In an update shared on September 22, new reports reveal that actor Ryan Grantham had learned his fate.
As Mamas Uncut reported back in June, Ryan Grantham is a 24-year-old actor who is best known for his roles in Diary of a Whimpy Kids, Riverdale, and Becoming Redwood. At the time of our original report, Grantham was standing trial for the murder of his own mother.
Former ‘Diary of a Wimpy Kid’ Actor Learns His Fate After GoPro Footage Captured the Moment He Admitted to Killing His Own Mom
According to reports, CBC noted that three months ago Grantham pleaded guilty to second-degree murder following his mother, Barbara Waite’s death. E! News reported that Waite was killed in the townhome they shared in March 2020.
Waite was found with a gunshot wound to the back of the head. It is believed Grantham shot his mother while she was playing the piano. Now reports have revealed that Grantham will spend his life in prison.
According to CBC, Justice Kathleen Ker explained that it was the gripping statements from the victim’s loved ones, such as Grantham’s sister, showed the “life-shattering” impact of the tragedy. Ker continued saying Grantham’s “saving grace” was that he was aware enough of what he did and he didn’t go on a spree. It’s believed Grantham was struggling with his mental health in the weeks before taking his mother’s life.
Former ‘Diary of a Wimpy Kid’ Actor Pleads Guilty to Murdering His Mother While Revealing His Alleged Plan to Target Justin Trudeau
However, new information regarding Grantham’s overall plan for March 2020 came to light during his sentencing hearing earlier this week. As the CBC reported, Grantham was further accused of loading up his car with guns, Molotov cocktails, ammunition, and supplies for camping the day after killing his mother.
According to CBC, Grantham in the days after the murder used a GoPro to capture his confession to the murder and shows his mother’s body. The video continued to show that Grantham “covered the body with a sheet, arranged lit candles around it, and hung a rosary from the piano before driving off in a car packed with guns, ammunition, and Molotov cocktails.”
It was further revealed that Grantham also had a map with directions to Rideau Cottage in Ottawa. This is where Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau lives with his family.
The CBC says it was believed Grantham had intentions of killing Trudeau as well. According to E! News, Grantham revealed his plans to attack Canada’s Prime Minister to both police and in his personal journals.
It’s unclear exactly why, but Grantham reportedly decided to change his plans. Police say he then decided to target his school, Simon Fraser University or Vancouver’s Lions Gate Bridge.
His lawyer, Chris Johnson, argued that mental illness played a factor in the former actor’s actions. “At the time of the offense, this killing was not done out of hatred or animosity, it was done in Mr. Grantham’s disordered thinking, to prevent his mother from seeing what he thought he was about to do.”
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Eventually, Grantham turned himself in, claiming that he killed his mother. During his sentencing hearing on June 15, Grantham read a statement saying he was sorry but that he didn’t have an explanation for why he did what he did.
“I cannot explain or justify my actions. I have no excuse,” Grantham said. “It hurts me to think about how badly I’ve wasted my life.” He added, “In the face of something so horrible, saying sorry seems so pointless. But from every fiber of my being, I am sorry.”
His sentence has yet to be decided.