Riverdale actor Ryan Grantham sentenced to life in prison for murdering his mother
The CW Ryan Grantham on 'Riverdale'
Former child star Ryan Grantham has been sentenced to life in prison for fatally shooting his mother in 2020.
The Diary of a Wimpy Kid and Riverdale actor, 24, was given a life sentence in the British Columbia Supreme Court in Vancouver on Tuesday, and will not be eligible for parole for 14 years, according to the CBC.
Grantham's sentence was expected, as he had pleaded guilty to second-degree murder, which carries an automatic life sentence in Canada. It was not known, however, how long he would have to wait to apply for parole.
Prosecutors said in a June hearing that on March 31, 2020, Grantham shot his 64-year-old mother, Barbara Waite, in the back of the head as she played piano. The court reportedly learned that Grantham rehearsed the murder and took videos throughout the proceedings, including one in which he confessed and showed his mother's body.
Grantham also allegedly loaded his car the next day with three guns, ammunition, a dozen Molotov cocktails, camping supplies, and directions to the home of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, with the alleged intention to kill him. However, he instead turned himself in to police in Vancouver.
At the sentencing this week, CBC reports that Justice Kathleen Ker considered it a "saving grace" that Grantham chose not to go through with a killing spree. She also noted the "life-shattering" impacts of the crime, as made evident by victim impact statements from the actor's sister.
According to a CBC report in June, psychiatric reports indicated Grantham was going through an "intense period of clinical depression" before the murder, with "urges to commit violence and kill himself." Grantham allegedly decided to kill his mother, who was battling cancer at the time, "to spare her from seeing the violence he intended to commit."
On Tuesday, Ker said she considered the actor's mental health problems to be a mitigating circumstance in the murder. She also note that Grantham is currently receiving psychiatric help in prison.
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