An arrest warrant for murder has been issued for a 22-year-old man in connection with the death of his mother in Reading Thursday, Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan and Reading Police Chief David J. Clark announced Friday.
Ryan Hanafin will be charged with the murder of his mother, 49-year-old Andria Hanafin. Andria was a veterinary technician who fostered cats. Those who knew her are remembering her as a loving friend who had a deep passion for helping animals.
“She’s the type of person that would drop everything to help somebody else,” said Elizabeth Coppla, Andria’s friend. “I know she took in a lot of the cats that were sick and injured that other rescuers didn’t want.”
On Thursday at approximately 12:38 a.m., Reading police received a 911 call reporting Andria’s body had been found at their home on Center Avenue. When police arrived, they found she had suffered an apparent gunshot wound. She was pronounced dead on scene, the Middlesex District Attorney’s Office said.
Police determined that Ryan Hanafin was not in the home, and he had allegedly fled in a Dodge Charger. He was eventually located later that day in Warren, Vermont by Vermont State Police. Troopers conducted a motor vehicle stop and he was taken into custody without incident, Vermont State Police said.
According to court documents, Hanafin argued with his mother about the cats in the house. Andria told her husband Wednesday evening that she wanted Ryan to move out. Andria’s husband told police he yelled at his son that morning, and told him to get a job.
Ryan used to work at a gun shop, was licensed to carry, and owned 10 guns. Reading police said they found 19 guns in his bedroom. His license to carry was suspended by Reading police Thursday.
“It is a moment of reflection about the presence of guns in a home during an alleged dispute,” Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan said Thursday.
Police paperwork showed that investigators interviewed one of Ryan Hanafin’s friends, who said Ryan messaged him on Snapchat, joking about killing his mother.
Andria’s friends are now arranging a growing memorial on the front doorstep of her home as a tribute to all of the love she left behind.
“I just hope, wherever she is, she can see how much we all care and how much we all love her,” Coppla said.
Ryan Hanafin was arraigned in Vermont Superior Court in Barre Friday morning, where he is being held without bail. He is set to be extradited to Massachusetts for arraignment at Woburn District Court at a later date to face the murder charge and more than a dozen gun charges.
