"Riverdale" actor Ryan Grantham sentenced to life in prison for killing mother
Editor’s note: This article contains content that may be disturbing to readers.
BC actor Ryan Grantham, whom you might know from the TV series Riverdale or Supernatural, has been sentenced to life in prison for killing his mother, Barbara Waite.
In March 2022, Grantham pleaded guilty to the murder of Waite. In June, he expressed remorse over his actions.
“I cannot explain or justify my actions,” he said. “I have no excuse. 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.”
A ruling on Tuesday sealed his fate for the second-degree murder in Vancouver. The 24-year-old will not be eligible for the first 14 years of his life sentence.
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Daniel McLaughlin of the British Columbia Prosecution Service (BPCS) confirmed the sentence in an email sent to Daily Hive.
While a life sentence was fully anticipated, both Grantham and his lawyer hoped for an earlier possibility of parole. BCPS says the sentence automatically comes with the offence, but the minimum time served before one can apply for parole is up to the court’s discretion.
It can take anywhere from 10 years to 25 years before an offender is eligible to apply.
On March 31, 2020, 64-year-old Waite was found dead in her Squamish home. She had been shot in the back of her head by her son, then 21, while she was playing the piano.
Grantham had used a .22 calibre gun to end Waite’s life. Days before the kill, he had performed a practice run to carefully map out his moves.
By all accounts left on her memorial page, Barbara, also called Barbie by her close friends and family, was gentle, caring, and welcoming. She loves animals, walking in nature, and supporting her friends through thick and thin.