The murder was beyond horrific.A popular young school teacher in Danvers was stabbed, raped and left for dead.Watch the reportEven more chilling, authorities said the murder was carried out by PhilipChism, a boy just 14 years old.Now 5 Investigates has unearthed documents from two other states that cast new light on the life of this accused teenager."It was shocking," said Mark Nolan, who coached Chism's youth soccer team in Tennessee for three years. "It certainly was not consistent with any behavior that I had observed."Chism is charged with murdering and raping Colleen Ritzer, a 24-year-old teacher at Danvers High School.A month later Chism was charged again, this time with choking and punching a 29-year-old female worker at a Department of Youth Services facility.Nolan is mystified by the serious charges against the boy he once knew well."I'd say he acted like an average, ordinary kid for his age," Nolan said. "He didn't act out in practice. He didn't act inappropriately or violently."In fact, when the Chism family lived in Florida, Philipwas a school security guard and went on a field trip to The White House.But 5 Investigates dug deeper and discovered court records that tell a different story, showing Chism and his two younger sisters were raised in what appeared to be a family in crisis.The marriage of his parents, Diana and Stacy Chism, was in constant turmoil, evidenced by a Complaint for Legal Separation in 2001 and two petitions for divorce, one in 2011 and a second in 2013.The divorce records are filled with damaging accusations, most of them leveled by the husband and denied by Diana Chism and her lawyer.Stacy Chism claimed Diana had "extreme episodes" of "deep depression" and at times would "rock back and forth" on the couch for five hours at a time. He claimed she had a history of "rage" and said she "verbally abused" their son Philip.In 2001, Diana and Stacy both signed a Permanent Parenting Plan stating the husband committed "physical abuse, sexual abuse, or a pattern of emotional abuse." Diana claimed Stacy was "guilty of adultery."Years later, Diana said her husband "failed and refused to provide" financial support.5 Investigates also discovered the Chism family moved eight times in the last six years, mostly without the children's father.Last year Diana, her two daughters and Philip ended up in Danvers, living in the basem*nt of a home owned by her aunt."Unstable family life, chaos, divorce, even child abuse, that's very serious, those are unfortunately very common events in the lives of children and adolescents," said Don Condie, M.D., a clinical instructor in psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, who could not comment specifically about the Chism case."Ninety-nine-point-nine percent of them are never going to go and do a terrible crime like a sexual homicide, but they don't help either," Condie added.5 Investigates asked Dr. Condie if a child who has never expressed any type of aggressive behavior could still strike out with extreme sexual violence?"It would be unusual for the first time to be such a serious crime as a sexual homicide, but everything has to have a first instance," Condie said. "Controlling the other person and being able to do to them what you want to sexually is a major focus for people who commit sexual homicides."The Chism's divorce was finalized last month.5 Investigates was unable to reach Stacy Chism for comment.Diana Chism declined to speak with us, but in an email she wrote: "I pray every day for something good to come from this."
DANVERS, Mass. —
The murder was beyond horrific.
A popular young school teacher in Danvers was stabbed, raped and left for dead.
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Watch the report
Even more chilling, authorities said the murder was carried out by PhilipChism, a boy just 14 years old.
Now 5 Investigates has unearthed documents from two other states that cast new light on the life of this accused teenager.
"It was shocking," said Mark Nolan, who coached Chism's youth soccer team in Tennessee for three years. "It certainly was not consistent with any behavior that I had observed."
Chism is charged with murdering and raping Colleen Ritzer, a 24-year-old teacher at Danvers High School.
A month later Chism was charged again, this time with choking and punching a 29-year-old female worker at a Department of Youth Services facility.
Nolan is mystified by the serious charges against the boy he once knew well.
"I'd say he acted like an average, ordinary kid for his age," Nolan said. "He didn't act out in practice. He didn't act inappropriately or violently."
In fact, when the Chism family lived in Florida, Philipwas a school security guard and went on a field trip to The White House.
But 5 Investigates dug deeper and discovered court records that tell a different story, showing Chism and his two younger sisters were raised in what appeared to be a family in crisis.
The marriage of his parents, Diana and Stacy Chism, was in constant turmoil, evidenced by a Complaint for Legal Separation in 2001 and two petitions for divorce, one in 2011 and a second in 2013.
The divorce records are filled with damaging accusations, most of them leveled by the husband and denied by Diana Chism and her lawyer.
Stacy Chism claimed Diana had "extreme episodes" of "deep depression" and at times would "rock back and forth" on the couch for five hours at a time. He claimed she had a history of "rage" and said she "verbally abused" their son Philip.
In 2001, Diana and Stacy both signed a Permanent Parenting Plan stating the husband committed "physical abuse, sexual abuse, or a pattern of emotional abuse." Diana claimed Stacy was "guilty of adultery."
Years later, Diana said her husband "failed and refused to provide" financial support.
5 Investigates also discovered the Chism family moved eight times in the last six years, mostly without the children's father.
Last year Diana, her two daughters and Philip ended up in Danvers, living in the basem*nt of a home owned by her aunt.
"Unstable family life, chaos, divorce, even child abuse, that's very serious, those are unfortunately very common events in the lives of children and adolescents," said Don Condie, M.D., a clinical instructor in psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, who could not comment specifically about the Chism case.
"Ninety-nine-point-nine percent of them are never going to go and do a terrible crime like a sexual homicide, but they don't help either," Condie added.
5 Investigates asked Dr. Condie if a child who has never expressed any type of aggressive behavior could still strike out with extreme sexual violence?
"It would be unusual for the first time to be such a serious crime as a sexual homicide, but everything has to have a first instance," Condie said. "Controlling the other person and being able to do to them what you want to sexually is a major focus for people who commit sexual homicides."
The Chism's divorce was finalized last month.
5 Investigates was unable to reach Stacy Chism for comment.
Diana Chism declined to speak with us, but in an email she wrote: "I pray every day for something good to come from this."
