Riverdale Actor Ryan Grantham Receives Life Sentence for Murdering His Mother

Ryan Grantham, a young actor known for his roles in Riverdale, Supernatural, and Diary of a Wimpy Kid, has been sentenced to life in prison for the murder of his mother.

In March 2020, Grantham, 24, shot his mother, Barbara Waite, in the back of the head while she played piano. The actor took a GoPro video a short time after the killing, confessing to the crime and showing his mother's body. He reportedly had plans to kill Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau the next day, but changed his mind and contemplated whether to commit a mass shooting at his college, Simon Fraser University, or on the Lions Gate Bridge. Instead, he drove to the Vancouver Police Department and turned himself in.

Grantham pleaded guilty to second-degree murder, which incurs an automatic life sentence in Canada. He will be ineligible to apply for parole for 14 years.

During his short stint on Riverdale, Grantham played Jeffrey Augustine, a young man responsible for the hit-and-run death of Luke Perry's character.

Jade Budowski is a freelance writer with a knack for ruining punchlines and harboring dad-aged celebrity crushes. She was previously a reporter/producer at Decider and is a member of the Television Critics Association. Follow her on Twitter: @jadebudowski.