The Murder of Colleen Ritzer

It was 2013 in Danvers, Massachusetts and Colleen Ritzer had been teaching math at Danvers High School for just 2 years. She loved teaching math and her students loved her, which is why it was such a shock when just before Halloween that year, she went missing. Her parents called around to her friends and colleagues looking for her when she didn't come home at her usual time and wasn't answering her phone, but no one knew where she'd been. Her parents tried not to worry too much - she'd probably made plans and forgotten to tell them, but maybe she'd been in an accident and unable to reach them. They decided to go up to the school and look for her. They found her car in the parking lot, but no sign of Colleen anywhere. And that's when they discovered Colleen wasn't the only person that was missing. Diana Chism had filed a missing persons report on her son, Phillip Chism, after he failed to come home after school. Police investigated both cases, but no one was prepared for what they found...

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Sources:

Videos

YouTube | The Disturbing Case of Colleen Ritzer (That

Chapter)

YouTube | Community Heartbroken by Young Teacher's Death

(WCVB Channel 5)

YouTube | Teen Admitted Murdering Danvers Teacher (WCVB)

 Articles & Documents

Discover School | Salem Witch Trials - 1692 Salem -

Economic and Social Divisions -

Court Documents | Search Warrants & Warrant Applications

Boston Globe | Official describes brutal injuries to

Colleen Ritzer (Maria Cramer)

CNN | Defense: Teen Had Psychotic Episode During Killing

(Sarah Jorgensen)

The New York Times | Timeline Provides Details for a

Grisly Crime Against a Teacher (Katharine Seelye)

Daily News | Philip Chism, Mass. Teen Accused of

Murdering Teacher, was Coerced into Confession 

(AP)

The Salem News | Philip Chism Told police 'Trigger Word'

Made Him Angry at Colleen Ritzer (Julie Manganis)

Boston.Com | Mistake Led to Chism Crime Scene

‘Slaughterhouse’ Being Cleaned (Allison Manning)

The Eagle-Tribune | Families Suffer Through Difficult

Testimony in Chism Trial (Julie Manganis)

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