episode 2 it was revealed that Kelly — more on her soon — has been hiding Reena’s boots, but it doesn’t seem like Jo had any knowledge of this, so the details might have been changed here.
Manjit DID NOT Murder Reena Virk
Also in Episode 2, Cam’s father became suspicious of Reena’s father Manjit when he refused to identify her body and allowed his wife, Suman, to do so in his stead. After some investigation, Cam’s brother revealed that Majit had been accused of assaulting Reena, but the charges had been dropped and the file had been cleared prior to her murder.
This is also based on the real-life case. Reena was desperate to fit in and actively rebelled against the conservatism of her parents. One of the more outlandish ways in which she did this was by accusing her father of molesting her in the hopes of being moved to a foster home where she would have more freedom. Instead, she was put in care for several months until she dropped the charges and returned home.
Kelly Ellard DID Murder Reena Virk (Probably)
In real life, Kelly Marie Ellard murdered Reena Virk, following her after the initial attack to beat her again and drown her. Episode 2 of Under the Bridge strongly implies her guilt by revealing that she has Reena’s boots hidden in her closet. When Jo discovers this, Kelly says, “I did it for you.”
This makes things a little complicated since in the real case it was Nicole Cook, aka Jo, who hid the clothes, and Kelly who was guilty of the murder. Here, though, the implication is that Kelly both committed the murder and took the evidence back to the group home.
If there’s a chance that the Hulu series is going to veer from the real-life case, it might be in this regard. But, it stands to reason that Kelly killed Reena both in real life and in the show.
Warren Glowatski DID Murder Reena Virk
Warren Glowatski, the only male perpetrator involved in the case, was convicted of murdering Reena Virk alongside Kelly Marie Ellard. He was a minor at the time.
In Episode 3 of Under the Bridge, Warren confessed to his girlfriend, more or less, through the medium of music. He was also seen washing bloody clothes earlier.
It remains somewhat unclear why Warren was compelled to participate in the original beating of Reena, much less take it upon himself to drown her. It’s likely that Under the Bridge Episode 4 will fictionalize some of his backstory and circumstances to provide more of a justification for his actions.
Under the Bridge Episode 4 Release Date and Where to Watch
Under the Bridge Episode 4, “Beautiful British Columbia”, will be released on Wednesday, May 1, 2024. The show is exclusive to Hulu, which is only available with a subscription.
