ASHBURNHAM — On Tuesday, Dec. 9, 2025, at approximately 6:00 p.m., Officer Marcus Johansson of the Ashburnham Police Department was dispatched to a residence on West Shore Drive following a report of a past breaking and entering incident.
(The account and quotations in this article were sourced from the printed Personnel Narrative of Officer Marcus Johansson and do not reflect any political perspective or personal opinion of News Link Live, which is strictly a business entity.)
“Ashburnham Control advised the home owner/reporting party, Edward [last name redacted], reported his bedroom had been forcefully entered and some of his belongings were missing,” Officer Johansson said.
When Officer Johansson arrived on scene, he said he spoke with Edward in his home.
“[Edward] explained he had come home from work and found his bedroom door open, with his combination lock destroyed,” Officer Johansson said. “[Edward said] he always ensures to lock his bedroom door when he leaves in the morning, as he has had many past instances in which he believes his tenant, Ryan Marr-Linnell, has stolen from him. After checking through his belongings, he found several items to be missing.”
According to police, Ryan J. Marr-Linnell, 42, is a resident of West Shore Drive in Ashburnham, MA. (According to court records, Marr-Linnell’s residential address is the same as Edward’s).
“[Edward] was certain Marr-Linnell had done this as he is the only person currently with access to the home, and he has stolen his property on multiple occasions prior,” Officer Johansson said.
The items Edward reported as stolen were as follows:
- Five jars of homegrown marijuana, approximately one ounce per jar, valued at $1,000
- Pair of black/brown Kamik snow boots valued at $125
- Several dollars’ worth of loose change
“[Edward] stated he located his lock, which had been cut, still gripped in the jaws of a set of pliers on his bed,” Officer Johansson said. “At the time I spoke with him, he had placed it on a sink in a bathroom next to his bedroom. Additionally, I observed a power drill with a fine bit still attached, resting on the same sink. [Edward] stated this drill was sitting where it was when he found it.”
Officer Johansson said the sink was within arm’s length of the bedroom door.
“This in not where the drill is normally kept, leading him to believe Marr-Linnell had tried to use it to break the lock, before finishing it with the pliers. Digital images of the tools and lock are attached with this case,” Officer Johansson said. “It should be noted, [Edward] stated he has never given Marr-Linnell permission to enter his room or take any of the previously mentioned property.”
Officer Johansson said Edward stated that he locks his door every time he leaves his home out of fear that Marr-Linnell would steal from him.
“[Edward] stated he had left his home at approximately 6:50 a.m. that morning, and was certain his door was left secure. He was unsure of when Marr-Linnell came to the house,” Officer Johansson said. “He noted that although Marr-Linnell is still a tenant, he often stays other places. [Edward] was unsure of Marr-Linnell’s whereabouts at that time, but noted he frequents the Town of Winchendon.”
According to Officer Johansson, after clearing the scene, Edward contacted the Ashburnham Police Department by phone and stated that a bottle of his prescribed medication was also missing.
“He explained after police had left, he discovered his bottle of Clonazepam was missing from his night stand. He believed the bottle contained approximately 100, 25 mg pills,” Officer Johansson said. Officer Johansson added that Marr-Linnell’s vehicle information was relayed to the Winchendon Police Department and stated that probable cause now existed for his arrest.
“At approximately 2:50 a.m., WPD [Winchendon Police Department] staff advised they had conducted a traffic stop of Marr-Linnell’s vehicle and placed him in custody,” Officer Johansson said. “While en route to the WPD station, I made contact with Officer [Dylan] Mei, who was with the suspect’s vehicle and in the process of performing a motor vehicle inventory. Through Officer Mei’s inventory, five jars of marijuana (similar in style to others found in [Edward’s] home), a jar of loose change, and a bottle of Clonazepam prescribed to [Edward] were located.”
A pair of winter boots matching the description Edward provided was also located on Marr-Linnell’s person.
“Those items were seized, photographed, and secured at the APD [Ashburnham Police Department],” Officer Johansson said. “All mentioned property was released to [Edward] later that evening, due to his need for his medication, as well as the marijuana being perishable due to not being contained in a properly sealed container.”
Officer Johansson said that after assisting Winchendon Police Department with Marr-Linnell’s vehicle, he responded to the Winchendon police station and took him into custody.
Officer Johansson then transported Marr-Linnell back to the Ashburnham Police Department for booking.
“[Bail] Clerk [Marianne] Kissane-Fitcher was contacted, who set his bail as $1,000,” Officer Johansson said. “Marr-Linnell refused to provide any clear statement regarding this incident, only stating that [Edward] owed him approximately $7,000. After completion of the booking process, he was transported to the Worcester County House of Correction.”
Ryan Marr-Linnell was arrested and charged with the following (Officer Johansson’s reasoning for the charges are provided in parentheses):
- Vandalize Property (damage to combination lock)
- Larceny of Drug (Edward’s prescription medication)
- Breaking & Entering Daytime for Felony (forced entry into Edward’s room)
- Larceny from Building (larceny of other items)
Marr-Linnell was arraigned in Winchendon District Court on Dec. 10, 2025. Following his arraignment, Marr-Linnell was released on personal recognizance under the condition that he have no contact with Edward and retrieve his belongings from Edward’s residence only with a police escort.
Marr-Linnell’s next court date is a pretrial hearing scheduled for Jan. 21, 2021.
Disclaimer: If you are wondering why the arrest in this story took place earlier this month, that’s because I had to file FOIA request(s) to obtain the court documents. FOIAs are time-consuming.
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