Ryan Grantham Mugshots & Prison Status: 5 Shocking Facts About The Riverdale Actor's Murder Case

The name Ryan Grantham, once associated with promising child acting roles in hit TV shows like Riverdale and major films, now carries a chilling connotation of tragedy and crime. As of December 2025, public interest in the former Canadian actor remains intensely focused on his current status behind bars, the details of the heinous crime he committed, and the mugshots that captured the beginning of his life sentence. Grantham is currently serving a life sentence in a Canadian prison for the second-degree murder of his mother, Barbara Waite.

The mugshots themselves—the stark, undeniable proof of his arrest—are a permanent record of a star's fall from grace, marking the end of a career and the start of a long incarceration. The legal proceedings concluded with his 2022 sentencing, which included a 14-year period of parole ineligibility, but the psychological factors and the dark path that led him to murder continue to be a subject of intense scrutiny and public fascination.

Ryan Grantham: A Complete Biography and Filmography

Ryan Grantham was a Canadian child actor whose career spanned over a decade before his life took a dark turn.

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Personal Profile & Early Life:

• Full Name: Ryan Grantham
• Date of Birth: November 30, 1998
• Age (as of 2025): 27 years old
• Nationality: Canadian
• Mother: Barbara Waite (Victim)
• Education: Attended Simon Fraser University (SFU)
• Crime Committed: Second-Degree Murder (Plead Guilty)
• Victim: Barbara Waite, his mother
• Date of Arrest/Custody: April 1, 2020
• Sentence: Life in prison with 14 years parole ineligibility

Notable Film & Television Roles (Selected Filmography):

Grantham’s acting credits include over 30 roles in film and television, showcasing a promising career that was abruptly cut short.

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• Riverdale (TV Series, 2019): Played Jeffery Augustine
• Diary of a Wimpy Kid (2010 Film): Played Rodney James
• Supernatural (TV Series, 2016): Appeared in Season 11
• Becoming Redwood (2012): A lead role that earned him recognition
• iZombie (TV Series, 2015): Guest role
• Unspeakable (TV Series, 2019): Appeared in this miniseries
• The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus (2009): Uncredited role
• The Secret of the Nutcracker (2007): His debut acting role
• Altitude (2010 Film): Played a younger character
• 12 Disasters (2012 Film): Featured role

The Chilling Details of the Murder and Arrest

The circumstances surrounding the murder of Barbara Waite are profoundly disturbing and shed light on Grantham’s deteriorating mental state leading up to the crime. The incident occurred on March 31, 2020, at the family's townhome in Squamish, British Columbia.

Grantham, who was 21 years old at the time, shot his 69-year-old mother in the back of the head while she was playing the piano.

He used a .410-calibre rifle, which he had retrieved from the house. In the aftermath, he reportedly filmed a video on a GoPro camera, confessing to the murder and showing his mother's body. This footage became a key piece of evidence in the case.

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For the next day, Grantham covered his mother's body with a sheet, lit candles, and hung a rosary. He then spent time drinking beer and smoking marijuana, seemingly processing the gravity of his actions.

The Failed Murder Spree and Surrender

What followed the initial murder was an even more shocking revelation: Grantham had plans for further violence. Court heard that he loaded his car with three guns, ammunition, 12 Molotov cocktails, camping supplies, and a map detailing a route to Rideau Cottage in Ottawa, the official residence of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

His intention, as revealed in court, was to travel to Ottawa and kill the Prime Minister.

Fortunately, Grantham never followed through with this plan. After driving a short distance, he turned his car around, later stating that he decided to commit mass violence or turn himself in. He eventually drove to the Vancouver Police Department, where he confessed to a police officer, stating, "I killed my mother."

The Sentencing, Mental Health, and Current Prison Status (2025 Update)

The court proceedings focused heavily on Grantham's mental health, which was a critical factor in his plea of guilty to second-degree murder.

The Role of Mental Health in the Verdict

Two court-appointed psychiatrists assessed Grantham, concluding that he was experiencing severe clinical depression and anxiety in the months leading up to the murder. He was reportedly struggling with feelings of self-hatred and had been contemplating suicide and violence.

The actor’s attorney, Chris Johnson, argued that Grantham's motivation for killing his mother was to spare her from witnessing the acts of violence he planned to commit against himself and others, including the Prime Minister. This was a twisted, albeit desperate, attempt to "protect" her.

Justice Kathleen Ker, who oversaw the sentencing, noted the "tragic" nature of the case, acknowledging Grantham’s mental state while stressing the severe breach of trust in murdering his own mother.

Life Sentence and Parole Ineligibility

In September 2022, Grantham was sentenced to life in prison. The key determinant of his sentence was the period of parole ineligibility. For second-degree murder in Canada, this period can range from 10 to 25 years. The court ultimately set his parole ineligibility at 14 years.

This means that Ryan Grantham will not be eligible to apply for parole until April 2034, 14 years after his initial arrest in 2020.

Current Status in Custody (As of December 2025)

Since his sentencing, Grantham has been serving his time in a Canadian federal prison. The latest reports indicate that he has been participating in a mental health program while incarcerated.

His time in custody has been focused on addressing the deep-seated psychological issues that contributed to the crime. The court recommended that he receive psychiatric treatment while in prison, recognizing the need for rehabilitation.

The transition from a minimum-security provincial facility to a federal institution marked the next phase of his sentence. The focus remains on his long-term treatment and the possibility of his eventual reintegration into society, though his parole date is still many years away.

The case of Ryan Grantham serves as a stark reminder of the devastating intersection of mental illness and violence, a tragic footnote in the history of a young actor whose life and career ended in one horrific, shocking act.