'Riverdale' Actor Sentenced To Life In Prison For Murdering His Mother
By Kelly Coffey-Behrens on September 23, 2022 at 9:45 AM EDT
Actor Ryan Grantham, known for his roles in "Diary of a Wimpy Kid" (2010) and "Riverdale" (2019), is facing life in prison after pleading guilty in March 2020 for killing his mother, Barbara Waite.
Grantham is 24-years-old.
Ryan Grantham Receives Life Sentence
On Wednesday, Ryan Grantham faced the British Columbia Supreme Court in Vancouver where he received a life sentence in prison. According to Canada's CBC, the 24-year-old actor won't be eligible for parole for 14 years.
In March 2020, the "Riverdale" actor, who portrayed Jeffrey Augustine in the fourth season of the CW show, pled guilty to the second-degree murder of his own mother and admitted to also having plans to kill Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. He was 21 years old at the time of the murder.
At the time, reports stated Grantham had rehearsed the shooting and even took videos. There was also footage from the hours following the murder, showing the actor confessing to shooting his mother and his mother's dead body. She was shot in the head with a .22 rifle as she played piano.
Following the murder, the "Diary of a Whimpy Kid" actor covered his mother's body with a sheet, arranged lit candles around her, and hung a rosary from the piano. He then allegedly loaded his car with three guns, ammunition, 12 Molotov cocktails, camping supplies and a map with directions to Rideau Cottage, which is where the Canadian Prime Minister lived. However, Grantham never made it to Trudeau's residence because he decided to turn himself into Vancouver police headquarters.
Reports stated that Grantham made the decision to kill his mother because he wanted "to spare her from seeing the violence he intended to commit."
Victim's Loved Ones Speak Out
Justice Kathleen Ker called the case "tragic" and "heartbreaking," saying the victim impact statements spoke to the "life-shattering" effects of the crime. One of those statements was from Grantham's sister, Lisa, where she referred to her mother as her "best friend", revealing she was battling cancer.
"She was vulnerable and Ryan gave her no chance to defend herself. It pains me to know he was a danger to her life," she said back when Grantham pleaded guilty.
Now that the child actor was sentenced to life in prison, his lawyer, Chris Johnson, is speaking out, saying Grantham is not surprsed with the sentencing he received.
"I think he anticipated what the judge gave him as a sentence," Johnson told CTV. "I think he's pretty apprehensive about the whole thing. He's a fairly tiny person, and to go to the prison system, I'm sure it's a daunting and scary thought for him."
Ryan Grantham his known for his roles in films such as "Diary of a Wimpy Kid" (2010) and "The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus" (2009). He also starred in an episode of "Riverdale" (2019)'s fourth season and appeared in other CW shows including "Supernatural" and "iZombie."
If you or someone you know needs mental health help, text "STRENGTH" to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 to be connected to a certified crisis counselor.
