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Philip chism found guilty of firstdegree murder. Chism is convicted of killing his teacher Colleen Ritzer at a Danvers High School in 2013. Chism had faced four counts in connection with this horrific crime. They found him not guilty of a separate count of aggravated rape. Steve cooper has been in the courtroom every step of the way in this trial. He joins us with more from salem Supreme Court. Steve . Reporter some dramatic moments playing out here up on the fifth floor of salem Supreme Court a little after 4 00. Thats when the jury came back after almost hours of deliberations delivering the guilty charge. The 16yearold stood and showed no reaction as he was found guilty on three of the four indictments. Chism was found guilty teacher Colleen Ritzer at danvers high back in october of 2013. The then 14yearold was found guilty on one count of aggravated rape for the rape that happened in the girls bathroom and also one count of armed robbery. The ritzer family including peggy and tom ritzer who were in the courtroom through every step of this trial left the court house with colleens brother, dans sister laura along with the District Attorney. Well hear from the District Attorney shortly. Philip chisms mother who cried in court, broke down, put her face down in her lap as she heard that guilty verdict, left the court house here without comment. The defense in this case said all along right from the getgo that philip chism was guilty of the murder. They werent disputing that. They said he was insane at the time of the crime. Prosecutors were disputing that all along they had all that high surveillance video, that security video from both inside and outside Danvers High School that showed philip chisms movements before and after the murder, and that is one thing that the jurors appeared to be focused on. They came back to the courtroom twice today, one to deal with that issue, a technical issue, trying to look at all that video, and a second time late this afternoon, they had some questions on the aggravated rape charge that happened in the woods outside the high school, and it would be shortly after that, 4 00, that they returned to the courtroom, stood up and thats when he heard for the first time he was found guilty on that firstdegree murder charge. Lets go to the District Attorney right now. Everybody all set . I want to start by their very hard and diligent work during this trial. The Time Commitment was extreme and the facts were excruciateatingly horrifying. They did their job and did it well and i want to thank them for the dedication. I want to thank my team of professional and competent attorneys for the work they did to help bring justice to the memory of Colleen Ritzer and her family. Kate mcdougal is one of the best trial attorneys in massachusetts, without question. Melissa woodard who assisted her is a very, very dedicated and competent attorney as well. Extraordinary work. The three of them put in countless hours. Trial. What you see, what you see when you cover a trial is their work see the countless hours of preparation and devotion. Im talking about monday holidays, saturdays, weekends in which i saw them diligently preparing for this work. The victim witness advocate, shes my director assigned to the ritzers and she gave everything she had to provide comfort and assistance with them. The professional Law Enforcement personnel hamilton were involved in this, the Topsfield Police department, the Danvers Police department, the Massachusetts State Police, including the Crime Services unit, the crime lab, the canine unit, the air wing, all were dedicated and professional in helping us in our preparation for this matter and this case. There are a few people i want to briefly single out, and i have to do that. John campbell from the Sheriffs Department was here every day, worked diligently. Sergeant phil tansey, chief pat ambrose, chief of police in danvers, the Danvers Police as well as the other aforedepartment. Also postponed his retirement at the request of the judge so he could make sure that the court was orderly and the process worked the way it should. I want to thank paul and wish him a great retirement when he finally leaves us. The judge deserves special mention. He was tested time and time again, and his patience was tested, and he conducted himself with the best judicial the way he conducted himself should be highlighted for other judges. He made sure the courtroom was conducted in an orderly and professional manner. Most importantly this moment belongs to Colleen Ritzer and her family. We cant bring her back but we can provide some sort of justice for her family. Tom, peggy, dan and laura, her siblings, have shown incredible dignity and grace throughout this entire ordeal. No family should have to go through the horrific, horrific life that they had to go through with the murder of their daughter. One previous time i mentioned, i spoke about this case publicly in october of 2013, i said to you that Colleen Ritzer was a beloved figure in the Danvers High School community and nothing has changed. As you heard throughout her dedication to goodness, her outlook in life has only been enhanced, and i want to thank the ritzers again for their courage and dignity. There were two people, we had many supporters in the courtroom, as you saw, family, friends, people from the andover and danvers educational community, but two individuals were there every single day, detective from the Massachusetts State Police and state Police Detective assigned to this office. Both gentlemen were there every single day to provide assistance and comfort to the ritzer family. I think as you saw during the proceedings in the course of this trial, we stand for something. We stand for justice, and we stand with and for victims, no matter who they are. I thank you. At this time tom and peggy ritzer wish to make a statement. That, they will not take questions. I will answer some questions to the extent that i can, but today was a good day for the commonwealth. Thank you. Tom . Our family would like to thank the jury for their fair and careful consideration of the evidence and overwhelming facts over the past few weeks. We would also like to thank the judge to his commitment for bringing this trial to completion. While were pleased with the verdict, we are aware the judicial process will continue. Appeals will certainly be filed and given the states guidelines for socalled juvenile sentencing, we may be forced to once again publicly endure this pain suffering the parole hearings, this guilty verdict or the colleen is certainly no cause for celebration as there can never be true committed. There remains a tremendous and painful absence in our lives, one that sadly can never be replaced. Our family enters a new phase in our lives, one that we have no choice to begin. However, we do so knowing the remarkable difference colleen made in her short life and continues to make among so many. We witness the impact among her students and those who never had the chance to call her a teacher, friend or daughter. Those who plan to emulate colleen by becoming caring and compassionate teachers. As part of this new phase in our lives, our family and friend will continue our efforts to share colleens story and how one person can make a profound we will honor her legacy and be her voice during the continued judicial process. Colleen never gave up and neither will we. We will not let colleens death define how she is remembered. In our darkest hours, there have been a number of individuals in addition to our family and friends who provide aid shoulder to cry on, a captive ear to listen or devoted for professional resources to a just resolution to this agonizing ordeal. We want to express our gratitude, particularly Kate Mcdougal, david for there compassionate efforts. Their personal attention to this case inside and outside of the courtroom was comforting to the family during this difficult time. Their steadfast dedication to fairly presenting the facts of presenting paramount staff to colleen are appreciated. We also share your sincere appreciation with the Law Enforcement community who viewed this as more than just a case. The Massachusetts State Police, Danvers Police department, essex county sheriffs and salem Supreme Court officers have demonstrated the highest levels of professionalism and sincere compassionate since our unfortunate meeting two years ago. And their caring actions , we have witnessed the same kindness that defined colleen. One of colleens favorite quotes is there is something good in every day. To celebrate our love for her and wreck anything of the many lives colleen touched and continues to influence despite the immense loss, we will carry on and do our very best to carry on and find the good in every from the outset was the second charge going to be the most difficult one the charge in which philip chism [inaudible] did you feel that that was going to be the most difficult one . The utmost confidence. The jury did their job and were grateful for that and we did not handicap any of the counts in that regard. We brought forward the case we believed should be brought. [inaudible] it seemed like there was a lot of frustration in your office. I cant say any better than Kate Mcdougal said where she said countless delays thats the best way they could be described. The jury clearly defense. Any comment on the use of that defense and how it backfired on the defense . Not at all. The commonwealth presented its case and the jury did its job and we are pleased with the outcome. Can you just talk about what went through your mind [inaudible] when the verdict came down . Yes. I obviously felt a great sense of relief for the ritzer family, for colleen and for all the people who every case is important to us, and i said this when i talked to different groups. Im very proud of the people in my office, the assistant district hard. Every case is important to us but i certainly felt a sense of relief and gratitude for the worked so hard to have this outcome happen. So many highprofile cases like this right now are being made. Had the school not been renovated whether it was and those cameras not been installed, might we have seen a different outcome . We put together all of the evidence and certainly its not an under statement to say the video cameras were a tremendous help form for us in the time line of making our case and used effectively for the prosecution team. Thank you. Youve been listening to a very emotional News Conference there from the District Attorney and also Colleen Ritzers family, both her mother and father, peggy and tom, both speaking there. The entire family wearing pink, colleens favorite color. Very admiral how they were able to get up tom ritzer said they pleased with the verdict but its certainly no cause for celebration but there remains a tremendous absence in their family but he says that they are going to continue on. He says that colleen never gave up and they are not going to either. They know that theres a long legal road ahead and they are expecting appeals to happen. They say they are going to be colleens voice throughout this whole thing because she cant speak for herself now. 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Insueders say cruz sees a political danger in taking on trump because he needs to win over trump supporters. Ill have much more on that coming up tonight on 7 news. Lighter winds and its still above normal. Well get to that forecast coming up next. And were continuing to stay on top of breaking news for you. Philip chism found guilty of firstdegree murder in the death of his teacher. Team 7 coverage live if you got up early, you saw these temperatures climb into the 60s. Thats 20 degrees above where our normal high should be for this time of year. Though it was mild today, it was quite windy. Still pretty breezy overnight as well. Sitting in the low 50s right now. 48 for worcester. 53 for the city of boston, up through beverly down through the south shore to plymouth as well. Heres the storm system that brought us thunderstorms, lightning last night and a little bit of rain. Its intensifying as it pulls off to the northeast. Were about done with it. Once those winds die down, thats it of that storm system for us. You can see showers creeping in from the western part of the state. Thats where they will stay. Dry overnight into tomorrow as well. And those temperatures are dropped back into the upper 30s for most. Tomorrow we get the sunshine, we get the cooler temperatures, but later wind means it wont be all that bad and its still above year. 43 to 48. Then we turn our attention to this storm system right here, dumping snow in the inner Mountain Region today. Warm side of the storm, temperatures get a boost. Mild december and white christmas, im not going to say zero percent chance but its looking pretty close to that. Colder air pulling in for the weekend but thats as long as it stays. Look at how these temperatures climb. Strangely enough first day of winter is monday. Tuesday 57 is the high and maybe even flirting with 70 for christmas eve. We will be right back busy news day here today and theres another 30 minute of news ahead. 7 news at 6 00 starts right now. Decision day for the teen on trial charged with raping and killing his High School Math teacher. Were live with the philip chism verdict. Also breaking the city of los angeles closing more than 1,000 schools today. Hackers shut down computers within the city of bostons school system. The message from the mayor. 7 news at 6 00 starts now. And we begin with breaking news in the philip chism trial. Guilty, deliberate pre meditation and aextreme atrocity and cruelty. The danvers teenager found guilty of firstdegree murder for killing his math teacher. He was insane when he killed and raped Colleen Ritzer. Ritzers family and chisms mother very emotional as the verdict was read. 7s steve cooper begins our coverage live in salem. Reporter ryan, some pretty dramatic moments playing out in the courtroom here of the fifth floor of the salem Supreme Court house today. More than two months ago way back in october, and then the jury came back shortly after 4 00 in the afternoon to return the guilty verdict of philip chism. Lets take you into the courtroom. Philip chism showed no reaction. Just after 4 00 the jury returned the guilty verdict on three of the four indictments. So he was guilty of firstdegree murder with extreme atrocity and cruelty. Guilty of the aggravated rape charge in the bathroom at danvers high

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