Riverdale star Ryan Grantham has been sentenced to life in prison after murdering his mother with a shot to the head.
The 24-year-old actor has been jailed after admitting to the murder of his mother, 64-year-old Barbara Waite, whom he shot in the back of her head while she was playing piano at her home back in March 2020.
As the former Canadian child star claimed, he killed his mother to “save her” from seeing him carry out his assassination plans against Justin Trudeau, the Canadian prime minister.
Following the murder of his mother, Grantham drove to the prime minister’s residence armed with 12 Molotov cocktails and three guns before turning himself in to police.
While the actor’s second-degree murder charge automatically came with a life sentence under Canadian law, Grantham’s defense argued that he should be eligible for parole as early as 12 years into his imprisonment because he expressed regret and sorrow over his actions.
On the other side of the table were federal government prosecutors who called for the actor to serve at least 17 to 18 years.
The final decision came down to British Columbia Supreme Court Justice Kathleen who ruled that Grantham will serve at least 14 years as part of his life sentence before being eligible for parole.
“Mr. Grantham was seeking to save his mother from something he was going to do,” Michaela Donnelly, prosecuting, said during a court hearing back in June when the sentencing began.
“Barbara Waite loved her son very much, was an excellent parent and in her mind had no reason to fear him.”
The prosecution also shared experts from Grantham’s diary.point 174 | In one March entry, the 24-year-old wrote: “I’m so sorry mom, I’m so sorry Lisa [Barbara Waite’s daughter]… I hate myself.point 290 |
There’s a lot of media of me out there … film and TV … hundreds of hours of me that can be viewed and dissected… No one will understand.point 120 | ”point 123 | 1
Presented in the court were also psychiatric evaluations confirming that Grantham exhibited signs of depression, self-hatred, cannabis use disorder, and homicidal thoughts in the months leading to his mother’s murder.
Speaking out in court was also Waite’s daughter, Lisa Grantham, who said she couldn’t trust anyone after her “only sibling chose to execute my mom when her back was turned.”
Grantham’s sentence and imprisonment comes months after he apologized for his “pointless” actions in court.
“I cannot explain or justify my actions. I have no excuse,” he said in June.
“It hurts me to think about how badly I’ve wasted my life. In the face of something so horrible, saying sorry seems so pointless. But from every fiber of my being, I am sorry.”
What are your thoughts on this case? Let us know in the comments and don’t forget to SHARE this post with your family and friends. For more news and stories, follow us on Facebook!
Recommended Video For You!
Philadelphia Police 18th District Dance To ‘The Electric Slide’