ATHOL — On Monday, June 15, 2026, at approximately 4:30 p.m., Athol Police Officers Andrew Morris and Matthew Herk responded to residence on Cobb Hill Road after receiving a report that a man had entered the home while it was occupied and was forced out by the residents.
(The account and quotations in this article were sourced from the printed Personnel Narratives of Andrew Morris and do not reflect any political perspective or personal opinion of News Link Live, which is strictly a business entity.)
Detective Steven Adams, who was in the area when he heard the call, also responded to the scene to assist Officers Morris and Herk.
“The residents reported the male party to be Ryan Rathburn,” Officer Morris said.
According to police, Ryan D. Rathburn, 40, is a resident of Orange, MA.
When Officer Morris arrived on scene, he said he met with the reporting party, her son, and her son’s girlfriend.
“[The reporting party] stated that Rathburn had come to the house and just walked into the house to retrieve some property,” Officer Morris said. “Rathburn had been staying at the house for two-to-three days and then disappeared for a week and he does not reside there.”
Officer Morris said he confirmed with all parties that Rathburn did not live at the residence and had simply walked into the home before entering the basement through a closed but unlocked door.
After Officer Herk and Detective Adams located Rathburn at the end of South Royalston Road, Officer Morris responded to their location with Rathburn’s red duffel bag.
Officer Morris said he spoke with Rathburn who stated that he had never entered the house, but had attempted to go inside and was not allowed in.
“[I] consulted with Detective Adams on what the residents of the house said and the decision was made to place Rathburn under arrest,” Officer Morris said. “Officer Herk returned to the residence and had the parties involved fill out written statements.”
Officer Morris then transported Rathburn to the station where he was booked without incident. After being advised of his Miranda rights, Rathburn agreed to speak with Officer Morris.
“Rathburn stated that the female party lied to the police and that he had been living there for a month, and was allowed to stay in exchange for doing the floors,” Officer Morris said.
Ryan Rathburn, 40, of Orange, was charged with the following:
- Breaking & Entering for Misdemeanor
- Trespass
Disclaimer: If you are wondering why the incident in this story took place in June, that’s because I had to file FOIA request(s) to get the court documents for the incident. FOIAs are time consuming.
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