Teen Pleads Not Guilty to Murder of Salem State Graduate Student

So what's next for Philip Chism? The six-foot-two 14-year-old, who recently moved from Tennessee to Danvers with his family, has pleaded not guilty to first degree murder in the death of Danvers High teacher Colleen Ritzer.

Chism, who is being charged as an adult, is being held without bail pending a probable cause hearing in Salem District Court on Nov. 22. Ritzer, who grew up in Andover, was in graduate school at Salem State University.

The Salem News reports that Chism is expected to be indicted by a grand jury before that court date, however, moving the case into superior court.

The paper also reports defense attorney Denise Regan has filed a motion to seek funds for a mental health evaluation of Chism.

To date, prosecutors have not yet offered a motive for the crime nor officially identified the type of weapon used in the murder.

Some early news reports and unconfirmed chatter online indicated Ritzer was shot and killed, but numerous news reports now say surveillance footage from inside the school reportedly shows that she was stabbed to death.

New details in the case were revealed during Chism's arraignment in district court Wednesday afternoon, including that police interviewed the teen and had ample surveillance footage from which they determined he attacked and subsequently murdered Ritzer.

Authorities say blood was found inside a second-floor bathroom. Chism then allegedly disposed of Ritzer's body in the woods behind the high school.

ABC News also reported that unnamed law enforcement sources told the station there is footage showing Chism taking Ritzer's body from the bathroom and outside the building toward the woods in what appears to be a recycling bin.

Chism was found walking along Route 1 by Topsfield police around 12:30 a.m. on Wednesday and taken back to the Danvers police station and later booked and charged with murder.