Teenager Competent to Stand Trial for Rape, Murder

A teenager accused of raping and killing a Danvers teacher has been deemed competent to stand trial.

Philip Chism, 16, is charged with the rape and murder of 24-year-old Danvers High School math teacher Colleen Ritzer in 2013. She had been raped and her throat had been slit with a box cutter.

Chism, who was a 14-year-old student at the time, has pleaded not guilty to the crime. He is being tried as an adult.

Pretrial motions and jury selection are underway at Salem Superior Court, where his trial had been delayed after a judge ordered Chism to undergo a mental evaluation. He had refused to enter the courtroom for previous hearings and told a psychologist he hears voices and wanted someone to shoot him, necn.com reported.

Pretrial motions reportedly include a request to hold the trial elsewhere. In June, Chism asked for a change in venue for his murder trial.

Refresh this page for more information as it becomes available.