'Riverdale' actor and convicted murderer Ryan Grantham fears for his safety in maximum-security prison: lawyer
Grantham's lawyer says his client could become a target for abuse because of his 'diminutive' stature and 'young-looking' appearance
By Ashley Hume , Caroline Thayer | Fox News
"Riverdale" actor and convicted murderer Ryan Grantham is worried about his safety if he serves his sentence in a maximum-security prison, according to his lawyer, Chris Johnson.
According to Ryan Grantham's lawyer, Chris Johnson, Rivertown actor and convicted murderer Ryan Grantham feared his safety would not be guaranteed if he served his sentence at the highest security level.
The 24-year-old Canadian was sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole in 14 years after he pled guilty to the second-degree murder of his mother Barbara Waite.
The 24-year-old Canadian was sentenced to life in prison and could be parole after 14 years. Previously, he pleaded guilty to killing his mother, Barbara Witt, and was convicted of second-degree murder.
parole /pəˈrəʊl/ N-V parole; Conditional release •to be eligible for parole qualifies as parole
Johnson told Fox News Digital Grantham could be at a higher risk of abuse in prison due to his "diminutive" stature and "young-looking" appearance.
Johnson told Fox News Digital that because Grantham was "short in stature" and "looked young," he may be at higher risk of being abused in prison.
diminutive /dɪˈmɪnjətɪv/ minimal; Extra-small; Micro • She was a diminutive figure beside her husband. She was like a villain compared to her husband.
The Vancouver-based criminal defense lawyer said the issue was first raised during court proceedings by the judge who presided over Grantham's case, Justice Kathleen Ker.
The Vancouver-based criminal defense attorney said the issue was first raised by Judge Catherine Kerr who presided over the Grantham case during court proceedings.
According to Johnson, Justice Ker requested that corrections authorities send Grantham to a medium-security prison instead of a maximum-security facility.
According to Johnson, Judge Kerr asked correctional authorities to send Grantham to a mid-security prison instead of the highest-security prison.
Johnson said he shares her concern over Grantham's safety as the former child actor is 5-foot-2, weighs "about 100 pounds" and "looks like a 17-year-old.
Johnson said he shared her concern for Grantham's safety because the former child star was 5 feet 2 inches tall (nearly 1.58 meters), weighed "about 100 pounds" (a little over 90 pounds) and "looked like a 17-year-old."
"My biggest concern is that he will be preyed upon by other prisoners and perhaps abused by them. We send people to prison to be both punished and rehabilitated. And so I'm hopeful that the latter can take place. We don't send people to prison so they can be punished by other prisoners."
"My biggest fear is that he will be preyed upon by other prisoners and perhaps abused by them." We send people to jail and let them be punished and rehabilitated. So I hope the latter happens. We don't send people to jail and let them be punished by other prisoners. ”
prey upon plundering, torture; predation
Johnson explained that, in the Canadian court system, the court has no authority to determine which institution an offender serves time. He said once an offender is sentenced, correction authorities have jurisdiction over that decision.
Johnson explained that in the Canadian court system, the court does not have the power to decide which institution the offender is serving his sentence in. He said that once a criminal has been sentenced, the correctional services have the power to issue a sentence.
"All the judge in our case could do is make a recommendation," Johnson said.
"In our case, all a judge can do is make a suggestion," Johnson said.
The Correctional Service of Canada (CSC) operates prisons at three levels of security: maximum, medium and minimum. Corrections authorities assess several factors before determining which security level is most appropriate for the offender.
Prisons run by the Canadian Correctional Services Agency (CSC) have three levels of security: the highest, the intermediate and the lowest. Correctional authorities assess several factors before determining the most appropriate level of security for offenders.
"Almost inevitably a person convicted of murder in the first-degree or second-degree will go to a maximum-security prison for at least two years," Johnson said.
"It is almost inevitable that a person convicted of first- or second-degree murder will be held in a prison of the highest security level for at least two years," Johnson said.
He added that Justice Ker asked "to find out whether that was absolute or whether there was any exception to that."
He added that Judge Kerr asked for "an ascertainment of whether this is absolute, or whether there are exceptions." ”
"And we did find out that there could possibly be an exception to that, which is you can make a request to the director of prisons," Johnson said. "And, so essentially, she asked us to do that."
"We did find that there might be one exception, and that is that you can make a request to the prison director," Johnson said. So, basically she made us do that. ”
Johnson said that he planned to send the request to the director of prisons this week. He told Fox News Digital Grantham was being held at the North Fraser Regional Pre-trial Centre in Port Coquitlam, British Columbia, pending his trial.
Johnson said he plans to submit the request to prison supervisors this week. He told Fox News Figures that Grantham was being held at the North Fraser Regional Pre-Trial Center in Port Gauqueland, British Columbia, awaiting trial.
He will now be transferred to the Pacific Institution, a maximum, medium and minimum federal penitentiary in Abbotsford, British Columbia, until correctional authorities classify him.
He will now be transferred to Pacific Prison, the highest, middle and lowest federal prison in Abbotsford, British Columbia, until correctional authorities classify him.
Johnson said Grantham has experienced "almost no issues" in prison.
Johnson said Grantham had "hardly had any problems" while in prison.
"But in pretrial, there's a very high staff to prisoner ratio, and people are supervised quite closely," Johnson said. "And that's not the case when you go to maximum security. There's less supervision."
"But in the pre-trial phase, the staff-to-prisoner ratio is very high and people are under very close supervision. This is not the case in prisons at the highest levels of security. Lack of regulation. ”
According to Johnson, Grantham is "apprehensive" about entering a maximum-security prison, adding, "I think he's just apprehensive about that because of his age and appearance."
According to Johnson, Grantham was "upset" about getting into the highest security level of prison, adding, "I think he's just upset because of his age and appearance." ”
apprehensive /ˌæprɪˈhensɪv/ adj. ~ (about/of sth)~ (that...) worried; Worried; Suspicious; Fearful • I was a little apprehensive about the effects of what I had said. I was a little worried about the consequences of what I said.
Johnson said he was concerned about his client's safety because the inmates who are incarcerated in maximum-security prisons are "people who murder other people, gang-related people, dangerous offenders, sexual predators, people like that."
Johnson said he was concerned about the safety of his client because the inmates held in the highest-security jail were "murderers, gang-linked people, dangerous criminals, sexual offenders, and so on." ”
inmate /ˈɪnˌmeɪt/ prisoner; (Psychiatric hospital) inpatient
incarcerate /ɪnˈkɑːsəreɪt/ v. ~ sb (in sth)imprisonment; Detention; confinement
predator /ˈprɛdətə/ 1.Carnivore 2.Predator
Grantham also allegedly organized a plot to kill Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. (David Kawai/Bloomberg)
Despite Grantham pleading guilty to second-degree murder, he should not be subjected to abuse while in prison, the lawyer said.
Although Grantham pleaded guilty to second-degree murder, he should not have been abused in prison, the lawyer said.
"When people plead guilty to a crime, it doesn't mean they're saying, 'Sure, I'll be raped and abused by other prisoners.' That's not part of the deal," Johnson said.
"When people plead guilty, it doesn't mean they say, 'Of course, I was raped and abused by other prisoners.'" It's not part of the deal," Johnson said.
"I'm just doing what I can. I'm not asking for any special treatment. This kid obviously is going to be punished. And, you know, he got a life sentence. He's going to be in jail for at least 14 years. But that doesn't mean that he deserves to be abused by other prisoners.
"I'm just doing what I can do. I didn't ask for any special treatment. The child was clearly to be punished. You know, he was sentenced to life in prison. He will spend at least 14 years in prison. But that doesn't mean he should be abused by other prisoners.
"I like to say that I did what I could to prevent that."
"What I want to say is that I did my best to prevent this from happening."
On March 31, 2020, Grantham shot his 64-year-old mother in the back of the head while she was playing piano at their home in Squamish, British Columbia. Prosecutors said the next day he loaded his car with guns and Molotov cocktails before driving to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's home with the aim of assassinating Trudeau.
On March 31, 2020, Grantham shot the back of the head of a 64-year-old mother who was playing the piano at her home in Squamish, British Columbia. The next day, prosecutors said, he filled his car with guns and Molotov cocktails before driving to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's home with the aim of assassinating Trudeau.
Grantham said that he changed his mind and decided to commit a mass shooting at his college, Simon Fraser University. He ultimately did not go through with either act and instead turned himself into Vancouver Police and admitted to killing his mother.
Grantham said he changed his mind and decided to carry out a mass shooting at his own university, Simon Fraser University. He ultimately did nothing but turned himself in to Vancouver police and confessed to killing his mother.
Authorities say Grantham was motivated to murder his mother so she would not have to witness the other violent acts he intended to commit.
Authorities said Grantham's motive for murdering his mother was to prevent her from witnessing other acts of violence he intended to commit.
The "Diary of A Wimpy Kid" actor was initially charged with first-degree murder. However, Johnson told Fox News Digital that Grantham underwent a psychiatric assessment that indicated he was suffering from mental health disorders, including major depression, which enabled him to plead guilty to the lesser charge of second-degree murder.
The actor, who starred in The Diary of a Child, was initially charged with first-degree murder. However, Johnson told Fox News Digital that Grantham underwent a psychiatric evaluation that showed he suffered from mental illness, including major depression, which allowed him to admit to lighter charges of second-degree murder.
wimpy /ˈwɪmpɪ/ cowardly • a wimpy unpopular schoolboy.
psychiatric adj. /ˌsaɪkiˈætrɪk/ psychotic; Psychiatric
UP: In order not to let his mother witness him commit the crime of assassinating the president of Canada or the school shooting, this child star killed his mother in advance, and then thought about it on the way to the crime, or turned himself in. This brain circuit is incomprehensible. Does depression want to kill someone? Why many depression science popularizations say that people with this disease have lost their desire to live, rather than wanting others to lose the opportunity to live.
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