Sean Joseph
Canadian actor Ryan Grantham, who is best known for his role in the Netflix series Riverdale and the movie The Diary of a Wimpy Kid, had plans to kill Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. This after he shot and killed his mother, while she played piano in their Squamish townhome.
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Grantham shot his 64 year old mother, Barbara Waite, in the head in March of 2020 after battling thoughts of harming himself and others. The day after the shooting he is said to have loaded up his car with plans of committing more violence.
Grantham left his home armed and prepared to commit mass killings. He had guns, ammunition, Molotov cocktails, camping supplies, and directions to Trudeau’s family home.
After contemplating various acts of violence, including at his university campus and on the Prime Minister, the 24 year old had second thoughts. He decided instead to turn himself in to police in Vancouver.
According to Complex Canada, Grantham told police in a statement, and wrote in his private journal, that he had plans to kill Prime Minister Trudeau.
“My mother was a caring, compassionate, loving person”
Grantham pleaded guilty to second degree murder earlier this year. He was initially charged with first degree murder. His sentencing hearing began on Monday.
During the hearing on Wednesday, Grantham said his mother did nothing to deserve being shot and killed. He told the court, “my mother was a caring, compassionate, loving person. She did nothing to deserve what I did to her.”
It was also revealed in court this week that Grantham rehearsed the murder. He even took videos on a GoPro. Among the videos was one he made after the shooting, which showed his mother’s body as he confessed to the crime.
The prosecution referenced Grantham’s psychiatric reports which say he was going through an intense period of clinical depression prior to the murder. He allegedly decided to kill his mother so she wouldn’t have to see the further violence he planned to commit.
Second degree murder carries a mandatory life sentence. The period of parole ineligibility ranges from 10 to 25 years. Prosecutors are asking for 17 to 18 years of parole ineligibility. The judge will determine his eligibility for parole at a later date.
