READING, Massachusetts — A Reading family was left facing a devastating loss Thursday after 49-year-old Andria Hanafin was found fatally shot inside her home, prompting a search for her 22-year-old son that ended hours later in Vermont.
Police were called to the family’s Center Avenue home shortly after midnight after Andria’s husband, Matthew Hanafin, returned from work and found her body in the kitchen. She had suffered an apparent gunshot wound and was pronounced dead at the scene.
The couple’s 13-year-old son was also at the house and was not injured. Investigators said he last saw his mother alive at about 5 p.m. Wednesday. He later returned home around 9 p.m. and went directly to his room.
Ryan Hanafin was not at the home when officers arrived. His vehicle was also missing, leading Massachusetts authorities to ask the public for help locating him. Police said he was believed to be driving a black 2010 Dodge Charger and warned that he could be armed and dangerous.
That search moved into Vermont on Thursday.
Massachusetts State Police notified Vermont authorities that Hanafin was believed to be in the Warren area, where he was known to spend time. Vermont State Police began searching the area and located him on Vermont Route 100 south of the Sugarbush Access Road at about 2:30 p.m.
Troopers stopped his vehicle and took him into custody without incident, with assistance from the Washington County Sheriff’s Department. Authorities later said there was no longer a threat to public safety connected with the search.
Hanafin was transported to the Northeast Regional Correctional Facility in St. Johnsbury. A Vermont court ordered him held without bail on a fugitive-from-justice charge. He is scheduled to appear at 12:30 p.m. Friday in Vermont Superior Court in Barre.
The Vermont charge is connected to his detention while Massachusetts authorities continue investigating his mother’s death. Authorities have not publicly announced a murder charge against Hanafin in Massachusetts.
Investigators have described the death as an apparent homicide. Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan said the case appears to involve an alleged domestic dispute, although she stressed that it did not fit the traditional image of a domestic violence case.
Officials also said Hanafin had a license to carry a firearm, which was suspended by Reading police following the shooting. Investigators are continuing to determine exactly what happened inside the home and what led to the fatal shooting.
The family had no known history of previous police involvement, and officials said there was no known history of mental health issues involving Ryan Hanafin.
Andria Hanafin’s death has also shaken neighbors and friends who remembered her as someone devoted to her family and willing to help others. Friends described her as caring and generous, while neighbors said they were stunned by the violence in a neighborhood they considered quiet and residential.
The Hanafins have three children. Their younger son was inside the home when police arrived, while their daughter was away at college at the time of the shooting.
The investigation remains active as Massachusetts authorities work to establish the circumstances surrounding Andria Hanafin’s death. Vermont authorities are handling Hanafin’s initial court proceedings before any further legal action connected to the Massachusetts investigation.
