The 14-year-old Massachusetts student who allegedly raped and brutally murdered his high school teacher may have filmed the horrific crime on his phone before smashing it to pieces to conceal the evidence, prosecutors revealed today.
Detectives are currently trying to retrieve data from Philip Chism's Samsung smartphone, which they found badly mangled in the woods outside Danvers High School - near the body of teacher Colleen Ritzer.
'It is not unusual for individuals involved in homicides, particularly sexually violent homicides, to memorialize their victims’ deaths through photographic, audio and or video media for further humiliation of the victim or later viewing, for guilt relief or enjoyment,' Massachusetts state police detective Steven J. Buccheri wrote in newly-released documents, according to the Boston Herald.
Police found Chism's cell phone and Ritzer's iPhone both crushed in the woods. They believe he destroyed both phones in an effort to conceal what he had done.
Mystery: A police source told MailOnline they are investigating whether Chism was infatuated with Colleen and another theory is that he was scared he was going to fail at math - putting his soccer team place in jeopardy
Covered up: Police believe Philip Chism changed into his soccer uniform - and out of his bloody clothes - after murdering his 24-year-old teacher Colleen Ritzer and violating her corpse
Officers say they also believe Chism returning to the school - barefoot - and changed out of his bloody
clothes and into his soccer uniform.
He then dumped his soiled school clothes, walked around the school soccer fields, and went to see the Woody Allen movie 'Blue Jasmine' at a nearby theater.
When police stopped him on a roadside and arrested him hours later, he had Ritzer's underwear in his pocket - along with a bloody boxcutter, according to police.
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Last week, a grand jury charged him with a second count of aggravated rape and revealed he had raped her before murdering her and and dumping her body with a large tree branch sticking from her genitals.
Prosecutors believe Philip Chism forced Colleen Ritzer to have sex with him after dragging her into a teachers' bathroom at Danvers High School, where she was a teacher and he was a student.
Chism already faced one aggravated rape charge for allegedly sexually assaulting Ritzer with a large stick. Her body was found on her back in a 'sexual position' with the three-foot branch inside her on October 22.
The family of Colleen Ritzer issued a statement against a new ruling in Massachusetts which will give teens serving life sentences the eligibility to apply for parole. Ritzer's alleged killer is a 14-year-old student+8
The family of Colleen Ritzer issued a statement against a new ruling in Massachusetts which will give teens serving life sentences the eligibility to apply for parole. Ritzer's alleged killer is a 14-year-old student
Graphic new details: Philip Chism, pictured left in court in November, allegedly murdered and raped his teacher Colleen Ritzer, right, after school in October+8
Graphic new details: Philip Chism, pictured left in court in November, allegedly murdered and raped his teacher Colleen Ritzer, right, after school in October+8
Graphic new details: Philip Chism, pictured left in court in November, allegedly murdered and raped his teacher Colleen Ritzer, right, after school in October
Authorities had not previously confirmed that Chism allegedly raped 24-year-old Ritzer before slashing her throat and killing her.
Chism will be tried as an adult for Ritzer's murder, but rape and robbery counts are juvenile charges.
Chism, a new freshman at Danvers High School and a soccer star, wore a dark sweater and kahki pants as he appeared shackled in Essex Superior Court north of Boston earlier last month.
Prosecutors revealed that psychologists who evaluated Chism have concluded that he is mentally competent to stand trial, the Boston Globe reports.
However, his lawyers said they may raise issues about his mental health, if they deem it relevant to the legal proceedings.
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Philip Chism, 14, looked down during a court appearance in December in which he pleaded not guilty to rape, murder and robbery charges
Prosecutors said a psychological exam revealed that the teen is mentally competent to stand trial
Both Chism's parents and Miss Ritzer's family attended the hearing. Both families refused to speak with the media after the hearing.
However, the Ritzers issued a statement saying: 'We remain devastated by the passing of our daughter and sister, Colleen.
'We are, however, strengthened by the tremendous outpouring of love and support we have received from so many throughout the local community and beyond.
Teen pleads not guilty to murdering teacher
'We are especially touched by the number of tributes to Colleen throughout Andover and Danvers, many of which will benefit a scholarship fund in her name.'
Chism is scheduled to appear in court against on January 30 for another pretrial hearing.
His lawyer, Denise Regan, argued with prosecutors over whether Chism should be tried as an adult for all of the charges he faces.
Currently, only the murder charge is being tried .
Chism left a folded piece of paper with the words 'I hate you all' next to the corpse of Colleen Ritzer after he slit her throat in a bathroom and left her body in a 'sexually staged' position at Danvers High School in Massachusetts, according to court court papers.
The documents also describe how Chism's parents were going through a difficult divorce and the student had become visibly upset at Miss Ritzer after she asked him to stay behind after class on the day of the killing, according to the Boston Herald.
Miss Ritzer had asked Chism and another student to stay behind on October 22 and began talking about Tennessee - the state where Chism used to live - causing him to become distressed.
Chism, whose mother left his father and moved away this summer, was seen talking to himself quietly after his teacher changed the subject.
Chism's lawyers say he should be tried separately, as a juvenile, on the charges of rape and armed robbery
He wore gloves and a mask as he followed Ritzer into a second-floor bathroom after the argument armed with a box cutter.
He raped her, slit her throat with the box cutter, wheeled her body outside in a large recycling bin and dumped it in the woods behind the school.Her body was found naked from the waist down with the three foot branch still inside her corpse, which was covered in leaves. Her bra was pulled down and her top pulled up.
An unidentified woman also walked into the bathroom as Chism committed his terrible crime at 3pm, but left quickly when she saw his naked behind and clothes on the floor. She told police that she assumed someone was changing in the bathroom.
Chism was also seen on CCTV emerging from the bathroom after killing Miss Ritzer, leaving the building and using a service elevator to return with a recycling bin in which he stuffed her body.
The new details come after Chism was indicted in a Massachusetts court on charges of murder, aggravated rape and armed robbery on Thursday.
District Attorney Jonathan Blodgett also said in court on Thursday the teen stole her iPhone, credit cards and underwear.He was found with her underwear and a bloody knife in his bag.
'The indictments returned today detail horrific and unspeakable acts,' District Attorney said.
'Since the moment Ms Ritzer’s body was discovered, a dedicated and professional team of state police detectives assigned to my office, Danvers Police officers, crime scene forensic experts and assistant district attorneys have worked tirelessly to compile and present the evidence to the Grand Jury.
'This is the first step in a long process to secure justice for Ms Ritzer and her family.'
Source: Daily Mail
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