Riverdale’s Ryan Grantham Sentenced to Life in Prison for Killing His Mom

Ryan Grantham, who appeared in the series Riverdale, was sentenced to life in prison with eligibility for parole in 14 years after murdering his mother in 2020.

By Kelly Gilmore Sep 23, 2022 12:37 AMTags
Watch: Riverdale Actor Ryan Grantham Sentenced to Life for Killing Mom

Ryan Grantham's fate has been revealed.

The 24-year-old, who formerly acted in the CW series Riverdale, was sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole in 14 years, per a statement obtained by E! News on Sept. 22 from BC Prosecution Services. The court also issued lifetime firearm ban for Grantham at the Sept. 20 sentencing. Both the life sentence and the firearm prohibition are mandatory for second-degree murder in British Columbia, per the statement.

Following his sentence, Ryan's attorney Chris Johnson told E! News that Grantham has "worked really hard to turn his life around" after being arrested.

"He's received a lot of psychological assistance and he has struggled with what he's done and facing that," Johnson said in a statement, "but he hopes to be able to dedicate the rest of his life to making amends."

The British Columbia Supreme Court's decision comes after he plead guilty in March to second-degree murder in the case of his mother's death, per a statement obtained by E! News in June from Dan McLaughlin of the BC Prosecution Service.

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According to reporter Karin Larsen of CBC News, who virtually attended the sentencing hearing in June, prosecutors said Grantham shot his mother, Barbara Waite, in the back of her head while she played piano at home in March 2020. After committing the crime, Grantham filmed a video of himself where the then-21-year-old confessed to the murder and filmed his mother's corpse.

Grantham loaded his car the next day with guns, bullets and Molotov cocktails and planned to travel to Rideau Cottage in Ottawa and kill Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, per the CBC. However, Grantham changed his route and turned the car around with a plan to commit mass violence at Vancouver's Lions Gate Bridge or Simon Fraser University, where he attended school.

Grantham did not go through with the plan, but instead went to the Vancouver police later that night and told an officer, "I killed my mother."

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In court in June, Crown prosecutor Michaela Donnelly referenced two psychiatric reports which stated that Grantham was suffering from urges to commit violence and from clinical depression prior to killing his mother.

On the third and final day of his June hearing, Grantham delivered a statement in court which reflected on his actions.

"It hurts me to think about how badly I've wasted my life," he said at the time. "In the face of something so horrible, saying sorry seems so pointless. But from every fiber of my being, I am sorry."

He also appeared in the films Diary of a Wimpy Kid and Becoming Redwood.

With reporting by Alli Rosenbloom

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