Philip Chism: The 14 Year Old Who Killed His Teacher

14 Feb

Philip Chism captured on security footage the day that he killed his teacher, Colleen Ritzer. Photo: ATI

Philp Chism, a ninth grader at Danvers High School in Massachusetts, raped and murdered his math teacher Colleen Ritzer in the school bathroom.

Who is Philip Chism?

Philip Chism was born on January 21st, 1999. In the fall of 2013, he moved from Tennessee to Danvers, Massachusetts and wasn't very well-known at school except for being a skilled soccer player.

Some people described him as "anti-social" and looking "really tired and out of it". It's been reported that his mom was going through a tough divorce when the crime happened.

Who was Colleen Ritzer?

Colleen Ritzer, the 24 year old teacher murdered by Philip Chism. Photo: NBC.

Colleen Ritzer was the beloved daughter of Thomas and Peggie (Martellucci) Ritzer and a lifelong resident of Andover. Colleen was a proud graduate of Andover High School and Assumption College, and was pursuing a graduate degree at Salem State College at the time of her death.

Colleen lived for her family and loved spending time with them. She was a fantastic daughter and big sister, and enjoyed attending family gatherings and parties. She was always thinking of others and loved cheering on her sister Laura at hockey games. She organized a family team called "Footsteps for Bev" in memory of her grandmother. Teaching was Colleen's passion, and she worked tirelessly to inspire and educate her students. She also enjoyed vacationing, cruising, shopping, and making collages. She had many friends who loved her deeply.

Ms. Ritzer was a beloved teacher and a source of inspiration to many of her students. One student reported to The New York Times that she was always positive and happy, and made them actually look forward to going to math class.

Even Philip Chism was no exception. A student overheard Ms. Ritzer complimenting Philip on his drawing skills at the end of class and asking him to stay after school so she could help him study for an upcoming test.

The Murder of Colleen Ritzer

Philip Chism drags a recycling bin containing the body of teacher Colleen Ritzer. Photo: ATI

After the final class of the day, Ms. Ritzer and Philip, along with another student, were in a classroom on the second floor for extra help with the maths curriculum.

According to the police affidavit, the other student reported that Ms. Ritzer brought up Tennessee at some point, which made Philip visibly upset.

The student also said that Ms. Ritzer noticed Philip's distress and changed the topic. The reason for Philip's reaction to Tennessee wasn't entirely clear, but relatives told police that his parents were going through a tough divorce and he had recently moved to Massachusetts from Tennessee.

Around 3pm Ms. Ritzer left the classroom and went to the bathroom and one minute later, Philip followed her in. He was wearing a hood and gloves, according to the police. Law enforcement sources reported that her throat was slit from behind.

Eleven minutes after Philip entered the bathroom, another student walked in but quickly left, thinking she had walked in on someone changing.

Philip then left the bathroom, returning a few minutes later with a green recycling bin and wearing different clothes. When he left the school at 3:22pm, he was dragging the recycling bin and had a black ski mask on.

After carrying the barrel out of the building, he came back about 30 minutes later, changed his clothes, checked out the crime scene and the location of his locker, and then left.

When he didn't show up at home, a report was filed for a missing person. Later, Ritzer's parents reported her missing as well.

Chism was found walking on a highway shortly after midnight. The cop who searched him noticed the blood on the box-cutter and asked him where it came from. Chism simply replied, "The girl," according to the records.

He also had Ritzer's credit cards and a pair of underwear on him. He first claimed he found them, but later admitted to taking them from her car, the police affidavit stated.

Police later searched the woods near the high school and found Ritzer's body under some leaves. She was naked from the waist down and her body had been staged in a sexually explicit manner, according to the court documents. A note was found nearby that read “I hate you all”. An indictment also revealed that Chism sexually assaulted her using a tree branch.

Security camera footage of Philip Chism as he carried out the brutal rape and murder of Colleen Ritzer

The Sentencing of Philip Chism

Philip Chism was sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole after 40 years.

Essex County Superior Court Judge David Lowy was quoted as saying:

"When something terrible happens, people will often say, 'It could always be worse.' "It is difficult for this court to imagine what could be worse for an individual and family to endure than the brutal murder of Colleen Ritzer."