A Reading man was arrested in Vermont Thursday, hours after his mother was found shot and killed in their family home.
Police said Andria Hanafin, 49, was found dead in her home early Thursday. One of her sons, 22-year-old Ryan Hanafin, was identified by police as a person of interest in the case. Vermont State Police arrested him Thursday afternoon, according to a statement from Reading Police.
“It is shocking. It is tragic,” Middlesex District Attorney Marian T. Ryan said at a press conference. Ryan’s office says the incident appears to be an alleged domestic violence situation.
Andria Hanafin has two other children — a teenage son, who was in the home, and a daughter away at college — Ryan said. She was found by her husband after he returned home from work.
“We have two children now that have lost their mother,” she said. “So this is, first and foremost, a terrible tragedy.”
Reading police chief David Clark had asked the public for help in finding Ryan Hanafin, giving out a car make and model, along with a license plate. He added that residents should use caution.
“If you see him, please do not approach him,” Clark said at a press conference, hours before the arrest. “Just call us. He is to be considered, at this point, even though he’s a person of interest, potentially armed and dangerous.”
It was not immediately clear when Ryan Hanafin will appear in court, or whether he has an attorney.
This article was originally published on October 08, 2026.