GUILTY MA - Colleen Ritzer, 24, brutally murdered, Danvers, 22 Oct 2013 #1

[gxm]

He referred to his teacher as "the girl." That is meaningful and disturbing to me. He didn't say the blood on the knife came from Ms. Ritzer or my teacher, he calls her the girl. Her mentioning Tennessee made me think that perhaps and ex-gf had a new boyfriend or something like that and he became incensed because of it. HOWEVER, he showed up to school with his murder gear. He planned on doing this. Was she his intended victim or would it be another "girl?"

I think his describing her as a girl shows his intense disregard for someone who was clearly well-loved by many and deserved his respect. At this point, I believe this was a sexual hate crime. And I think that the "I hate you all" was directed at females, not humanity, not the town or community, but women and girls. It's why the note was left with her staged corpse. JMO. OMO. MOO.

 

[PrairieWind]

Arguably for whomever may be his defense attorney, there is a past. I think it goes beyond a girlfriend, and into parental observation, via the early news blurbs, and today's Tennessee leak.

Mitigation is clear here. Death penalty is not on the table, but mitigation still applicable and at 14 it was pretty deep, dark, and messed him up. Some family skeletons about to fall out. Hope the family is okay with how they tried to deal.

What do you mean by "mitigation is clear". I certainly don't see see that. This kid appears to be full of anti-social disorders. That it not mitigating in regard to guilt nor sentencing. This is not a case of an abused kid reacting I appropriately to a situation. This is a case where he carefully planned a horrifically brutal sex assault and murder.

 

[JoeFromLB]

I also don't see any "mitigation" here, although his lawyer will no doubt pull out all the stops in his defense.

What I see here is more like a full-blown, mature psychopathic killer. His cold, emotionless demeanor in court was chilling. Fourteen years old, yes, but extremely capable and willing to commit an unspeakable crime.

 

[Foxfire]

Anatomy of a Lust Murder

By Vernon J. Geberth, M.S., M.P.S.
Former Commander, Bronx Homicide, NYPD

AUTHOR'S DEFINITION OF LUST MURDER

"Lust murders are homicides in which the offender stabs, cuts, pierces or mutilates the sexual regions or organs of the victim's body. The sexual mutilation of the victim may include evisceration, piquerism, displacement of the genitalia in both males and females and the removal of the breasts in a female victim (defeminization).

It also includes activities such as "posing" and "propping" of the body, the insertion of objects into the body cavities, anthropophagy (consumption of blood and/or flesh) and necrophilia."

Lust Murders are predicated on the obsessive fantasies of the offender. It is not enough for these type killers just to kill; they have a compulsive need to act out their fantasies with their victims and their victim's bodies. This would be the "Signature" component of the crime.

<sniped - read more> http://www.practicalhomicide.com/articles/lustmurder.htm

 

[21merc7]

What do you mean by "mitigation is clear". I certainly don't see see that. This kid appears to be full of anti-social disorders. That it not mitigating in regard to guilt nor sentencing. This is not a case of an abused kid reacting I appropriately to a situation. This is a case where he carefully planned a horrifically brutal sex assault and murder.

Because this is a brutal murder case caused by a teen, whomever his defense attorneys are will be looking for something, anything to help mitigate his sentence. That is a given.

I am saying that whatever abuse is in his past is where they will look. It will upset people, as the mere thought of it seems to, but it is a must for a good defense.

ETA: To further clarify, trying to mitigate whatever sentence he will receive may or may not work. I am not saying it will work, I am saying that is one of the places defense will begin looking for things to try to help the boy.

 

[rabidstoat]

I find it very interesting that this murders mother is a social worker.Aren't they trained to see what lay people do not?

I can imagine lots of reasons why she didn't notice anything in advance. It could be that her son was a loner and didn't really exhibit symptoms beyond normal teenage moodiness. She might have been busy and distracted with her own life, and simply not been that attentive when it came for looking for problems. She might even have suspected, deep down, that something was amiss, but been in denial because it's her son.

 

[matou]

I think his describing her as a girl shows his intense disregard for someone who was clearly well-loved by many and deserved his respect. At this point, I believe this was a sexual hate crime. And I think that the "I hate you all" was directed at females, not humanity, not the town or community, but women and girls. It's why the note was left with her staged corpse. JMO. OMO. MOO.

Yes, I believe that too.

 

[bourne]

Because this is a brutal murder case caused by a teen, whomever his defense attorneys are will be looking for something, anything to help mitigate his sentence. That is a given.

I am saying that whatever abuse is in his past is where they will look. It will upset people, as the mere thought of it seems to, but it is a must for a good defense.

ETA: To further clarify, trying to mitigate whatever sentence he will receive may or may not work. I am not saying it will work, I am saying that is one of the places defense will begin looking for things to try to help the boy.

Not to protract the argument, but it was your wording that was confusing.

"Mitigation is clear" means that there are facts and incontrovertible evidence which make it absolutely evident the perp's crime has mitigating factors or factors which will lessen the severity of his crime. However, as it stands today, we do *not* know that because no defense has been given and no additional facts regarding the perp's background have come out of the case other than MSM articles and the now published arrest warrant and police affidavit.

From your explanations in the most recent post, it seems you really meant the defense will look for mitigating factors on behalf of the perp so that his crime doesn't seem as egregious and that if he is convicted, the sentence may be lighter.

Quite frankly, seeking mitigating factors for clients is what all defense attorneys do, not just in this specific case. However, mitigation of PC's crimes for this particular case is not at all clear at this point.

 

[21merc7]

Not to protract the argument, but it was your wording that was confusing.

"Mitigation is clear" means that there are facts and incontrovertible evidence which make it absolutely evident the perp's crime has mitigating factors or factors which will lessen the severity of his crime. However, as it stands today, we do *not* know that because no defense has been given and no additional facts regarding the perp's background have come out of the case other than MSM articles and the now published arrest warrant and police affidavit.

From your explanations in the most recent post, it seems you really meant the defense will look for mitigating factors on behalf of the perp so that his crime doesn't seem as egregious and that if he is convicted, the sentence may be lighter.

Quite frankly, seeking mitigating factors for clients is what all defense attorneys do, not just in this specific case. However, mitigation of PC's crimes for this particular case is not at all clear at this point.

Thank you, and I understand that my typing language lacks hugely. Not that it will ever improve.

It is clear to me that there are areas that can help. I only look at cases in the reason of WHY, not the reason the reason of HOW HORRID. So, my vision is much different than most on the board. My phrasing, quite frankly, sucks, but I am not an English Teacher, nor an Attorney that Specializes in the various forms of Defense of Murder or any kind of attorney.

Much like reading any MSM, all things posted are open to interpretation, deductive reasoning, and common sense. I am simply a lay person that says, I see where mitigation can go with what we read today, and what we have read so far about his life all the way back to day one. Good, but, I do not know the specifics. I would be interested in specifics, where many may not.

I think a few knew what I was saying. Don't read into just another t.v. watcher's words. Brief and on the fly, but observant for a few steps forward and back. That is all.

I will refer back to trying to explain that in the U.S. minor's names must be withheld when the Court refused to say anything of witnesses, I explained poorly, but expected many here that keep up with murder cases to understand. And most did without having to refer to any Constitutional Law. Just basic knowledge of everyday people.

 

[matou]

If he planned to do this (and I believe he did), how would he know his teacher would ask him to stay after class and that she would enter an accessible bathroom versus a staff washroom that can be locked? Was he planning to kill her inside the classroom? What about the other girl who was also getting extra help? Did he plan on killing her too? Did he know she would be there getting extra help?

 

[Foxfire]

http://news.msn.com/crime-justice/mass-teen-indicted-in-popular-teachers-death?ocid=ansnews11

Mass. teen indicted in popular teacher's death

 

[matou]

What was so bad in Tennessee that it triggered him to flip? I know divorce is hard but really, GMAB. Not like this. Was he previously charged as a minor while there? Did he move to avoid more trouble and to start a new life somewhere else. Troubled kids who move around makes me wonder what`s really up here. JMO

 

[colette]

If he planned to do this (and I believe he did), how would he know his teacher would ask him to stay after class and that she would enter an accessible bathroom versus a staff washroom that can be locked? Was he planning to kill her inside the classroom? What about the other girl who was also getting extra help? Did he plan on killing her too? Did he know she would be there getting extra help?

Maybe that was why he was drawing during class, to get in trouble and stay after.

 

[jillycat]

Because this is a brutal murder case caused by a teen, whomever his defense attorneys are will be looking for something, anything to help mitigate his sentence. That is a given.

I am saying that whatever abuse is in his past is where they will look. It will upset people, as the mere thought of it seems to, but it is a must for a good defense.

ETA: To further clarify, trying to mitigate whatever sentence he will receive may or may not work. I am not saying it will work, I am saying that is one of the places defense will begin looking for things to try to help the boy.

I'm sure his defense will display his baby pics in court, or lament that he fell off his potty chair at age 2, or claim that divorce causes murderous sexual rage at the mention of 'Tennessee'.

Or something like that.

But such futile mitigation theater didn't work for Jessica Ridgeway's unhinged adolescent killer and I don't think it will work here.

 

[Foxfire]

Maybe that was why he was drawing during class, to get in trouble and stay after.

Very possible, colette. A classmate stated that PC had been withdrawn for a couple of weeks. Due to CR's educational expertise in psychology and the TN topic being discussed. It would be logical to conclude that CR would have also observed this withdrawal by PC, and the after school tutoring offer, only a guise for counselling.

 

[i.b.nora]

I believe Colette was talking about 'drawing' not 'withdrawing'. Maybe I am confused.

 

[colette]

I believe Colette was talking about 'drawing' not 'withdrawing'. Maybe I am confused.

You are correct. I was talking about him drawing pictures during math class. I figure it was another part of premeditation in his murder plan.
Foxfire has a point, Colleen was trying to help a student who definitely needed help.

 

[SmoothOperator]

I just couldn't get over the fact that another individual entered the women's restroom during the rape/murder and actually saw the naked "butt", clothes strewn on the bathroom floor, and assumed someone was changing clothes and quickly exited the women's restroom..

After now reading the full affidavit, including the detailed timeline of events documented by the school's video surveillance footage.. I am still at a loss for exactly what happened wrt that specific issue of another individual entering the restroom during the rape/murder.. I guess what really has me questioning of the issue is that OK, so the individual enters and sees what they believe to simply be another individual changing clothes.. So, why then does this person immediately exit the restroom at that point?.. From what I understand this person appears to definitely be indicating they were totally/completely unaware of any nefarious activity whatsoever was taking place..so, why then do they quickly leave the restroom?.. If nothing nefarious is happening and there is merely someone in the restroom changing clothes..why would this make you immediately turn and leave?

This is where I'm lost as I can understand if this is what the individual thought upon their entering the school restroom..they saw nothing to indicate any type of assault..or anything nefarious, period is taking place so, why then does she immediately turn and leave?...

And then if I think about well, maybe there was some indication that something "not right" was happening..and this is what made her instinctively flee the bathroom, then I don't understand there being no action to follow..and I want to be clear, here in my intent is NOT to cast blame.. I just would really like to better understand the situation(maybe I am misconstruing something, here or otherwise misunderstanding this particular issue?)

Because I just cannot for the life of me understand when the affidavit shows that it wasn't just a peripheral view of catching sight of this person supposedly changing clothes, but rather a very detailed accounting that included the discernment of the "butt" being darker in skin color than that of a white/Caucasian..

But not the discernment that it was a male's "butt" and the fact that clothes strewn about that were assumed to be merely indicative of changing clothes, those being female clothes??

There certainly appears to have been alot viewed and discerned.. And yet on then other hand other things not even noted?

I get that the human instinct can easily and very, very quickly pick up on that feeling of something's not quite right, and fleeing is the reaction to that before one even really comprehends what they've instinctively picked up on.. And it seems that on the one hand that's likely exactly what happened here in this immediate, quick turn around of her leaving the restroom...but at the same that's where the huge question marks appear for me in it certainly appearing there was some immediate instincts that kicked in, here, but then nothing to follow??

If I am totally INCORRECT in my assumptions regarding the immediate instincts kicking in leading to her immediately fleeing..then there is simply nothing at all that would have prohibited her from entering on into the restroom rather than immediately turning around and fleeing(certainly not another student in there changing clothes)..

Idk, maybe I am just way off base, here with the way I'm seeing or looking at this... I just don't know what to think and to be honest I guess its nothing but "Monday morning quarterbacking" a situation that is not at all going to be changed due to any hindsight after-the-fact...I do know that regardless of what/how this situation unfolded involving this individual having the horrific misfortune of walking into that bathroom.. I do know that above all else I am thankful that the immediate reaction was to flee, rather than continuing on into the restroom.. I have little doubt that she would have very easily and quickly become another victim of this disturbed individual and been murdered as well..

My apologies for the rambling on...and its nothing more than just that, my ramblings about such a horrifically brutal crime on Colleen Ritzer.. Its all just so incomprehensible, angering, and heartbreakingly sad

 

[Elainera]

The girl who entered the bathroom and immediately exited probably saw only the naked behind of an unknown person and nothing more of that person or the room. Immediately realized it is a guy, and didn't mean to intrude. I find this quite understandable. Would have done the same. Wouldn't you? Walking in on a naked man who seems to be changing clothes, would you simply continue entering?

 

[SmoothOperator]

**Below is each of the pages from the Search Warrant Affidavit rehilip Chism, 14 charged with raping, robbing, and murdering his math teacher, Colleen Ritzer, 24**