Former 'Riverdale' actor who killed mom given life sentence, no parole eligibility for 14 years
A young B.C. actor who fatally shot his mother in their Squamish home has been sentenced to life in prison with no parole eligibility for 14 years.
Ryan Grantham, 24, pleaded guilty to second-degree murder for pulling the trigger on March 31, 2020.
Justice Kathleen Ker handed down the sentence in a Vancouver courtroom Tuesday, three months after Grantham's sentencing hearing was wrapped up.
Defence lawyer Chris Johnson said his client was not surprised by the sentencing.
"I think he anticipated what the judge gave him as a sentence," Johnson said. "I think he's pretty apprehensive about the whole thing. He's a fairly tiny person, and to go to the prison system, I'm sure it's a daunting and scary thought for him."
Ker also noted Grantham's "diminutive" size and wanted it in the record that she recommend he doesn't get sent to a maximum security prison. Johnson said it will be up to B.C. Corrections to decide.
Grantham, who had a one-time role on the Netflix series "Riverdale" loosely based on Archie Comics, was grappling with depression, isolation and excessive cannabis use at the time of the killing, the court had heard.
The court heard he was procrastinating in his studies at Simon Fraser University and had not been acting in a while, and he'd rationalized his actions because he didn't want his mother to see what he perceived as his failings.
Barbara Waite, 64, was playing the piano when Grantham fired one shot. He then lit some candles, hung rosaries over the piano and prayed before leaving their home for more bloodshed, the court heard.
Grantham had plans of mass murder with thoughts of killing people at SFU and the Lions Gate Bridge.
One of his targets was Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. He had a printed map of Rideau Cottage in Ottawa and was on his way there, before turning around in Hope and driving to Vancouver police headquarters to surrender.
His defence team said Grantham has been working on his mental health by attending classes and counselling.
Justice Ker urged him to continue on that path.
"I won't sugar coat it, this will be hard," she said. "As you go forward, continue on your path of treatment, remain true to the commitment you told me (during the sentencing hearing) about bettering yourself."
He will be eligible for parole on April 1, 2034, exactly 14 years from when he was first detained.
An online filmography for Grantham shows his acting career started in 2007 with roles in TV movies. His credits also include "The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus," "Diary of a Wimpy Kid," "iZombie" and "Supernatural."
His last acting role was on "Riverdale," in which he played a teenage boy who took his father's truck without permission and accidentally killed main character Archie Andrews’ father, Fred. The episode centred around the fatal hit-and-run is a tribute to actor Luke Perry, who'd died of a stroke earlier in the year.
A second-degree murder conviction carries with it a life sentence with parole ineligibility for 10 to 25 years.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
Northern Ont. lawyer who abandoned clients in child protection cases disbarred
A North Bay, Ont., lawyer who abandoned 15 clients – many of them child protection cases – has lost his licence to practise law.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Maple Leafs fall to Bruins in Game 3, trail series 2-1
Brad Marchand scored twice, including the winner in the third period, and added an assist as the Boston Bruins downed the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-2 to take a 2-1 lead in their first-round playoff series Wednesday
Cuban government apologizes to Montreal-area family after delivering wrong body
Cuba's foreign affairs minister has apologized to a Montreal-area family after they were sent the wrong body following the death of a loved one.
'It was instant karma': Viral video captures failed theft attempt in Nanaimo, B.C.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
What is changing about Canada's capital gains tax and how does it impact me?
The federal government's proposed change to capital gains taxation is expected to increase taxes on investments and mainly affect wealthy Canadians and businesses. Here's what you need to know about the move.
New Indigenous loan guarantee program a 'really big deal,' Freeland says at Toronto conference
Canada's Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland was among the 1,700 delegates attending the two-day First Nations Major Projects Coalition (FNMPC) conference that concluded Tuesday in Toronto.
'Life was not fair to him': Daughter of N.B. man exonerated of murder remembers him as a kind soul
The daughter of a New Brunswick man recently exonerated from murder, is remembering her father as somebody who, despite a wrongful conviction, never became bitter or angry.