Danvers Teacher Colleen Ritzer's Convicted Killer Denied New Trial, Early Parole

DANVERS, MA — The convicted killer of Danvers High teacher Colleen Ritzer in a school bathroom was denied a new trial or early parole for the 2013 rape, strangulation and stabbing of the math teacher when he was a 14-year-old student at the school.

Philip Chism, who was a freshman at the time of the rape and killing of the 24-year-old teacher from Andover, requested a new trial or reduce sentence based on his claim that he was undergoing a psychotic episode at the time of the crime and was not responsible for his actions, that there were numerous judicial errors during the trial, and that the sentence of 40 years to life in prison before parole was too harsh by current standards.

But the State Judicial Court denied the appeal to grant a new trial or to reduce the verdict of first-degree murder in a ruling announced Tuesday afternoon.

"We are gratified by the Court's unanimous decision to affirm the defendant's conviction and sentences," Essex County District Attorney Paul Tucker said. "It is clear that the SJC carefully considered all of the issues and determined that the jury's verdict should not be overturned.

"Colleen Ritzer was a beloved math teacher in her second year at Danvers High School. It was her dream job. As Judge (David) Lowy aptly said in sentencing, she lived 'a life of quiet heroism.' Throughout this process, I have been deeply moved and inspired by the grace of the Ritzer family. I hope that this decision will now bring a measure of justice and finality."

The details of Ritzer's grisly death horrified a region a decade ago after court documents said Chism followed her into a school bathroom after receiving academic help after school, then raped and strangled her, stabbed her at least 16 times, and dumped her partially clothed body in the woods behind the school.

"After carefully reviewing the record, we conclude that none of the asserted errors, standing alone or cumulatively, requires a new trial, and that there is no other basis on which to disturb the jury's verdict," the SJC said on Tuesday.

In 2024, Chism was back in juvenile court as a 25-year-old as he pleaded guilty to a 2014 charge of attacking a female Department of Youth Services employee in a bathroom.

Chism was being held at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Dorchester when prosecutors said he eluded staff and followed the 29-year-old woman into a staff bathroom where he choked her and attacked her with a pencil.

The Danvers High School library was renamed the Colleen E. Ritzer Library in 2023 around the 10th anniversary of her death to honor her legacy of kindness and make her spirit part of the permanent fabric of the school.

Danvers High math teacher Julie Glynn, a colleague of Ritzer, presented the proposal to the School Committee following a survey of school faculty and with the blessing of the Ritzer family.

"When a library is named in someone's memory it strengthens the sense of community by reminding everyone of the values and virtue that person embodies," Glynn told the School Committee in proposing the dedication. "It also ensures that their memory lives on. Not just for those who knew her but for future generations to come."

The Andover native's impact on Danvers Public Schools has continued in the decade since her death with the annual Day of Kindness across the district on Oct. 22. Her memory has also inspired the annual Step Up for Colleen 5K in Andover, which has attracted thousands of participants over the past decade.

(Scott Souza is a Patch field editor covering Beverly, Danvers, Marblehead, Peabody, Salem and Swampscott. He can be reached at Scott.Souza@Patch.com. X/Twitter: @Scott_Souza.)