Massachusetts man charged with murdering mother over dozens of foster cats

A Massachusetts man was arraigned on first-degree murder charges after allegedly shooting his mother at their home following a dispute over her foster felines, according to the New York Post and the New Bedford Guide. Ryan Hanafin, aged 22, was arrested in Vermont and extradited back to Reading, Massachusetts, after the death of his 49-year-old mother, Andria Hanafin. [1][2]

The victim's husband, Matthew Hanafin, discovered her body at around midnight on October 8, the New York Post reported, citing CBS. Prosecutors revealed on Thursday that the shooting followed a heated argument between Ryan Hanafin and his mother regarding the more than 80 cats she was fostering at the house. [1]

Following the shooting, Ryan Hanafin sent a disturbing message to his cousin over Snapchat stating that he blew his mother to pieces, according to the New York Post. Authorities subsequently seized 84 rescue cats from the residence, and local animal shelters have taken in the felines, the New Bedford Guide and the Fall River Reporter both reported. [1][2][3]

Massachusetts is the most populous state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States, bordering Vermont to its north. Its name originates from an Eastern Algonquian dialect meaning at the large hill, referring to the Great Blue Hill located south of Boston Harbor. [4][5]