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SJC denies new trial for Philip Chism, upholds conviction for murder of Danvers teacher
The Supreme Judicial Court upheld sentences against Philip Chism, who raped and murdered Danvers High School math teacher Colleen E. Ritzer in 2013.
A man who was convicted in 2015 of raping and murdering Danvers High School math teacher Colleen E. Ritzer was denied a new trial and will not be eligible for parole until he turns 54, the Supreme Judicial Court ruled Tuesday.
Philip Chism, 26, appeared before the Supreme Judicial Court last year and asked the court to vacate his convictions. The court denied the appeal in a Tuesday ruling.
“After carefully reviewing the record, we conclude that none of the asserted errors, standing alone or cumulatively, requires a new trial, and that there is no other basis on which to disturb the jury’s verdict,” Justice Frank M. Gaziano wrote in the ruling.
Chism was convicted of first-degree murder, aggravated rape, and armed robbery after he attacked Ritzer, 24, his math teacher, in a bathroom at Danvers High School in 2013.
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Chism was 14 at the time of the murder and was sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole after 25 years for the murder charge. He was also sentenced to a 40-year concurrent sentence for the rape and robbery charges, meaning he is not eligible for parole until he is 54 years old.
In addition to these charges, Chism received a concurrent sentence of 17 to 20 years for a 2014 attack on a juvenile detention facility counselor in Dorchester, where he was held while awaiting trial for Ritzer’s murder.
Chism asserted that he was entitled to a new trial due to several erroneous rulings and a lack of sufficient evidence to support the rape and robbery charges, according to court records. Chism’s lawyers also pointed to rulings over evidence and witness testimony that allegedly would have proven that he was suffering from psychosis when he committed the murder.
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Chism also argued that his 40-year sentence violates Article 26 of the Massachusetts Declaration of Rights. Article 26 is meant to prevent a defendant’s punishment from being disproportionate on a scale that “shocks the conscience.” But, Chism’s sentence is proportionate, according to the ruling.
“The nonhomicide offenses were distinct heinous acts that inflicted, as the Commonwealth argues, ‘suffering and humiliation in their own right,’” the ruling said. “A forty-year prison sentence does not shock the conscience.”
“We are gratified by the Court’s unanimous decision to affirm the defendant’s conviction and sentences,” Essex County District Attorney Paul F. Tucker said in a statement. “It is clear that the SJC carefully considered all of the issues and determined that the jury’s verdict should not be overturned.”
“Throughout this process, I have been deeply moved and inspired by the grace of the Ritzer family,” Tucker said. “I hope that this decision will now bring a measure of justice and finality.”
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