Ryan Grantham, who acted in ‘Riverdale’ and ‘Diary of a Wimpy Kid’ is sentenced to life for killing his mother. He pled guilty to second-degree murder in March 2020 for killing his mother, Barbara Waite.
The 24-year-old was handed a life sentence in the British Columbia Supreme Court in Vancouver on Wednesday. He will not be eligible for parole for 14 years. Know more about why the actor killed his mother.
Related: The Third Nolan Brother: Is Christopher Nolan’s Brother An Assassin?
Why Did Actor Ryan Grantham Kill His Mother?
According to CBC, the actor was “experiencing urges to commit violence and kill himself.” The report also states that Grantham made the decision to kill his mother “to spare her from seeing the violence he intended to commit.”
Grantham was 21 when he shot his mother in the head as she played piano. Justice Kathleen Ker stated that Grantham was having mental health issues and he also had been viewing violent footage on the dark web weeks before the actor pulled the trigger. Currently, the ‘Riverdale’ actor is getting psychiatric treatment while in jail and appears to be showing improvement.
Ker also made reference to his “diminutive” size and said that she would not recommend for him to go to a maximum security prison. The child actor’s lawyer Chris Johnson said, “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.”
In case you missed it: How The Author Of ‘How To Murder Your Husband’ Actually Murdered Her Husband
Grantham Planned To Kill Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau
Grantham allegedly planned to kill Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. The Canadian actor loaded his car with three guns, ammunition, 12 Molotov cocktails, camping supplies, and a map with directions to Rideau Cottage, where Trudeau lived with his family.
However, he never made it to Trudeau’s residence and instead went to Vancouver police headquarters to turn himself in. Crown prosecutor Michaela Donnelly referenced two psychiatric reports that showed the actor had been going through an “intense period of clinical depression” in the months leading up to the crime.
According to reports, Grantham’s sister Lisa shared a victim impact statement regarding her mother’s death and said that she was her best friend. “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. Both Lisa and her mother’s sister told the court they “fear his release from prison.”
You might also like to read: