On a quiet October afternoon in 2013, the community of Danvers, Massachusetts, was shattered by a crime that shocked the nation. Colleen Ritzer, a beloved 24-year-old math teacher at Danvers High School, was tragically lost to an act of extreme violence committed by one of her own students, 14-year-old Philip Chism. Ritzer was known for her dedication, her enthusiasm for teaching, and the trademark pink sweaters she often wore. Her life was a portrait of quiet heroism, dedicated to her students and her profession, making her violent end all the more senseless and heartbreaking.
The details of the crime—including the brutal attack in a school bathroom, the subsequent concealment of her body, and the callousness of the perpetrator—gripped the public consciousness. What unfolded in the years that followed, as the case moved through the legal system, continued to draw intense scrutiny, culminating in a courtroom scene during sentencing that became infamous for the disturbing behavior of the convicted teen.
The Events Leading to the Tragedy
Colleen Ritzer was in her second year of teaching when the event occurred. She was a young woman who had already found her dream job, dedicated to shaping the lives of her algebra students. Philip Chism, a new student who had recently moved to Danvers from Tennessee, appeared to be an average freshman. However, on October 22, 2013, Chism’s actions descended into an unimaginable horror.
Surveillance footage from the school showed the moments leading up to the attack. It captured Ritzer entering a second-floor women’s restroom. A minute later, Chism followed. Inside, he used a box cutter to wound and subdue the young teacher. He then physically assaulted her and removed her from the school, using a recycling bin to transport her body to a wooded area behind the school. It was here that he committed further horrific acts before covering her body with leaves.
The discovery of Ritzer’s body and the subsequent arrest of Chism, who was found walking along a highway carrying Ritzer’s credit cards and the box cutter, sent a wave of shock through the tight-knit community. The image of a 14-year-old high school student charged with such a violent, pre-meditated crlme forced a difficult public conversation about mental health, juvenile justice, and the safety of educators.
The Trial: Defense, Prosecution, and a Guilty Verdict
The trial of Philip Chism began more than two years later, in late 2015. Given the overwhelming evidence, which included the surveillance footage and Chism’s own incriminating statements to police, the defense did not dispute that Chism was the person who caused Ritzer’s loss of life. Instead, the legal battle centered on his state of mind.
The Defense Argument: Mental Illness
Chism’s defense team argued that the teenager was not criminally responsible for his actions due to a severe mental illness that they contended had been developing since he was 10. They suggested that Chism was in the throes of a psychotic episode at the time of the crlme and was incapable of understanding the difference between right and wrong. They presented testimony about Chism’s family history of mental health issues and his changing behavior in the days leading up to the event.
The Prosecution’s Case: Premeditation and Intent
The prosecution strongly countered this claim. They argued that Chism’s actions demonstrated clear premeditation, malice, and a chilling awareness of what he was doing. They pointed to his deliberate act of bringing the box cutter, gloves, and a mask to school that day. They highlighted the calculated efforts to conceal Ritzer’s body and dispose of evidence, arguing that these actions proved he was fully conscious of his culpability and was attempting to evade justice.
After a tense trial, the jury ultimately sided with the prosecution. In December 2015, Philip Chism was found guilty of first-degree murder, aggravated r-pe, and armed robbery.
The Sentencing Hearing: A Smile of Defiance
The most difficult and widely publicized moments of the legal process occurred during the sentencing hearing in February 2016. In Massachusetts, due to a ruling by the state’s highest court regarding the sentencing of juveniles, Chism could not receive a sentence of life without the possibility of parole.
The sentencing hearing was dominated by powerful and emotional Victim Impact Statements from Colleen Ritzer’s family—her parents, siblings, and friends—who recounted the unbearable pain and emptiness her lss had inflicted on their lives. Her mother, Peggy Ritzer, tearfully described her daughter’s dedication to teaching and the irreparable damage the crlme had caused her family. “He is pure evil,” she stated, “and evil can never be rehabilitated.” Her father, Tom Ritzer, spoke of his feeling of failure for not being able to protect his daughter.
The Mocking and the Judge’s Response
It was during these raw and heart-wrenching moments that Philip Chism’s now-infamous courtroom behavior took place. While the Ritzer family members delivered their statements, numerous reports from the courtroom—and captured on camera—indicated Chism was displaying a disturbing lack of remorse. At times, he was seen smiling, laughing, or making faces at the Ritzer family. This brazen act of disrespect and mockery, especially directed at a family in profound grief, sent an immediate shockwave through the courtroom and, later, across the internet. It solidified for many the prosecution’s depiction of Chism as cold, calculating, and lacking humanity.
The judge, Superior Court Judge David Lowy, was visibly affected by both the Ritzer family’s grief and the defendant’s contemptuous behavior. When it was time to deliver the sentence, his words were a powerful rebuke to the young man before him.
Judge Lowy chose his words with solemn gravity, ensuring they provided a measure of justice and closure while also offering a profound tribute to the victim. He described Colleen Ritzer as a person who lived a “life of quiet heroism” and characterized the crlme as “brutal and senseless.” He addressed the defendant directly, stating that the “crashing waves of this tragedy will never wane.”
It was the force of the judicial condemnation, the final, binding authority of the court, that ultimately broke through Chism’s wall of defiance. As the judge delivered the life sentence, specifying the terms of parole eligibility, the camera captured Chism’s expression changing—the smirk and mocking demeanor vanished, replaced by a sudden, stark look of realization and defeat. It was this visual moment of the teen’s bravado disappearing under the weight of his final sentence that became the core of the viral short video clips that later circulated.
The Sentence and Its Aftermath
Philip Chism was sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole after 40 years. He received concurrent sentences for the aggravated r-pe and armed robbery charges. The 40-year term meant that Chism, who was 16 at the time of sentencing, would not be eligible for release until he was in his 50s.
The Ritzer family expressed their disappointment that state law prevented a sentence of life without parole, feeling that Chism’s evil was pure and his potential for rehabilitation nonexistent. However, the ruling by the court affirmed the convictions, providing a measure of closure after years of legal wrangling.
In the years following the trial, Chism’s violent behavior continued. While incarcerated, he was convicted of an attempted klling and assault on a female clinician at a Department of Youth Services facility, an attack that bore disturbing similarities to the Ritzer crlme. This secondary conviction resulted in an additional, consecutive sentence, ensuring that even if he were to be granted parole on the murder charge, he would face decades more in prison.
Conclusion: A Legacy of Light and a Call for Safety
The tragic event that took Colleen Ritzer’s life has forever linked her name with a painful chapter in modern crlme history. Yet, her legacy endures not through the violence she suffered, but through the Colleen Ritzer Memorial Scholarship Fund and the family’s foundation, which honors her life by supporting future teachers. The case remains a poignant reminder of the vulnerabilities of people in positions of care and the profound impact of violent acts committed by troubled juveniles. The final, silent confrontation in the courtroom—the teen’s fleeting smile extinguished by the judge’s powerful words of justice—serves as a permanent marker of the ultimate authority of the law and the enduring dignity of a family fighting for the memory of their loved one.