Police affidavit offers chilling details of teacher's slaying

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br /></div><script async="" src="//pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/js/adsbygoogle.js"></script><!-- 3 --><br /><ins class="adsbygoogle" data-ad-client="ca-pub-4973891917352186" data-ad-slot="2995338919" style="display: inline-block; height: 250px; width: 300px;"></ins><script>(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); </script><br /><div><h1 style="border: 0px; font-family: arial; font-size: 30px; line-height: 33px; margin: 15px 0px 0px 10px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; width: 600px;">Police affidavit offers chilling details of teacher's slaying</h1></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Utkal, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;">By </span><strong style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Utkal, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Ray Sanchez </strong><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Utkal, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;">and</span><strong style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Utkal, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"> Brian Vitagliano, </strong><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Utkal, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;">CNN    </span><a href="http://www.cnn.com/">http://www.cnn.com</a></div><div><br /></div><div><img alt="Watch this video" src="http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/dam/assets/131122172809-lkl-pamela-brown-danvers-mass-teacher-killed-00001922-story-top.jpg" /></div><div><br /></div><div><div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: arial; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; padding: 0px 24px 19px 186px; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">(CNN)</strong> -- Philip Chism, the Massachusetts teenager accused of raping and killing his algebra teacher, became visibly upset when the teacher, Colleen Ritzer, spoke about the teen's home state of Tennessee after class, according to a police affidavit unsealed Friday.</div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph2" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: arial; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; padding: 0px 24px 19px 186px; vertical-align: baseline;">A ninth grade student told investigators that she was in class with Chism and Ritzer after school on the day of the crime, the affidavit said. She said the teacher and Chism were talking about China but, at some point, Ritzer mentioned the student's home state of Tennessee.</div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph3" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: arial; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; padding: 0px 24px 19px 186px; vertical-align: baseline;">Chism became "visibly upset," the student said. When Ritzer noticed that Chism was upset, she changed the subject, said the unidentified student, who described Chism as "talking to himself."</div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph4" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: arial; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; padding: 0px 24px 19px 186px; vertical-align: baseline;">The affidavit, in chilling detail, offers the first hint of a possible motive in last month's gruesome killing of the popular high school teacher. Ritzer, 24, was allegedly raped with an object and had her throat slashed. A handwritten note found next to her body said, "I hate you all."</div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph4" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: arial; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; padding: 0px 24px 19px 186px; vertical-align: baseline;"></div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph5" style="border: 0px; padding: 0px 24px 19px 186px; vertical-align: baseline;">A Massachusetts grand jury on Thursday indicted Chism, 14, on charges of murder, aggravated rape and armed robbery in connection with Ritzer's slaying on October 22, according to the Essex district attorney. Citing Massachusetts law, prosecutors said they would ask that Chism be tried in an adult court.</div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph6" style="border: 0px; padding: 0px 24px 19px 186px; vertical-align: baseline;">"The indictments ... detail horrific and unspeakable acts," District Attorney Jonathan Blodgett said in a statement.</div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph7" style="border: 0px; padding: 0px 24px 19px 186px; vertical-align: baseline;">Denise Regan, Chism's public defender, declined to comment.</div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph8" style="border: 0px; padding: 0px 24px 19px 186px; vertical-align: baseline;">The affidavit includes testimony from eyewitnesses as well as a school video surveillance timeline showing Chism and Ritzer in the same area of the school during the teacher's final moments.</div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph9" style="border: 0px; padding: 0px 24px 19px 186px; vertical-align: baseline;">In the video, Ritzer appears to enter a second-floor girls restroom -- apparently a faculty restroom was occupied -- and Chism, wearing gloves and red sweatshirt with the hood pulled over his head, appears to enter the restroom about a minute later, according to the affidavit.</div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph10" style="border: 0px; padding: 0px 24px 19px 186px; vertical-align: baseline;">Shortly after, a female student enters the bathroom and quickly walks out, according to court papers. She told investigators she saw the back of a person who appeared to be changing clothes. The person's rear was exposed, with clothes piled on the floor.</div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph11" style="border: 0px; padding: 0px 24px 19px 186px; vertical-align: baseline;">The video shows Chism leaving the restroom, returning later with a recycling barrel, and again leaving the restroom pulling the barrel -- this time with a black mask on his forehead, the court papers say. He pulls the barrel outside the building and toward the student parking lot. Investigators said there are what appear to be blood stains near the bathroom as well as on Chism's pants in the video.</div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph12" style="border: 0px; padding: 0px 24px 19px 186px; vertical-align: baseline;">After Chism was reported missing by his mother on the evening of October 22, police had his cellular phone company "ping" the location of his phone. The phone was found to be in the vicinity of the Hollywood Hits Theater, where investigators learned the teen had purchased a movie ticket and then left.</div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph13" style="border: 0px; padding: 0px 24px 19px 186px; vertical-align: baseline;">The affidavit said that when Chism was spotted by a police officer the next day, he was carrying a knife. A search of his backpack turned up a bloodstained box cutter. Asked where the blood came from, Chism allegedly responded: "The girl." He was also carrying credit cards and driver's licenses belonging to Ritzer, as well as a pair of woman's underwear.</div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph14" style="border: 0px; padding: 0px 24px 19px 186px; vertical-align: baseline;">Police discovered Ritzer's body in a wooded area near the school, covered with leaves and debris in an apparent attempt to conceal it, the court papers said. Her throat was slit.</div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph15" style="border: 0px; padding: 0px 24px 19px 186px; vertical-align: baseline;">The green recycling bin seen in the surveillance video was found 20 yards from the body. Clothing and other belongings were scattered near the body, along with blood soaked gloves Chism appeared to be wearing in the video. The handwritten "I hate you all" note was folded near her body, according to the documents.</div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph16" style="border: 0px; padding: 0px 24px 19px 186px; vertical-align: baseline;">Investigators used the affidavit to secure a warrant to search Chism's home.</div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph17" style="border: 0px; padding: 0px 24px 19px 186px; vertical-align: baseline;">Chism's mother, Diana, told investigators that she recently moved to Massachusetts from Tennessee amid a "stressful divorce" from the teen's father.</div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph18" style="border: 0px; padding: 0px 24px 19px 186px; vertical-align: baseline;">Documents filed in a Tennessee court 12 years ago shed light on a troubled relationship. The court papers showed that Chism's father agreed during a separation from his mother to have restricted time with his son, who was then 2, because of "prior physical and emotional abuse as well as alcohol abuse."</div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph19" style="border: 0px; padding: 0px 24px 19px 186px; vertical-align: baseline;">Chism's uncle, Terrence Chism Blaine, told CNN in the days after the crime that the boy's parents are now separated and that the father -- a former military man -- now lives in Florida.</div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph20" style="border: 0px; padding: 0px 24px 19px 186px; vertical-align: baseline;">The suspect's mother, Diana Chism, last month released a statement through her son's attorney saying her "heart is broken for the Ritzer family and the loss of their daughter and sister Colleen Ritzer."</div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph21" style="border: 0px; padding: 0px 24px 19px 186px; vertical-align: baseline;">The armed robbery indictment alleges that Chism, armed with a box cutter, robbed Ritzer of credit cards, an iPhone and her underwear.</div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph22" style="border: 0px; padding: 0px 24px 19px 186px; vertical-align: baseline;">On the aggravated rape and armed robbery indictments, Chism was charged as a youthful offender, but prosecutors said they will move to join those charges with the murder case in Superior Court.</div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph23" style="border: 0px; padding: 0px 24px 19px 186px; vertical-align: baseline;">"This is the first step in a long process to secure justice for Ms. Ritzer and her family," Blodgett said.</div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph24" style="border: 0px; padding: 0px 24px 19px 186px; vertical-align: baseline;"><a href="http://www.cnn.com/2013/10/24/justice/massachusetts-chism-profile/index.html" style="border: 0px; color: #004276; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">Friends, relatives bewildered by arrest of 'storybook kid' in teacher slaying</a></div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph25" style="border: 0px; padding: 0px 24px 19px 186px; vertical-align: baseline;">Ritzer was known to her friends and family as a woman who inspired many -- whether in the classroom or online -- with her heart, intellect and positive spirit.</div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph26" style="border: 0px; padding: 0px 24px 19px 186px; vertical-align: baseline;">"She was happy," said Jen Berger, Ritzer's best friend. "I don't even know what the world is like without her. It's a scary thought."</div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph27" style="border: 0px; padding: 0px 24px 19px 186px; vertical-align: baseline;">A 2011 graduate of Assumption College who was working toward a master's degree at Salem State University, Ritzer seemed to always wear a wide smile and was approachable to students and colleagues alike, said Charlotte Dzerkacz, who became good friends with Ritzer in 2011 when they taught at the same middle school.</div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph28" style="border: 0px; padding: 0px 24px 19px 186px; vertical-align: baseline;"><a href="http://www.cnn.com/2013/10/28/us/massachusetts-teacher-funeral/index.html" style="border: 0px; color: #004276; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">Dressed in pink, hundreds mourn Colleen Ritzer, slain Massachusetts teacher</a></div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph29" style="border: 0px; padding: 0px 24px 19px 186px; vertical-align: baseline;">"She was energetic, she was compassionate," Dzerkacz said. "You couldn't ask for anything more from a teacher or a friend."</div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph30" style="border: 0px; padding: 0px 24px 19px 186px; vertical-align: baseline;">The Ritzer family released a statement saying: "We are devastated and heartbroken by the details of the horrific circumstances surrounding the death of our beautiful daughter and sister, Colleen."</div><div class="cnn_storypgraphtxt cnn_storypgraph31" style="border: 0px; padding: 0px 24px 19px 186px; vertical-align: baseline;">A week after the slaying, about 400 Danvers High School students were among the estimated 1,000 people who gathered to pay final respects at the church where the family of popular math teacher worshiped.</div><div><br /></div></div></div>

Police affidavit offers chilling details of teacher's slaying Police affidavit offers chilling details of teacher's slaying

Police affidavit offers chilling details of teacher's slaying By  Ray Sanchez  and  Brian Vitagliano,  CNN     http://www.cnn.com (CNN) ...

Read more »