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BARRE, Vt. — The 22-year-old Massachusetts man arrested in Vermont Thursday hours after his mother was found shot dead in her kitchen has waived extradition and agreed to be returned to his home state.
Ryan Hanafin was the subject of an interstate manhunt Thursday after his 48-year-old father Matthew Hanafin arrived home around 12:38 a.m. and found his wife, 49-year-old Andria Hanafin, shot dead in their kitchen in Reading, Massachusetts, according to Middlesex County District Attorney Marian Ryan.
The local prosecutor said in court that she had spoken with Massachusetts State Police and expected them to be able to retrieve Ryan Hanafin “pretty quickly” in a brief hearing Friday afternoon.
RYAN HANAFIN ARRESTED IN VERMONT AFTER MOM ANDRIA FOUND DEAD OF GUNSHOT WOUND IN MASSACHUSETTS HOME
Ryan Hanafin, a 22-year-old from Reading, Massachusetts, was arrested in Vermont more than 12 hours after his father found his mother dead in their kitchen. This mugshot was released by Vermont State Police. (Vermont State Police)
In a hearing where both the judge and defendant appeared virtually, with only the lawyers and media in the courtroom, Hanafin answered “Yes sir,” when asked if he could hear the judge.
Hanafin was wearing a blue protective covering over his chest and shoulders as he appeared remotely.
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A selfie image shows Massachusetts mom Andria Hanafin, 49. Her husband Matthew found her dead early Thursday morning, and their oldest son, Ryan, was arrested in Vermont hours later. (Andria Hanafin/Facebook)
“You are charged with crimes, felony crimes, in the state of Massachusetts, and they would like to have you returned,” the judge said. “You have the right to go through what is called the formal governor’s warrant process, and that’s where the governor of Massachusetts formally asks the governor of Vermont to surrender you, and that takes some time, and they have to make sure that their paperwork is correct, then they would send you back.”
The judge added that he could file a habeas petition and challenge the state’s authority to hold him in the meantime.
Ryan Hanafin appears virtually at an extradition hearing in Vermont on Friday, Oct. 9, 2026. Hanafin has waived extradition and is expected to be returned to Massachusetts to face unspecified felony charges. His mother was found shot dead in her kitchen in the early hours of Thursday, Oct. 8, spurring an interstate manhunt in which he had been dubbed a “person of interest.” (Rashid Umar Abbasi for Digital)
“The most common basis for that might be that you were the wrong Ryan Hanafin,” the judge said. “By waiving extradition, you’re giving up your opportunity to go through the governor’s warrant process and file any habeas petition. Do you understand that?”
“Yes sir,” Hanafin replied.
The judge asked if he had taken any drugs or has any mental conditions that would affect his judgment or make it difficult to understand the proceedings.
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An image of Ryan Hanafin, 22, provided by police in Reading, Massachusetts. Hanafin is a person of interest in the death of his mother, who was found dead in her kitchen around 12:38 a.m. on Thursday, October 8, 2026. Police are urging anyone who sees him to call 911 and avoid confronting him. He is considered possibly armed and dangerous. (Reading Police Department)
“No sir,” Hanafin replied to each question.
He said he had spoken with his attorney and understood his advice.
“All right,” the judge continued, “is it your voluntary choice to waive extradition and return to Massachusetts?”
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“Yes, that’s what I’d like to do,” Hanafin replied.
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The Hanafin home in Reading, Massachusetts. Police have arrested 22-year-old Ryan Hanafin in Vermont after his father came home to find his mother was found dead in her kitchen. (Google Maps)
Timing for his return to Massachusetts to face charges in Reading, where his mother was shot to death, was not immediately clear.
The judge set a status conference for next Thursday to make sure Hanafin’s transfer had been completed.
“We’ll set it for status next Thursday just to make sure Massachusetts has retrieved him, and if they haven’t yet, we’ll ask for some status report on that,” he said.
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The entire hearing lasted roughly four minutes.
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Reading police have so far called him a person of interest and not a suspect, and authorities have not publicly identified the Massachusetts felony charges referenced during Friday’s extradition hearing.
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Vermont state troopers were on the lookout for his black Dodge Charge in Warren, Vermont, where he had known ties. About two hours into their search, they found him, and he was arrested without incident, authorities said.
