Ryan Grantham, the 24-year-old Riverdale actor, was convicted of second-degree murder on 21st September 2022, and sentenced to life in prison after fatally shooting and killing his mother, Barbara Waite. The sentencing, which was received with animosity by the actor and his defense attorney, Chris Johnson was primarily due to his frail stature which could pose as a serious threat if he spent his time in a maximum security prison.
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Ryan Grantham’s Murderous Spree & Confession Tape
On 31st March 2020, the then 21-year-old young actor, Ryan Grantham shot his 64-year-old mother, Barbara Waite, in their Squamish home near Vancouver. The second-degree murder was later confessed to on tape by Grantham who, after he was taken in by the authorities, additionally claimed that his original plans were to murder Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau followed by a mass shooting at a local university.
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He was also reprimanded for a necessary assessment by two court-appointed psychiatrists after Grantham claimed that he had rationalized his murderous spree by first killing his mother so that she could be spared from the knowledge and guilt of his broader, more public crimes. Although those crimes were never committed, second-degree murder in itself is charged with a sentence of life imprisonment. Ryan Grantham has been held in prison since April 1, 2020.
Ryan Grantham’s Concerns About Spending a Life in Jail
The CW actor’s concern about jail time began with his obvious physical appearance. His defense attorney, Chris Johnson had previously stated to The Hollywood Reporter about his client’s mental health, “The psychiatrists agreed that at the time of this horrendous event he was suffering from a major depressive disorder and a cannabis use disorder, among other things.” Following up with that claim, he also requested the court and the judge to grant him a waiting period of 12 years before parole against the lengthier 17-18 years being demanded by the prosecutors.
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Ryan Grantham had pled guilty to the murder charge and didn’t put up a fight against the authorities. However, with his 5’2” stature and frail physicality, he is concerned about carrying out a life imprisonment sentence in maximum security. Although pleading for a less extreme institution for his client with the Deputy Commissioner of Prisons, Grantham’s attorney added that if indeed the actor is locked up in a max facility, the chances of him being “physically, psychologically and sexually intimidated” are pretty high. For now, Ryan Grantham spends a week in a pretrial facility.
Riverdale is currently available for streaming on Netflix.
Source: TMZ
