Teen who killed teacher gets life with chance for parole

A teenager who raped and killed his high school math teacher was sentenced to life in prison with eligibility for parole in 25 years.

Chism murdered Danvers High School teacher Colleen Ritzer in 2013 when he was just 14.

Diane Chism, mother of Philip Chism, sobs while being consoled during her son’s sentencing in the murder and rape of Colleen Ritzer, an Andover resident and Danvers High School teacher.

“And neither should the individual who callously and without remorse took her life”, he said. He said her death was a “brutal and senseless murder….” “The crashing waves of this tragedy will never end”.

“As Colleen’s mom and her voice in this room, I ask you to sentence him to the maximum possible sentence for these crimes”, Peggie Ritzer said before the punishment was given.

Surveillance video from the day Colleen Ritzer was killed.

“But from what I saw in that family’s eyes, I’m sure people will never, ever forget Colleen, because I can tell those people will never allow it to happen”.

The Ritzer family-mom and dad Peggie and Tom, and Colleen’s younger siblings Dan and Laura-sat side by side at the witness stand during Chism’s sentencing hearing as they took turns describing her as a role model and a friend. “A dad’s job is to fix things, I can’t fix this”.

Previous U.S. Supreme Court decisions require that Chism, because he was under 18 when he committed the crimes, get a shot at parole as a juvenile offender. She blamed the state Supreme Judicial Court, which ruled in December 2013 that juveniles could not be sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

Ritzer said Chism was “pure evil and he can never be rehabilitated.” she said.

Numerous people questioned about the sentencing had some sort of connection to Colleen Ritzer or her family.

Chism’s lawyers had asked the judge to make him eligible for parole when he turned 40. “I would do anything I could if could fix this for Colleen”.

Oker admitted that her client had murdered Ritzer, but put forth an insanity defense, arguing that Chism suffered from mental illness and was in the throes of a psychotic episode.

Earlier Friday, Ritzer’s mother said the murder of her 24-year-old daughter has left her “so very broken”.

Essex District Attorney Jonathan Blodgett also reacted to Chism’s sentence, which came after a morning of victim impact statements.

“Words can’t express the amount of pain and sorrow these past two and a half years have been”, Chism, the defendant’s mother, said in a written statement, according to the Globe.

She said her prayers were with the Ritzer family “as they continue their journey to heal”.

Boston.com reported that prosecutors wanted Chism sentenced to life, serving consecutive sentences of 25 years for the murder and the aggravated rape and robbery. The armed robbery charge stems from the fact Chism was later found with Ritzer’s underwear. For more information, visit the Colleen E. Ritzer Memorial Scholarship Fund website.

(David Le/The Salem News via AP, Pool) Chism was accused of first-degree murder, rape and robbery in the October 22, 2013, slaying of Ritzer, 24.