READING, MASS. (WHDH) - The murder of 49-year-old Andria Hanafin has her close friends stunned. Hanafin was found dead in her home Thursday morning with gunshot wounds. Her 22-year-old son Ryan was arrested in Vermont Thursday afternoon in connection with her death.
“She was a really good human,” said Elizabeth Coppla, a friend of Hanafin’s. “She was a really good human being. And the world is a much darker place without her today. And the animals lost a very strong advocate today.”
Coppla worked with Hanafin to find permanent homes for rescued cats. She learned of Hanafin’s death on Facebook.
“It’s like grief and shock and panic all at once,” Coppla said. “Just a weird ball of emotions that weren’t very fun.”
At least a dozen cats were rescued from her house, the scene of the crime. The MSPCA sent a van, and animal control officers from several towns arrived to take Hanafin’s cats away.
Coppla knows the three Hanafin children, including Ryan.
“She always said nice things about her kids, you know?” Coppla said. “She loved her family, she did. And we knew Ryan. He’s been at our house. So, I mean, I don’t know what happened.”
People who live in the neighborhood said they never expected this type of crime to happen in the area.
“Just a nice family, you know? The father’s nice, worked on his car, his son would cruise around in his little Charger, and he had little motorbikes and stuff. Nice family,” said Bob Bargas, a neighbor.
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