Share

Jurors shown chilling video in teacher murder trial

The jury was shown new evidence Wednesday, including surveillance footage from inside Danvers High School.

Advertisement

The video, shown in Essex Superior Court in Salem on Wednesday, shows Chism following Ritzer to the restroom and pacing back and forth outside the door.

A popular maths teacher is smiling and waving at students as she walks through her school, unaware in less than 10 minutes she will be murdered.

It shows 14-year-old student Philip Chism following her, glancing over his shoulder and pulling the hood of his shirt over his head.

Moments later, Chism, in a blue hooded sweatshirt, can be seen leaving a classroom to follow her.

Chism is charged with raping and killing his high school math teacher, Andover native Colleen Ritzer. His right hand is visibly red.

“The defense is trying to show there are a lot of loose ends here”.

Opening arguments in Philip Chism’s trial began on Monday in Salem Superior Court. The judge dismissed the jury early after Chism would not leave his holding cell.

Chism’s attorney’s are asking witnesses very specific questions about the evidence – for example, they had an officer confirm he saw blood on a shoe, but not the ground around it.

However, Lowy gave Chism the option to watch the trial from another room in the courthouse, but he chose to present instead.

The defense admits he killed the teacher, but says he should not be held criminally responsible because he was driven by a severe mental illness.

The teacher’s mother, Peggie Ritzer, testified Tuesday in court (pictured left) about the day her daughter was killed.

She said that the math teacher had a consistent routine and came home every day at 3.30pm. They tried contacting her friends and other teachers.

Advertisement

Her body was later found inside a recycling bin in bushland near the school.

Phillip Chism