JUSTICE FOR AMERICA'S MATH TEACHER COLLEEN RITZER
JUSTICE FOR AMERICA'S MATH TEACHER COLLEEN RITZER
Video about Colleen's life:
Background video including surveillance video:
Video from trial:
Video detailing Chism's attempt to murder female staff member at Mass juvenile center which occurred after the Ritzer Rape/Murder proving recidivism:
Prosecution Closing Argument:
This petition is to ensure that Phillip Chism remain incarcerated for life without the possibility of parole or any release from incarceration for the rape, torture, and murder of Danvers high-school math teacher Colleen Ritzer.
On October 22, 2013, Phillip Chism, a student at Danvers Highschool executed a careful and deliberate plan to attack, rape, torture, and then murder his Math Teacher, Colleen Ritzer.
1. He followed Miss Ritzer to a faculty Ladies Room where he attacked, punched, overpowered, then raped Miss Ritzer.
2. Using a box cutter knife, Chism then stabbed Miss Ritzer in the neck, which eventually caused her death.
3. Chism then put her body in an 95 gallon covered recycling bin and wheeled her out to a nearby wooded area, passing unsuspecting and unknowing individuals along the way.
4. Chism then dumped her body in the wooded area with the lower half of her body naked and shoved a large tree branch into her private area. Chism also stabbed Miss Ritzer (Wound D) in her private area with the box cutter knife. It is believed that she was still alive when this occurred. This is tantamount to torture.
5. Chism robbed Miss Ritzer of her monetary belongings and used them to go to the movies and then to a restaurant after raping, torturing, and Murdering Miss Ritzer.
6. Chism was found to have Miss Ritzer's underwear in his pocket when he was apprehended by the Topsfield, MA police department that he kept as a souvenir.
7. Chism never showed any remorse at any point in his trial for the cruel, despicable, heinous, and depraved, torturous acts he carried out by raping, murdering, then disposing Miss Ritzer.
8. Because Chism was a minor (14 years of age) when he raped and murdered Miss Ritzer, Massachusetts state laws prohibited the following:
(a) An appropriate sentence of death.
(b) A life sentence with no possibility of release into the community.
9. Chism was sentenced to 40 years imprisonment with the possibility that he can be released back into the community.
10. This petition seeks to ensure that Chism is never released back into the community and is kept incarcerated for the remainder of his life.
Chism's assault, rape, torture, murder and disposal of Miss Ritzer is criminally precocious well beyond his age at the time of the murder. His "careful and deliberate" plan to harm Miss Ritzer (as described by Judge Lowy who presided over the case) and the manner in which it was carried is "extremely rare", and merits special and unusual consideration for punishment.
Moreover, the cruel, depraved, despicable, outrageous manner in which the assault was carried out and the terror, horror, damage and loss Chism caused to the victim and her family, and that Chism attempted a similar attack to another victim while left unattended in a juvenile facility, also warrants special attention and consideration.
This subsequent attack not only proves beyond any reasonable doubt that Chism will reoffend when given an opportunity, it also proves he has Zero remorse for what he did to Colleen and is therefore permanently and irrevocably incorrigible. Forgiveness and rehabilitation requires that one is sorry for their transgression and Chism isn't sorry for what he has done and what he tried to do. In fact, Chism likes to do what he did and receives a perverted arousal and sexual pleasure from causing horror and pain to his victims as evidenced by the disgusting physical evidence that Chism raped Colleen. This also disproves that he is insane and incapable from knowing right from wrong. If insanity can be used as an excuse for Chism, then the precedent will be set that every rapist be found not responsible due to mental illness.
The actual appropriate disposition for Chism is death. But since this is not a legal option, a permanent life sentence of incarceration is the least he should endure. He must be kept away from future victims and pay for his actions by serving a sentence of permanent incarceration. It is incumbent on the state of Massachusetts that it protects the public and punish Chism infinitely more so than attempting to allow Chism another chance to be part of the community.
Because of the nature of what Chism has done, the evidence that he will re offend in a similar manner if given a chance to do so, the risk of reoccurrence to another possible victim is extremely high and therefore must be reduced to ZERO risk. The only lawful way this risk to the community can be reduced to no risk is to ensure Chism remains incarcerated and is never released back into the community. Any finding otherwise is unsound, irresponsible, and puts the community at an unreasonable risk for reoccurence regardless of the length of partial life incarceration.
Massachussetts must make possible an exception to their laws that a minor cannot be sentenced to life without the possibility of parole when the circumstances warrant special consideration and in carrying out its most important duty: Protecting the public.
Though juvenile mandatory life sentences without parole have been found to be unconstitutional, such sentences are available and appropriate when the circumstances and protection of the public warrant such sentencing. Moreover, a juvenile need not be found to be permanently incorrigible to receive a life without parole sentence.
The state of Massacussetts cannot rely on parole hearings to determine if Chism should be released back into the public for two reasons. First, the nature and severity of the crimes and his repeat attempt constitutes unreasonable risk. Second is the same reason there are statutes of limitations in our justice system. The decision to appropriately sentence Chism must not be dulled and faded by time and changeover. The facts of the case and the risk to the community demand that the permanent sentence be carried out by the individuals that are most familiar with the case.
Colleen Ritzer was a math teacher and one of our precious gems of society, doing her best to try to help her students be the best they can be. She is OUR Math Teacher. No one could save Colleen from Chism's evil and despicable deeds. But it is now incumbent on society that a lawful correction be performed so that Chism can never cause any further harm.
Click here to learn more about Colleen's Legacy:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/606617592712877/?ref=share
Click here to join The Friends of Colleen Ritzer on Facebook::
https://www.facebook.com/The-Friends-of-Colleen-Ritzer-112273708048703/