Riverdale Star Arrested for Mother’s Murder
It has come as a shock to viewers of the popular Netflix show Riverdale that Ryan Grantham, the actor who played Jeffery Augustine.
In case you had forgotten, young Jeffrey is responsible for the death of beloved Riverdale dad Fred Andrews, having hit him with his father's truck while Fred was on the side of the road lending a hand to a stranded woman. Moreso, Ryan Grantham has also appeared in Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Marly and Me and Riese: Kingdom Falling.
Now, according to reporter Karin Larsen of CBC News, who virtually attended the sentencing hearing in June of this, prosecutors said Grantham shot his mother, Barbara Waite, in the back of her head while she played the piano at home in March 2020. After committing the crime, Grantham filmed a video of himself where the then-21-year-old confessed to the murder and filmed his dark deed.
Now 24 years of age, Grantham has received a sentence of life in prison with the possibility of parole in 14 years. In addition to this, Grantham has also issued a lifetime firearm ban for Grantham at the September 20th sentencing. Both the life sentence and the firearm prohibition are mandatory for second-degree murder in British Columbia, per the statement. Both the life sentence and the firearm prohibition are mandatory for second-degree murder in British Columbia, per the statement.
Following his sentence, Ryan's attorney Chris Johnson told E! News that Grantham has "worked really hard to turn his life around" after being arrested. "He's received a lot of psychological assistance and he has struggled with what he's done and is facing that," Johnson said in a statement, "but he hopes to be able to dedicate the rest of his life to making amends."
The British Columbia Supreme Court's decision comes after he plead guilty in March to second-degree murder in the case of his mother's death.
Grantham loaded his car the next day with guns, bullets and Molotov cocktails and planned to travel to Rideau Cottage in Ottawa and kill Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, per the CBC. However, Grantham changed his route and turned the car around with a plan to commit mass violence at Vancouver's Lions Gate Bridge or Simon Fraser University, where he attended school. Grantham did not go through with the plan, but instead went to the Vancouver police later that night and told an officer, "I killed my mother."
In court in June, Crown prosecutor Michaela Donnelly referenced two psychiatric reports which stated that Grantham was suffering from urges to commit violence and from clinical depression prior to killing his mother. On the third and final day of his June hearing, Grantham delivered a statement in court which reflected on his actions.
UPDATE:
The actor has been sentenced to life in prison after admitting to killing his mother as part of a broad scheme in which he said he had planned to also kill Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and carry out a mass shooting in British Columbia.
Grantham, 23, was declared eligible for parole after 14 years during sentencing proceedings at the Supreme Court of British Columbia on Wednesday, according to prosecutors and a lawyer for Grantham.