A 22-year-old Massachusetts man arrested in Vermont on Thursday has agreed to waive extradition and return to his home state, where he is expected to face felony charges after his mother was found fatally shot in the kitchen of the family’s Reading home.
Ryan Hanafin became the focus of a regional search after his 48-year-old father, Matthew Hanafin, arrived home at about 12:38 a.m. and discovered 49-year-old Andria Hanafin dead from a gunshot wound, Middlesex County District Attorney Marian Ryan said.
During a brief court hearing Friday afternoon, the local prosecutor said she had been in contact with Massachusetts State Police and anticipated that authorities could bring Hanafin back to Massachusetts “pretty quickly.”
The judge and Hanafin appeared remotely, while attorneys and members of the media remained in the courtroom. When asked whether he could hear the proceedings, Hanafin responded, “Yes sir.”
During the virtual appearance, Hanafin wore a blue protective covering across his chest and shoulders.
The judge explained that Massachusetts was seeking Hanafin’s return on felony charges and that he could either agree to extradition or wait for the formal governor’s warrant procedure. Under that process, the Massachusetts governor would formally request that Vermont surrender him, a process that could take additional time while officials reviewed the paperwork.
The judge also told Hanafin that he could file a habeas petition while in custody to challenge the state’s authority to hold him.
One possible argument, the judge said, would be that authorities had detained the wrong person with the same name. By waiving extradition, Hanafin would give up the right to pursue the governor’s warrant process and file such a habeas petition. The judge asked whether he understood those consequences.
“Yes sir,” Hanafin answered.
The judge then asked whether Hanafin had taken drugs or had any mental health condition that could affect his ability to make decisions or follow the hearing.
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Hanafin answered “No sir” to both questions.
He also said he had consulted with his attorney and understood the legal advice he had received.
The judge next asked whether waiving extradition and returning to Massachusetts was Hanafin’s own voluntary decision.
“Yes, that’s what I’d like to do,” Hanafin said.
Officials did not immediately say when Hanafin would be transported to Massachusetts to face charges connected to the fatal shooting in Reading.
A status conference was scheduled for the following Thursday to determine whether the transfer had been completed.
The judge said the hearing would allow the court to confirm that Massachusetts authorities had taken custody of Hanafin or obtain an update if the transfer had not yet occurred.
The proceeding lasted approximately four minutes.
Reading police have described Hanafin as a person of interest rather than a suspect. Authorities have not disclosed the specific Massachusetts felony charges mentioned during the extradition hearing.
Vermont State Police had been searching for Hanafin’s black Dodge Charger in Warren, Vermont, where investigators said he had known connections.
About two hours into their search, they found him, and he was arrested without incident, authorities said.