A 22-year-old man was arrested in Vermont on Thursday after his mother was discovered fatally shot inside the kitchen of the family’s home in Reading, Massachusetts, police said.
Ryan Hanafin became the focus of a regional search after his father, 48-year-old Matthew Hanafin, called police at about 12:38 a.m. He told investigators that he had returned to the Center Avenue residence and found his 49-year-old wife, Andria Hanafin, dead in the kitchen, according to Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan.
Vermont State Police said Hanafin was believed to have connections in Warren, Vermont. Officers searching the area located him roughly two hours later along Vermont Route 100, south of Sugarbush Access Road, authorities said.
State troopers and local law enforcement took him into custody without incident at approximately 2:30 p.m. Eastern time.
Police in Reading, Massachusetts, released this image of 22-year-old Ryan Hanafin. He is being treated as a person of interest in the death of his mother, who was found in the family kitchen at about 12:38 a.m. Thursday, October 8, 2026. (Reading Police Department)
Details about his court appearance were not immediately available. Hanafin is expected to appear in Vermont before potentially being extradited to Massachusetts, where he could face criminal charges. Investigators have referred to him as a “person of interest,” not a suspect.
The district attorney said the couple’s 13-year-old child was inside the home when Andria Hanafin was killed. The family also has a daughter.
According to the DA, police had received “no significant history” of calls involving the Hanafin residence.
The younger son had been out with friends until around 9 p.m. He told investigators that he went straight to his bedroom after returning home and did not see his mother, Ryan said.
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A selfie shows Andria Hanafin, a 49-year-old Massachusetts mother. Her husband, Matthew, found her dead early Thursday, and their older son, Ryan, was arrested in Vermont later that day. (Andria Hanafin/Facebook)
Matthew Hanafin told police that he had last spoken with his older son on Wednesday morning, according to the district attorney.
The Hanafin residence in Reading, Massachusetts. Police arrested 22-year-old Ryan Hanafin in Vermont after his father came home and discovered his wife dead in the kitchen. (Google Maps)
Authorities believed Ryan Hanafin was driving a black 2010 Dodge Charger bearing Massachusetts license plate 2PSY15. He was described as 5 feet, 10 inches tall. In the image released by police, he has shoulder-length straight blond hair, a mustache and glasses.
Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan speaks during a press briefing on Tuesday, August 11, 2026. (USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect)
Reading Police Chief David J. Clark emphasized that although Hanafin remains a person of interest, he should be considered “potentially armed and dangerous.” Police asked anyone who spotted him or the vehicle to immediately call 911.
“By all means, please do not approach him,” Clark said. “Please contact 911, the local police department, whatever, if you see the vehicle or come across him. We are urging people to stay safe and not put themselves in danger.”
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