Chapter 1: The Final Moments of Colleen Ritzer

In the last moments of her life, Colleen Ritzer was captured on surveillance cameras as she was pursued by a student who would ultimately take her life. Philip Chism, just 14 years old, meticulously stalked her, culminating in a horrific act of violence in the bathroom of Danvers High School, where he attacked her with a box cutter, inflicting 16 stab wounds.

Colleen was a 9th-grade algebra teacher at Danvers High in Massachusetts. Despite being in her second year at the school, she had quickly become a cherished figure among her students. Her Twitter feed was filled with engaging math problems and games aimed at inspiring her pupils. On October 22, 2013, everything seemed typical for a fall day, with leaves changing colors and Halloween excitement building.

Her day unfolded normally until around 2:30 p.m., when she stayed after school to offer extra help to a few students struggling with algebra. Unbeknownst to anyone, this would be the last time she was seen alive.

At 2:54 p.m., the CCTV footage showed Colleen entering the school bathroom. The school day ended around 4 p.m., and as after-school activities began, her absence raised alarms. Colleen's parents, Peggy and Tom Ritzer, grew increasingly anxious as hours passed without any word from her.

At 24, Colleen still lived with her parents near Danvers and should have returned home by then. Tom drove to the high school and was alarmed to find her car still parked in the lot. He asked around, but no one knew her whereabouts, and panic began to set in.

Tom and Peggy reached out to Colleen's friends, hoping she had gone out for a drink after work, but no one had seen her. Fearing the worst, they alerted the police to report her missing.

As after-school activities continued, the soccer coach noted the absence of Philip Chism, the 14-year-old who had recently moved to Danvers from Tennessee and had not yet made many friends. His absence wasn't alarming at first, but it was noted by those around him. Meanwhile, his mother, Diana, grew concerned when he failed to return home after soccer practice.

As time passed, Diana's worry escalated. Philip had no close friends in the area, and the family was navigating a difficult divorce, which had prompted their move. He was struggling to adapt to his new environment and felt like an outsider.

When all attempts to reach him by phone failed, Diana reported Philip missing to the police at 6:34 p.m. A search was initiated for both missing individuals, Colleen Ritzer and Philip Chism. Authorities soon learned that Colleen had been Philip’s math teacher, and they were last seen together in her classroom.

As police analyzed surveillance footage to reconstruct the timeline, a sense of dread grew. In the bathroom where Colleen was last seen, investigators discovered blood smears. A subsequent search revealed Colleen's discarded purse among fallen leaves. Tragically, around 3 a.m., Colleen Ritzer’s lifeless body was found in a nearby wooded area, concealed under a pile of