Background: Law enforcement officers investigate after a woman was found dead in Massachusetts (WCAX/YouTube). Inset: Ryan Hanafin (Reading Police Department).
A man in Massachusetts is accused of killing his mother during an argument about animals and him getting a job — before joking about it 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, the defendant's mother, regional independent station WHDH reported. He will be charged with murder, authorities said.
On Thursday at about 12:38 a.m., the police department said it got a 911 call about a woman who had been found dead inside a home on Center Avenue in Reading, Massachusetts. The town is about 10 miles north of Boston.
The victim's husband had just come home from work and found his wife dead in the kitchen, according to Vermont CBS affiliate WCAX. Police arrived on the scene to find the woman's body, and they had to gather evidence quickly as there were dozens of cats moving about freely in the home.
The animals were reportedly rescue cats, as Andria Hanafin was a well-known cat foster and a veterinary technician who had a strong passion for animals, authorities said. The cats were also apparently a source of a feud between the mother and son.
Ryan Hanafin had been arguing with his mother about the cats in the house, according to court documents cited by WHDH. On Wednesday evening, the victim told her husband that she wanted Ryan Hanafin to move out, and the husband said he then yelled at his son, telling him to get a job.
The defendant shot his mother and then fled the home, police said. He allegedly used to work at a gun shop and was licensed to carry, and police said they found 19 guns in his bedroom. His license to carry was suspended the day the victim's body was found.
As they investigated, police said Ryan Hanafin and his vehicle were "unaccounted for." He was later arrested by Vermont State Police.
The investigation also led police to one of the suspect's friends. This friend said Ryan Hanafin messaged him on Snapchat after the alleged shooting, joking about killing his mother.
Ryan Hanafin was arraigned in Vermont Superior Court on Friday, the Boston-based outlet added, and he is being held without bail. He is set to be extradited to Massachusetts to face a murder charge and more than a dozen gun charges.