Teacher, 24, found dead outside school; student in custody
Scott Malone, Reuters
First posted: Wednesday, October 23, 2013 10:01 AM EDT | Updated: Wednesday, October 23, 2013 02:41 PM EDT
BOSTON - Massachusetts authorities on Wednesday charged a 14-year-old high school student in the murder of a math teacher at the school, after finding the teacher's body in the woods nearby.
The student, Philip Chism, pleaded not guilty to the murder charge and was ordered held without bail in a brief proceeding at Salem District Court, according to the clerk's office.
Chism has been charged as an adult, which could subject him to a longer prison sentence in an adult facility if he is found guilty of killing Colleen Ritzer, 24.
Massachusetts law allows people as young as 14 to be charged as adults when the crime is murder.
Police in Danvers, Mass., began an investigation late on Tuesday after receiving calls that a student at the school and a teacher had not gone home, Essex County District Attorney Jonathan Blodgett told reporters on Wednesday.
After discovering blood in a second-floor bathroom, police extended their search to the woods behind the school, where they found Ritzer's body.
"It was apparent that she was a homicide victim," Blodgett said. "This is a terrible tragedy."
Ritzer is the second U.S. educator this week to die in an incident involving a student, after a Nevada middle school teacher was shot dead by a 12-year-old student on Monday.
Investigators from the local medical examiner's office on Wednesday carried a stretcher out of the woods where Ritzer's body was found.
Police on Tuesday had issued a missing-child report for Chism. A photo posted on the Danvers Police Department's Facebook page at the time of the search showed a tall, lanky, short-haired Chism wearing a red and black soccer uniform.
He was found walking along a highway about 12:30 a.m. EDT on Wednesday.
Students from the school left bouquets and a teddy bear in front of the school in Ritzer's memory.
All public schools in Danvers, which is about 20 miles (32 km) north of Boston, were closed on Wednesday, although police believed there was no continuing threat to public safety.
"We have no reason to believe there were any other suspects involved," Blodgett said. He declined to comment on how Ritzer was killed or if she might have had any type of relationship with the student.
Ritzer's family issued a brief statement to The Salem News asking for privacy.
"At this time we are mourning the tragic death of our amazing daughter and sister," the family said. "Everyone that knew and loved Colleen knew of her passion, her teaching and how she mentored each and every one of her students."
Ritzer described herself as a "Math teacher often too excited about the topics I'm teaching" on her Twitter account, @msritzermath, where she also posted homework assignments and links to math problems.
In the shooting incident in Nevada on Monday, teacher Michael Landsberry, 45, was shot and killed when he tried to stop the 12-year-old student armed with a handgun after he wounded two fellow students, then later turned the gun on himself.
Teacher, 24, found dead outside school; student in custody | World | News | Toronto Sun
Colleen Ritzer, slain Danvers High School teacher, allegedly killed with box cutter
Reuters
First posted: Thursday, October 24, 2013 11:33 AM EDT | Updated: Thursday, October 24, 2013 11:38 AM EDT
BOSTON - The Massachusetts teenager who has been charged with murdering a 24-year-old math teacher at his high school used a box cutter to stab the woman, then disposed of her body and went to the movies, local media reported on Thursday.
The 14-year-old, Philip Chism, pleaded not guilty on Wednesday to the charge of murdering Colleen Ritzer, whose body was discovered in the woods behind his high school in Danvers, Massachusetts, some 32 km north of Boston.
Chism apparently used a box cutter to stab and cut Ritzer in a second-floor bathroom of the school, the Boston Globe reported, citing an unnamed law enforcement official.
After dumping Ritzer’s body, Chism went on to buy a ticket for a 4:30 p.m. screening of the Woody Allen film “Blue Jasmine,” a law enforcement source told the Boston Herald.
A spokeswoman for Essex County District Attorney Jonathan Blodgett declined to comment on any details of the case.
The attack marked the second killing of a U.S. teacher by a student this week, following an incident in Nevada in which a 12-year-old boy armed with a handgun shot dead a teacher and wounded two schoolmates before turning his gun on himself.
Police in Danvers began investigating the incident after neither Chism nor Ritzer returned to their homes after school on Tuesday. They had initially issued a missing child report for Chism.
When a search for Ritzer turned up blood in the bathroom at Danvers High School late Tuesday, the police began a criminal investigation. Chism was found walking along a highway a few miles from the school shortly after midnight Wednesday morning.
Prosecutors charged Chism as an adult, which allowed them to release his name and could mean that he would face a longer potential sentence in an adult prison rather than a juvenile facility if he is convicted.
Chism, who played on the Danvers High School junior varsity soccer team, had recently moved to the New England town from Tennessee.
Colleen Ritzer, slain Danvers High School teacher, allegedly killed with box cutter | World | News | Toronto Sun
Scott Malone, Reuters
First posted: Wednesday, October 23, 2013 10:01 AM EDT | Updated: Wednesday, October 23, 2013 02:41 PM EDT
BOSTON - Massachusetts authorities on Wednesday charged a 14-year-old high school student in the murder of a math teacher at the school, after finding the teacher's body in the woods nearby.
The student, Philip Chism, pleaded not guilty to the murder charge and was ordered held without bail in a brief proceeding at Salem District Court, according to the clerk's office.
Chism has been charged as an adult, which could subject him to a longer prison sentence in an adult facility if he is found guilty of killing Colleen Ritzer, 24.
Massachusetts law allows people as young as 14 to be charged as adults when the crime is murder.
Police in Danvers, Mass., began an investigation late on Tuesday after receiving calls that a student at the school and a teacher had not gone home, Essex County District Attorney Jonathan Blodgett told reporters on Wednesday.
After discovering blood in a second-floor bathroom, police extended their search to the woods behind the school, where they found Ritzer's body.
"It was apparent that she was a homicide victim," Blodgett said. "This is a terrible tragedy."
Ritzer is the second U.S. educator this week to die in an incident involving a student, after a Nevada middle school teacher was shot dead by a 12-year-old student on Monday.
Investigators from the local medical examiner's office on Wednesday carried a stretcher out of the woods where Ritzer's body was found.
Police on Tuesday had issued a missing-child report for Chism. A photo posted on the Danvers Police Department's Facebook page at the time of the search showed a tall, lanky, short-haired Chism wearing a red and black soccer uniform.
He was found walking along a highway about 12:30 a.m. EDT on Wednesday.
Students from the school left bouquets and a teddy bear in front of the school in Ritzer's memory.
All public schools in Danvers, which is about 20 miles (32 km) north of Boston, were closed on Wednesday, although police believed there was no continuing threat to public safety.
"We have no reason to believe there were any other suspects involved," Blodgett said. He declined to comment on how Ritzer was killed or if she might have had any type of relationship with the student.
Ritzer's family issued a brief statement to The Salem News asking for privacy.
"At this time we are mourning the tragic death of our amazing daughter and sister," the family said. "Everyone that knew and loved Colleen knew of her passion, her teaching and how she mentored each and every one of her students."
Ritzer described herself as a "Math teacher often too excited about the topics I'm teaching" on her Twitter account, @msritzermath, where she also posted homework assignments and links to math problems.
In the shooting incident in Nevada on Monday, teacher Michael Landsberry, 45, was shot and killed when he tried to stop the 12-year-old student armed with a handgun after he wounded two fellow students, then later turned the gun on himself.
Teacher, 24, found dead outside school; student in custody | World | News | Toronto Sun
Colleen Ritzer, slain Danvers High School teacher, allegedly killed with box cutter
Reuters
First posted: Thursday, October 24, 2013 11:33 AM EDT | Updated: Thursday, October 24, 2013 11:38 AM EDT
BOSTON - The Massachusetts teenager who has been charged with murdering a 24-year-old math teacher at his high school used a box cutter to stab the woman, then disposed of her body and went to the movies, local media reported on Thursday.
The 14-year-old, Philip Chism, pleaded not guilty on Wednesday to the charge of murdering Colleen Ritzer, whose body was discovered in the woods behind his high school in Danvers, Massachusetts, some 32 km north of Boston.
Chism apparently used a box cutter to stab and cut Ritzer in a second-floor bathroom of the school, the Boston Globe reported, citing an unnamed law enforcement official.
After dumping Ritzer’s body, Chism went on to buy a ticket for a 4:30 p.m. screening of the Woody Allen film “Blue Jasmine,” a law enforcement source told the Boston Herald.
A spokeswoman for Essex County District Attorney Jonathan Blodgett declined to comment on any details of the case.
The attack marked the second killing of a U.S. teacher by a student this week, following an incident in Nevada in which a 12-year-old boy armed with a handgun shot dead a teacher and wounded two schoolmates before turning his gun on himself.
Police in Danvers began investigating the incident after neither Chism nor Ritzer returned to their homes after school on Tuesday. They had initially issued a missing child report for Chism.
When a search for Ritzer turned up blood in the bathroom at Danvers High School late Tuesday, the police began a criminal investigation. Chism was found walking along a highway a few miles from the school shortly after midnight Wednesday morning.
Prosecutors charged Chism as an adult, which allowed them to release his name and could mean that he would face a longer potential sentence in an adult prison rather than a juvenile facility if he is convicted.
Chism, who played on the Danvers High School junior varsity soccer team, had recently moved to the New England town from Tennessee.
Colleen Ritzer, slain Danvers High School teacher, allegedly killed with box cutter | World | News | Toronto Sun
