Canadian actor, Ryan Grantham, who pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in March in the killing of his mother, allegedly plotted to kill Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau as well.
Grantham, 24, began his sentencing hearing Monday in the British Columbia Supreme Court, which will determine how long he is to serve before being eligible to apply for parole. Second-degree murder carries a mandatory life sentence, and the period of parole ineligibility ranges from 10 to 25 years.
According to the CBC, Grantham shot his 64-year-old mother, Barbara Waite, in the back of the head as she played piano in March 2020. He pleaded guilty to second-degree murder earlier this year, after initially being charged with first-degree murder.
At the sentencing proceedings, prosecutors have painted a picture of Grantham’s mental state at the time of his mother’s death. On Monday, the court reportedly heard how Grantham rehearsed the murder and took videos throughout the proceedings, including footage after the killing in which he confessed and showed his mother’s body.
Grantham allegedly loaded his car the next day with three guns, ammunition, a dozen Molotov cocktails, camping supplies, and directions to Trudeau’s family home.
Complex Canada reported that Grantham mentioned his plan to kill the prime minister in a statement to police, as well as excerpts from his private journal, read in court.
Grantham never made it to Trudeau’s residence, and instead went to Vancouver police headquarters to turn himself in.
CBC reports that the prosecution has referenced psychiatric reports that indicate Grantham was going through an “intense period of clinical depression” during the time leading up to the murder. Grantham allegedly decided to kill his mother “to spare her from seeing the violence he intended to commit.”
The psychiatric reports also showed, per CBC, that Grantham was “experiencing urges to commit violence and kill himself.”
Grantham, a former child actor, has appeared in several well-known films and TV series, including Diary of a Wimpy Kid, The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus, Supernatural, Riverdale, and iZombie.
