Philip Chsim, a 14-year-old, has been charged with beating to death Colleen Ritzer, a 24-year-old Danvers High School math teacher in a homicide case that forced the small Massachusetts town to close all its public schools, CBS Boston reported.
Chism was ordered held without bail at his arraignment in Salem District Court on Wednesday afternoon, and had been charged as an adult.
Ritzer was found dead in the woods behind the school early Wednesday morning, a short time after she had been reported missing, according to Essex County District Attorney Jonathan Blodgett.
"It was learned from an interview with the suspect and video surveillance footage recovered at the high school, that a juvenile student that attends Danvers High School assaulted and subsequently murdered Colleen Ritzer and disposed of her body near the high school grounds," according to court records.
When police received reports that Ritzer had not returned to her home in Andover and had not been answering her cell phone on Tuesday evening, investigators were called in.
At the school, investigators found blood in a second floor bathroom, news reports said. About an hour later, Topsfield police found Chism walking on Route 1 in Danvers, a suburb outside Boston.
Colleen Ritzer was later found in the woods behind the high school early Wednesday morning, WBZ-TV reported.
The criminal complaint indicated that the victim and suspect knew each other, and court records indicated that Ritzer was beaten and assaulted, CBS Boston also reported.
"We have no reason to believe any other suspects are involved," Blodgett told reporters at a news conference Wednesday morning at the high school.
"At this time we are mourning the tragic death of our amazing, beautiful daughter and sister. Everyone that knew and loved Colleen knew of her passion for teaching and how she mentored each and every one of her students. We would like to ask everyone to respect our privacy at this most difficult time. Thank you all for your thoughts and prayers, the Ritzer family said in a statement, which was released on Wednesday afternoon.
