Thursday, October 24, 2013
Good morning:
ABC News is reporting this morning on Good morning America that police say Chism stabbed Colleen Ritzer to death in the faculty bathroom at Danvers High School around 3:30 pm on Tuesday. Based on a review of videotape and Chism’s confession, police have determined that he transported her body in what appeared to be a recycling bin into the woods behind the school.
After dumping her body in the woods, Chism went to a movie theater and watched Woody Allen’s new film, Blue Jasmine. I have no idea why he selected this film or if he knew what it was about when he chose it. Seems an extremely odd choice for a 14-year-old boy who just stabbed his teacher to death.
His family reported him missing at 5:30 pm. Ritzer was reported missing a few hours later.
Police went to the school to check on her late Tuesday evening and found the bloody crime scene in the faculty bathroom.
Police subsequently responded to a report of a pedestrian walking northbound in the southbound lane of Route 1 around 12:30 am Wednesday morning. The pedestrian turned out to be Chism. He was placed under arrest and transported to the Danvers Police Station where he confessed to the murder.
Chism’s uncle, who resides in Clarksville, Tennessee, describes Chism as a nice kid from a perfect family.
Danvers is located approximately 20 miles north of Boston.
Contrary to reports yesterday, Chism was not arraigned. He had an initial appearance at which the judge found probable cause to support the charge based on a review of the charge and supporting documents. He also denied bail. The next court appearance will be a preliminary hearing, which is scheduled for November 22nd.
The purpose of the preliminary hearing will be to determine whether probable cause exists to support the murder charge based on live witness testimony, as opposed to the more limited document review yesterday. The defense will be accorded an opportunity to cross examine witnesses called by the prosecution.
Given the confession, there is no reason to suppose that the court might not find probable cause.
Chism probably provided police with an explanation regarding why he killed Colleen Ritzer. If he did, they are not disclosing what he said. That is pretty much standard operating procedure at this point. For example, they likely would want to wait until the autopsy and forensic testing have been completed to determine whether the evidence supports or conflicts with his statement.
I suspect they are waiting to see if sperm is detected on any of the oral, vaginal and anal swabs obtained during the autopsy. If so, the next question will be whether the lab can detect a DNA profile for the male contributor and, if so, whether it matches Philip Chism.
UPDATE 1: Reuters is reporting that Philip Chism used a box cutter to stab and cut Colleen Ritter to death.
UPDATE 2: NBC News is reporting new details of the crime today:
A law enforcement source told NBC News on Friday that Ritzer’s throat was slit from the back with a box-cutter in a second-floor bathroom at the school. Her body was wheeled out of the school in a recycling bin, dumped in the woods and covered with leaves, the source said.
Philip Chism, a freshman, was charged as an adult with first-degree murder and has been ordered held without bail. A surveillance camera caught the suspect following Ritzer into the bathroom and then leaving, covered in blood, the source said.
The suspect changed his clothes at some point and went to the movies and to Wendy’s, the law enforcement source said. Investigators found both the suspect’s and Ritzer’s phones smashed, the source told NBC News.
Students said that Ritzer had asked Chism to meet with her after class on the day of the murder. The second-floor bathroom, where blood was found, was to remain closed Friday.
Apparently, Chism sat through the movie, so my theory in the comments that he may have purchased a ticket to the show intending to use the stub as an alibi may be wrong.
He only had 40-45 minutes after the murder to transport her body to the woods, change clothes, and make it to the theater.
I don’t know where he lived and am assuming that he did not go home to change clothes.
The box cutter and a change of clothes nearby suggest that he went to school intending to kill her. Whether or not he did, he apparently had no specific idea about what to do after the movie and his dinner at Wendy’s.
Frederick Leatherman Law Blog 
Amazing how much Philip Chism’s mother and Colleen Ritzer, look alike.. cat>feline>female> mother – Overbearing mother, imo..Just a hunch..
Many, if not most sexual predators/serial killers begin their evil trails of terror at the age of 14. Ridgeway, Hilton, Kemper, are only a few examples. There are many more. Most have other selves>Good PC>Evil PC..
PC could speak 3 languages> portugeese, spanish, & English. PC has a relative in Brazil that s a Pro Soccer Player.
PC is a Very rapid reader>likely of higher intelligence, imo..
PC’s mom & dad filed for divorce in 2001, but never followed through. They are legally separated and he/Stacy Chism lives in Boca Raton FL. Dad was in the Military.
PC went to school in Clarksville, TN, except for the 5th grade when he went to live with his father for a year….Moved to Danver, MA only 2 weeks before the murder. He was very upset about the move to Diana Chism’s mom’s home..
Wolfscratch
I apologize, O/T concerning Jordan Davis case. He wants a change in venue.
http://www.actionnewsjax.com/content/topstories/story/Suspect-in-Jordan-Davis-killing-may-ask-for/sff6Is3cikOxDpq5EoTLSQ.cspx?rss=3568
I’m confused about this statement…”Healey issued an order to prohibit the release of any information from this point forward without the court being notified first and that any information will have to come from him.”
I’m confused too. Sounds like a gag order despite neither party asking for it.
On the other hand, they did not object to it either.
Probably means both sides do not intend to talk to the media and Judge Healey thinks that’s a good idea.
salamie salamie… bollongna!
Reading in other updates that she had asked him to stay after school- she was going to help him prepare for an upcoming math test. She noticed him drawing during class, and said, “I didn’t know you could draw!” Just real nice.A student who witnessed them at 3:15 PM reported just a normal student-teacher conference type of thing.
Police aren’t saying much, but when and from where did a box cutter get into the picture?
All of this is just odd. There is so much going on in this world that simply boggles the brain. I am so curious as to why he did this. It just doesn’t make sense, not that killers always make sense but what’s the deal here?
Yeah, this is really really bizarre. That’s why I am starting to wonder about the move to Boston in the first place: was there something emotional or psychiatric going on? There is a lot of random strangeness about this. Part of me is wondering about a psychotic episode. Where did he spend the hours between the movie theater and the road?
Nothing makes sense.
There’s something fishy here.I’m not sure I believe he is guilty yet especially after reading about Crane’s experience.
A person using a box cutter does not inflict stabs type wounds.
If they did they would be shallow max qtr inch deep not lethal unless you stabbed an attery,
.
Its a weapon for slashing an inflicting horrific deep slash type wounds box cutters carpet cutters will open up flesh an slash throats an make a victim bleed out externaly in less then 2 minutes if enough ferocity is used .
An enough doesn’t have to be applied with strength as thease blades are razors after all same tencile strength as a scalpel so infact more durable an lethal than razors.
On 9 11 it took seconds for the terrorists to almost decapitate a cabin steward using a box cutters.
Oh yeah, totally agree. Have them myself, in fact. But my question concerns his planning.Seems to me he had them with him. Along with a change of clothes.
Makes me wonder if he had already asked her earlier, about staying after school for help with math.
That comment wasn’t very clear. I was saying he brought the box cutters with him, as opposed to grabbing them from someplace in the classroom. Not something exactly laying around the classroom.
Good morning Fred, (Off topic): Stewart a paratrooper killed in bad raid.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/10/24/utah-drug-raid-matthew-david-stewart_n_4138252.html
Absolutely fucking outrageous.
And for what?
Totally unacceptable, I have had it to HERE with this war-on-petty-drugs bullshit.
#Splainin
I call it the War on “Some” Drugs.
I have read that more than half of all NFL players use prescribed pain killers to be able to play on Sunday. And they also try to have us believe that only third string right guards need to use human growth hormone [virtually undetectable by testing, if administered correctly] to stay in the league, seeing as that rank of player is the only one ever caught by their tests. Painkillers are downers so many players use either legal or not legal uppers to get in the right frame of mind [LT comes to mind]. Drinking in bars after a game is A-OK. Ah…… but if one gets caught with the evil ganja… there is hell to pay.
The NFL is a real joke if one takes their propaganda seriously. The paid shills announcing or writing will rag on a player who can not gut out pain [probably because they refuse to take the needle], then they will do a spot about anti-violence or a drug free USA. After that, we see a commercial for Captain Morgan’s Rum. Captain Morgan was a thug privateer infamous for raping, robbing and pillaging Spanish Town Jamaica.
And the we wonder why the youth do what they do?
When winning at all costs becomes everything, then morality means nothing.
Excellent point. A war on some drugs for some of the people some of the time.
The hypocrisy is nauseating.
OK fine and dandy: HI Crane: but tell you what: This one is more horrible if you look at the face of that marine: well, he is great looking, Maybe the fucked up young people of today, with their tattoo culture.. ugly is wonderfull culture!!
This guy is hugely hansome! I tell you that as a streight guy!!
That guy is about the most handsome face I ever sawr!
They killed him!!
Yes, he was. And too young. Sad.
Actually two cops where shot in the raid. Stewart hanged himself before trial after spending months in jail.
Applying the Occam’s Razor principle to answer the question, Why Blue Jasmine? I’m inclined to think he bought the ticket intending to use it to support an alibi that he was at the movies at the time of the murder.
Of course, this presupposes that he was unaware of the CCTV camera recording the time of his entry and exit from the faculty bathroom.
Also, he must have had blood all over his clothes, which makes me wonder if he had a change of clothes at the ready.
That would indicate premeditation.
Yes, his clothes were very bloody. PC had brought a change of clothes; sweatsuit..
_________________________
Records show that Philip’s parents, Diana and Stacy Chism, filed for divorce in 2001, three years after being married. He was just 2. In the divorce agreement, Stacy Chism’s time with the children was to be restricted due to “physical abuse, sexual abuse, or a pattern of emotional abuse.”
The filing also asserted the father was guilty of adultery and “such cruel and inhuman treatment or conduct towards the spouse as renders cohabitation unsafe and improper.”
http://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2013/10/25/classes-resume-danvers-high-school-after-teacher-slaying/YUYYkOkVYUfk82VZpxQPBM/story.html Collapse pop up
__________________________
http://voices.yahoo.com/characteristics-serial-killer-337070.html?cat=70
Sexual Predators/Serial killers usually come from some sort of unstable family environment. Most of their family history shows either criminal, psychiatric or alcohol related problems.
Many serial killers hate their parents. They usually were abandoned by their father at an early age and were raised by an overbearing mother. Many serial killers were abused in some way when they were at a young age, most of the time by someone very close to them.
Early signs of psychiatric problems are also very common for serial killers. Very early on they also become interested in fetishism, voyeurism, or sadomasochistic pornography.
Couple of thoughts. I wonder why it was exactly, that they moved, and the move was kind of out of the ordinary. Tennessee (at the TN/KY border to the eastern seaboard. At age 14. Tough age to move, plus a long move no doubt involving at least some ‘culture shock.’
Other thing that was odd is that the boy was reported missing at 5:30PM. To me, that seems really fast/early to call the police. With a teenager, I would be thinking any number of alternative possibilities and none of them would involve calling the cops quite so soon.
Even though I am hearing that he missed a dinner with the soccer team, still, you know, I mean, a missing person report that soon?
The reason I bring these things up is, I am having a hard time with going from ‘calm shy reasoned well-adjusted perfect’ in one moment to awful awful murder, in the next. It’s hard to make that leap.
Everywhere I have ever lived, a 24-hour period is required to report a missing person unless it is a small child who cannot transport him- or herself to any location without adults.
Pretty much the way it is here. But whoever called him in missing that early may have known something was going on. Also wonder, how did he get to and from school? Live close enough to walk? Saw that his parents are divorced, but was he even living with a parent, or which parent…
The whole thing is strange. On the one hand I am leaning toward a complete and total psychotic break for some period of time (several hours). Could it be new onset bipolar illness, for example, with psychosis?
On the other hand, the crime seems oddly premeditated, complete, gruesome, and recalled. He apparently did make statements reflecting recall.
Strange what he did with the body. He rolls it in a container, outside to where he dumps it. But, he dumped it. And took the container outside, dumped the body and left it, but then apparently took the container further and pitched it. I am not sure about the bin, but at any rate, I am not sure someone in a psychotic state would be that functional and complete with each step.
This case makes me want to rule out something like a brain tumor. Although rare, impulsive violence can be associated with something like that.
That may sound like reaching but nothing else is making better sense either.
Didn’t he change schools in different states over a short period of time.
Yes. He moved there just a couple of months ago from Clarksville, TN. (not too far from us here). Wonder what made them choose that area?
The timing looks more and more to a plan. The two were witnessed in the classroom at the after-class meeting at 3:15.
At 4:15 he was seen and videotaped inside the movie theater.
In that hour, he killed, transported and dumped a body, and also discarded the recycle bin, changed his clothes, walked to the theater and purchased movie tickets.
So, wonder what he did with his clothes. And, he must have had a change of clothing there at school, right?
It is a false popular belief that someone with a serious mental illness is unable to make complicated plans. Witness James Holmes and the Aurora movie theater shootings last year. He clearly was suffering from a serious mental illness.
On the other hand, I am not an expert, but from what I have read, 14 is pretty young to develop either schizophrenia or bipolar disorder.
Yes, 14 is young. I think we need some more basic education about these things in kids, you know, the signs. Witnessed a new onset unfold in someone very close to me. I knew none of what I was watching.
Good point with Holmes.
I think Homes was set up as the patsy. Too complicated to go into here but I think he was just sitting in the car too doped up to do anything.
Amazing how much Philip Chism’s mother and Colleen Ritzer, look alike.. cat>feline>female> mother – Overbearing mother, imo..Just a hunch..
Many, if not most sexual predators/serial killers begin their evil trails of terror at the age of 14. Ridgeway, Hilton, Kemper, are only a few examples. There are many more. Most have other selves>Good PC>Evil PC..
PC could speak 3 languages> portugeese, spanish, & English. PC has a relative in Brazil that s a Pro Soccer Player.
PC is a Very rapid reader>likely of higher intelligence, imo..
PC’s mom & dad filed for divorce in 2001, but never followed through. They are legally separated and he/Stacy Chism lives in Boca Raton FL. Dad was in the Military.
PC went to school in Clarksville, TN, except for the 5th grade when he went to live with his father for a year….Moved to Danver, MA only 2 weeks before the murder. He was very upset about the move to Diana Chism’s mom’s home..
Wolfscratch
I hope I’m wrong but I bet the kid’s lawyer tries to blame the victim. It’s the in thing to do.
That particular defense may occasionally work in a self-defense case, but is not likely to work in a case like this.
Reuters is reporting that Philip Chism used a box cutter to stab and cut Colleen Ritter to death.
I am stunned by his selection of Blue Jasmine, in which Woody Allen pays homage to Tennessee Williams’s famous play, A Streetcar Named Desire.
Did he actually watch it though? Difficult to say.
I pray for him as well as her family. His life is ruined and it is a shame.
Absolutely horrific.
Such a bizarre story. Was he psychotic? Makes me wonder.
Crazy…you never know who is …Jesus Christ…what was that guy thinking?