Riverdale actor Ryan Grantham has been sentenced to life in prison after he pleaded guilty to murdering his mother, Barbara Waite, in 2020.
The 24-year-old, who played Jeffery Augustine in the US teen drama, was sentenced on Wednesday at British Columbia Supreme Court in Vancouver.
Grantham, who also starred in Diary Of A Wimpy Kid, pleaded guilty to second-degree murder after initially being charged with first-degree murder.
He will not be eligible for parole for 14 years, Canada’s CBC reports.
Grantham shot his mother in the back of the head as she played the piano in their home in Squamish, north of Vancouver on 31 March 2020.
Justice Kathleen Ker said statements from the victim’s loved ones, such as Grantham’s sister, showed the “life-shattering” impact of the tragedy. She added that the actor’s “saving grace” was that he was aware enough of what he did and he didn’t go on a spree.
Speaking about Grantham’s mental health issues, the judge noted that he had been having difficulties in the weeks before he murdered his mother.
Ker added that Grantham is now receiving psychiatric treatment while in jail and appears to be showing improvement.
The actor’s lawyer Chris Johnson said, according to CTV, Grantham is not shocked at the sentencing.
The court heard that Grantham had rehearsed the murder and also filmed a four-minute confession video afterwards.
After killing his mother, Grantham allegedly planned to kill Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau. He 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, CBC reported at the time.
Grantham never made it to Trudeau’s residence, and instead went to Vancouver police headquarters to turn himself in, confessing to killing his mother.
Prosecutors referenced psychiatric reports that agreed Grantham was “going through an intense period of clinical depression” and was experiencing urges to commit violence and kill himself.
At a previous hearing, Grantham apologised for his actions in a statement and said he had “no excuse”, calling his mother a “caring and compassionate” woman.
“I cannot explain or justify my actions. I have no excuse,” he said. “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 fibre of my being, I am sorry.”
Grantham also appeared in iZombie, Supernatural and The Imaginarium Of Dr Parnassus.
Help and support:
- Mind, open Monday to Friday, 9am-6pm on 0300 123 3393.
- Samaritans offers a listening service which is open 24 hours a day, on 116 123 (UK and ROI - this number is FREE to call and will not appear on your phone bill).
- CALM (the Campaign Against Living Miserably) offer a helpline open 5pm-midnight, 365 days a year, on 0800 58 58 58, and a webchat service.
- The Mix is a free support service for people under 25. Call 0808 808 4994 or email help@themix.org.uk
- Rethink Mental Illness offers practical help through its advice line which can be reached on 0808 801 0525 (Monday to Friday 10am-4pm). More info can be found on rethink.org.