Reading man Ryan Hanafin to appear in court after mother was shot and killed in home

Ryan Hanafin of Reading, Massachusetts, will appear in Vermont Superior Court on Friday after his mother was killed in their home. 

The 22-year-old was arrested by Vermont State Police on Thursday afternoon after his mother, 49-year-old Andria Hanafin, was found dead by her husband Matthew in their home in Reading. Authorities have identified Ryan Hanafin as a person of interest in the case.

He's currently being held without bail in the Northeast Regional Correctional Facility in St. Johnsbury, Vermont, on a charge of being a fugitive from justice. He is scheduled to be arraigned at 12:30 p.m. on Friday. 

Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan said Matthew Hanafin called 911 after arriving home from work around 12:30 a.m. on Thursday and finding his wife's body in the kitchen of their home on Center Avenue. Their 13-year-old son was also inside the home, unharmed. He last saw his mother alive around 5 p.m., according to investigators. 

Ryan Hanafin was not at home when police arrived, and his car was gone. Reading police then asked for the public's help in finding him after he was last seen driving toward Tewksbury, Massachusetts at about 7:25 p.m. Wednesday. 

Massachusetts State Police told Vermont State Police they believed Hanafin was in Warren, Vermont, where police said he was believed to frequent. 

He was subsequently arrested on Vermont Route 100 south of the Sugarbush Access Road at around 2:30 p.m. Thursday. 

An initial investigation by police determined that Andria was shot to death. 

Ryan Hanafin legally owns several guns and has a license to carry a firearm, which was suspended Thursday morning by Reading police, District Attorney Marian Ryan said in a press conference. 

"It is a moment of reflection about the presence of guns in a home during an alleged dispute," she said. 

The district attorney added that Ryan Hanafin has no known history of mental health issues. 

"She's done a lot for us over the years. She's a really good human being," Elizabeth Coppla, a friend of Andria's, told WBZ-TV. "The world is a much darker place without her in it. She always said nice things about her kids. She loved her family, she did. And we knew Ryan, he's been in our house." 

The Middlesex District Attorney's office, Reading Police and Massachusetts State Police are investigating the apparent homicide.