Background: Law enforcement officers investigate after a woman was found dead in Massachusetts (WCAX/YouTube). Inset: Ryan Hanafin (Reading Police Department).
A Massachusetts man is accused of fatally shooting his mother after an argument over the family’s animals and his employment—and later allegedly making jokes about the killing on Snapchat.
Ryan Hanafin, 22, was wanted in connection with the death of a 49-year-old woman, the Reading Police Department announced.
The victim was identified as Andria Hanafin, Hanafin’s mother, regional independent station WHDH reported. Authorities said he will be charged with murder.
Police said they received a 911 call at approximately 12:38 a.m. Thursday reporting that a woman had been found dead inside a home on Center Avenue in Reading, Massachusetts, about 10 miles north of Boston.
According to Vermont CBS affiliate WCAX, the victim’s husband had just returned from work when he found his wife dead in the kitchen. Officers arriving at the home encountered dozens of cats roaming freely as they worked to collect evidence.
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Authorities said the animals were rescue cats. Andria Hanafin was known as a cat foster and veterinary technician with a deep commitment to animal welfare. The cats also reportedly played a role in the conflict between mother and son.
Court documents cited by WHDH say Ryan Hanafin had been arguing with his mother about the cats in the home. On Wednesday evening, Andria Hanafin told her husband she wanted Ryan to move out. Her husband then confronted their son and told him to get a job, according to the report.
Police allege that Hanafin shot his mother before fleeing the house. He had reportedly worked at a gun shop and was licensed to carry a firearm. Investigators said they found 19 guns in his bedroom, and his license to carry was suspended the day his mother’s body was discovered.
During the search, police said Hanafin and his vehicle were “unaccounted for.” Vermont State Police later arrested him.
Investigators also contacted one of Hanafin’s friends, who told police that the suspect sent him a Snapchat message after the alleged shooting joking about killing his mother.
Hanafin was arraigned Friday in Vermont Superior Court, the Boston-based outlet reported. He is being held without bail and is expected to be extradited to Massachusetts, where he will face a murder charge and more than a dozen gun charges.
