Parole board extends day parole for Kelly Ellard, who has had a second child

VANCOUVER — A decision from the Parole Board of Canada says a woman convicted in the murder of Victoria teenager Reena Virk has had a second child while on day parole.

The details are contained in a ruling made earlier this month that slightly relaxes release conditions for Kelly Ellard, who now uses the name Kerry Marie Sim, and allows her a further six-month period of day parole.

Ellard, who is in her late 30s, is serving a life sentence for the second-degree murder of her 14-year-old victim in 1997.

She was released on day parole in 2017, shortly after the birth of her first child, which was conceived during a conjugal visit with her boyfriend who the parole board says is also the father of Ellard’s second child. 

The board says parenthood has had a “positive impact” on Ellard and adds that she has handled recent challenges with “maturity,” but it rejected a recommendation that she spend five days in the community and two days at a halfway house.

Instead, the board has imposed a more gradual release plan, allowing Ellard to spend a maximum of four days in the community, while requiring her to return to a community residential facility for a minimum of three days every week.

“The board finds that extended leave will give you the opportunity to demonstrate you are capable of maintaining positive change within a less restrictive leave structure in a very gradual and supervised manner,” the decision says.

Ellard is also subject to several conditions, including abstaining from alcohol or drugs, and having no contact with Virk’s family.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 30, 2019

The Canadian Press