Teen Accused of Killing and Raping His Algebra Teacher

by: Tristin Manus 8th
 
 Summary: A teenager accused of brutally raping and killing his algebra teacher at school and allegedly told the police that he "became the teacher" after she set him off with a "triggering" word. Phillip Chism is going to trial and to be charged as an adult for the crime he committed to his teacher on Wednesday. In 2013, he was charged for murder, rape and robbery of his algebra teacher, 24-year old Colleen Ritzer, who was found dead with her throat slit by a box cutter in the woods near the school Chism attended. She was sexually assaulted twice, once with a stick and a note was found nearby that read, " i hate you all". This event started on October 22, 2013 when Ritzer asked Chism back then he was 14 and a freshmen, to take notes instead of drawing in his notebook. Another student overheard the conversation between the two and saw that Chism became visibly angry when Ritzer metioned Tennessee, where Phillip previously lived but moved beacuse of his parents divorce. Later on that day, the schoool survelliance footage reportedly shows Phillip following his teacher into a school bathroom wearing a hood and gloves. He was then seen with a recycling bin in and outside of school. He was later found later walking along a highway and carrying a bloody box cutter, the teacher's ID, credit cards and pair of women's underwear inside of his backpack.
  
 
Analysis: This unfortunate event saddens me and i cannot imagine the teacher's pain. The parents were unaware of Phillip's unstableness and this type of event could have been prevented if the parents was aware of their child's well-being. If Phillip had gotten the help that he truly needed, and his parents expressed concern for him, this wouldn't have happened but the counterargument is that maybe he had some hidden hatred for that teacher because to do something this explict and grusome to sombody which, he probably saw on social media or the internet. He was probably spending his alone time by himself, not expressing his feelings and emotions to his parents, or his parents assumed that he was alright. Moral of the story is to talk to your kids, ask them how they feel about certain things, especially a divorce and to voice your concern about them to them. Also if you see something out of place with your child, take initiative to do your part as being a good parent.