colleen never gave up and never will we, we will not allow colleen's 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 provided a shoulder to cry on, a captive ear to listen or devoted their professional and personal resources to ensure a justice resolution. we want to express our gratitude to essex county attorney, particularly kate mcdowel ago, david o'sullivan for their passionate efforts to ensure justice for our daughter and sister colleen. comforting to our family during this difficult time. fairly presenting the facts of this case while demonstrating paramount respect for colleen and caring compassion to our family. we also share our sincere appreciation with the law enforcement community who view this as more than just a case, the massachusetts state police, danvers police department, essex county sheriff and salem superior court officers have demonstrated the highest level of professionalism since our unfortunate meeting two years ago, in their caring actions, we have witnessed the same

colleen never gave up and neither will we. we will not let colleen's 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 meetin

colleen ritzer's family, of course, losing colleen, all those years ago, and mrs. chism, having to go through this involving her own son. very, very difficult for both families. >> tough day for so many people there in that courtroom. now, despite the first degree murder conviction, chism does not face a mandatory sentence of life in prison without the explain that. >> that's right. still a juvenile. he was only 14 years old when this all took place. and the laws in the state have changed, there was an sjc ruling that juveniles cannot be given life, no parole sentences, no matter how heinous the crime. so philip chism at 16 years old, has been convicted if adult court, an adult charge of first degree murder, but he will be eligible for parole anywhere from 15 to 25 years. and it may even be longer than that, because the aggravated rape that he was convicted on, also carries a life sentence. this is the first time something like this has happened, the judge could stack these sentences up, consecutively, one after the other, as one life sentence is completed, the oth

it was colleen's second year at danvers high school. as the family continues to fight for justice, they will also continue to keep colleen's memory alive. a scholarship fund has been created in her name, and her spirit thrives in every act of kindness. >> despite the immense loss we are forced to endure, we will carry on and do our very best to find the good in every day. >> there is a lot of support for danvers high school and in a statement to fox 25 tonight school administrators say they hope the healing will continue adding that being good is a wonderful legacy to leave behind. reporting live in danvers, ted daniel, fox 25 news. >> and the phillip chism verdict hit very close to home in andover. colleen ritzer was from andover and many who didn't even know her felt like they did after hearing so much about her in the last two years. when today's guilty verdict came down, many are watching pretty closely and tell us tonight they feel some justice has been served. >> i'm so happy because i really didn't buy into the defense, the insan

colleen never gave up, and neither will we. we will not allow collin balester acolleen's -- notallow colleen's death to define how she is remembered. >> mark: in our darkest. >> in our darkest hours, there have been a number of individuals, in addition to our family and friend, who provided a shoulder to cry on or devoted their professional and personal resources to ensure a just resolution to this agonizing ordeal. we want to express our gratitude to essex county district attorney jonathan blodgett and his office, particularly kate mcdougal, melissa, david o'sullivan and maureen to ensure passionate end for collin colleen. their steadfast dedication to fairly presenting the facts of this case while demonstrating paramount respect for colleen family, despite difficult circumstances, are beyond appreciated. we also share our sincere appreciation with the law enforcement community, who view this as more than just a case. the massachusetts state police, danvers police department, essex county sheriffs and the salem superior court

. >> there can never be true >> reporter: tonight colleen ritz's family vows to keep fighting. >> colleen never gave up and neither will we. >> and promises to keep her legacy alive. >> we will carry on and do our best to find the good every day,. >> the pain colleen ritzer's family lived while the trial ends and they are still left with a tragedy. >> the verdict was read live right here on fox 25. phillip chism is guilty of first-degree murder. he was found guilty on one of the aggravated rape charges. the rape that happened in the bathroom of the high school. chism was found not guilty on the rape charge in the woods and the the 16 year was also found guilty of armed robbery for stealing richards' -- ritzer's underwear. emotional reaction after the verdict was read today. >> they waited a long i am to hear the words. for the first time in two years, that family has a sense of justice. >> the jury has a verdict, after weeks of testimony and a day and a half of deliberation, finally news that the phillip chism jury of 8 men and 4 women have made a decision, they kept calling -- as colleen

we heard a couple times today from the family of colleen ritzer that colleen's favorite saying was there's something good in every day and the ritzer family will try to hold on to those words as they move forward. >> at that press them all wearing pink, her favorite color. >>> thank you for joining us. i'm ryan schulteis. red 97! set! red 97! did you say 97? yes. you know, that reminds me of geico's 97% customer satisfaction rating. 97%? helped by geico's fast and friendly claims service. huh... oh yeah, baby. woo!

colleen never gave up and neither will we. we will not allow her death to define how she is remembered. >> in our darkest hours, there have been a number of individuals in addition to family and friends who provided a shoulder to cry on, who devoted their professional resources to ensure a just resolution to this agonizing ordeal. we want to express our gratitude to the district attorney and his office, particularly kate mcdougal, david o' sullivan, their passionate efforts to ensure justice for our daughter. their personal attention to this case, inside and outside the courtroom, was comforting to our time. case while demonstrating paramount respect for colleen and caring compassion to our family despite difficult circumstances are beyond appreciated. we also share our sincere appreciation with a law-enforcement community, who view this as more and just a case. the massachusetts state police, danvers police, and the salem superior court officers have demonstrated the highest level of compassion since our unfortunate meeting t

. >> one of colleen's favorite quotes was there is something good in everyday. >> reporter: colleen ritzer was a well loved 24-year-old math teacher at danvers high school. when in october of 2013 she was stalked by then 14-year-old chism, strangled and stabbed, also finding chism guilty of the aggravated rape of ritz in a bathroom and stealing her underwear. >> giving this case everything they have >> reporter: not buying the defense's argument that chism was in the throes of mental illness when he murdered ritzer, a painful experience nearing its end, but colleen's family vowing her legacy is not over. we will not allow her death to define how she's remembered. >> reporter: now, in the ritzer case, chism will get life in prison with the possibility of parole. we're live in danvers, louisa moller, wbz "this morning" back to you. >> louisa thank you. >>> and a judge set a hearing for next week to discuss the sentencing, stay with wbz both on air and online for the latest in this case. >>> a man arrested in a violent armed robbery due in court this morning, we showed you the surveillance vi

colleen never gave up and neither will we. we will not allow colleen's remembered. in statement school superintendent said we know colleen's message. no matter what happens in life, be good to people. being good is a wonderful legacy to leave behind. we'll live on in the hearts and loved her. my heart breaks for that family that lost their daughter. and my prayers are with them. certainly not jumping for joy, it doesn't bring her back. >> a lot of people also said you know this is tragedy for chisholm his and family as well. live in danvers, brandon gunnoe, 7 news night team. as soon as verdict came downs we sent outbreaking news alerts online. you can track latest with this case including chisholm's sentence on www.whdh.com and the 7 news mobile and tablet apps. we have breaking news tonight in nashville. a plane has skidded off the runway at the nashville airport. eight people are hurt. that is southwest airlines flight came in from houston. rolled on to the grass while taxiing to the gate. wrong. >>> now, before the night team, a sidewalk scare caught on camera.

colleen ritzer was just 24 years old. she was in her second year at a teacher at danvers high, her family says she had always wanted to be a teacher, a lifelong goal dating as far back as preschool, she loved math and enjoyed sharing that love with her students, she was a beloved member of the faculty there. chism was found guilty of rape during the assault in the school bathroom but not of the second count which was in the woods our side the school, jurors had asked the judge for clarification on that charger injury in the afternoon. >> thank you. >>> our christina hagar has been covering this case since the very beginning, she has been in the courtroom every day, and among the things she has seen the emotional reaction of colleen ritzer's mother. the family overtime has opted not to talk about this case, they have put out statements about their daughter, the significance of her life and contributions, but so far they the crime. i want to go to christina right now, christina you were in the courtroom today when this verd

we will not allow colleen' >> one of colleen' quotes is that there is something good in every day. to celebrate our love for her in the recognition of the many lives she touched and continues to influence despite the immense loss, we will carry on and do our best to find the good in every day. reporter: the district attorney is adding that we can' t bring her back all we can bring some sense of justice. family was wearing pink today. throughout this entire process. pink was her favorite color. ed: quick recap of the charges. phillip chism of first-degree murder, the jury deciding that the crime was premeditated and not the result of a mental break. jc: phillip chism was found guilty of raping her in the school bathroom. he was found not guilty of aggravated rape in the woods. armed robbery. the most he can be sentenced to is life with the possibility of parole after 15-25 years. jc: for a timeline of the case are free mobile app. ed: more breaking news involving the driver of the runaway train. could very well be fired. john atwater is live tonight, time ago. reporter: he did not w

live in boston, >>> colleen ritzer's family vowed to carry on her leg receive kindness. pink. they attended every day and are pleased with the verdict but believe never true justice justice. they want to spread colleen's message of love and kindness. >> we, her family and friends will continue their efforts to share colleen's story and how one person can make a profound different in the lives of so many. >> reporter: the scholarship fund has been set up in ritzer fund has been set up in ritzer's name for students that have a passion to study education. you can find out about it on myfoxboston.com. >>> they updated a profile facebook page dedicated to her memory. a christmas ornament that she lived by, every day may not be good but something good in every day. ritzer would share these words with her students. one of her last tweets before she was murdered. our coverage of phillip chism continues through out newscast continues through out newscast. we will be in court where he will appear again. >>> a wall crashes down on a sidewalk trapping a group of people including a baby. t

a day of tears and some sense of justice for colleen ritzer. the danvers high school math teacher killed more than two years ago. >> the jury has a verdict. >> michael: philip chism the jury rejected the now 16-year-old insanity defense and came back with a verdict after more than nine hours of deliberation. video from inside danvers high school shown during the trial allowed jurors to see chism stalking ritzer before the murder and taking her body out of the school in recycling bin afterwards. the jury found him guilty of armed robbery. prosecutors worked on securing the verdicts for more than two years. >> this moment belongs to colleen ritzer and her family. you can't bring her back but we can provide some sense of justice for her family. >> michael: juvenile cannot be sentenced to life in prison without parole. >> while we are pleased with the verdict, we are aware judicial process will continue. appeals will certainly be filed for so-called juvenile sentencing may be forced to once again publicly endure the pain suffering the parole hearin

they say that will live on in the hearts and minds of those who knew and loved colleen. stay with wbz on air and online for the latest on philip chism. >>> take a look here. there is a definite chill in the air and some areas dropped about 27 degrees from yesterday. it's kind of nice, you can see the sun out there many the big question is what comes next. you mentioned some rain earlier >> rain and a warmup for tomorrow, actually, not a bad day for your day. today, yes, a shock to the system. shd where we should be this time of the year. 41 degrees is the average high for boston today. we are at 44 degrees here. with a little bit of sunshine, feels okay. thankfully we don't have as much of a wind mixed in. comparing everything to this time yesterday, running 15 degrees colder in boston. heavy coat necessary if you head out. a little bit of a northeast breeze helping to key some cloud cover over the south coast to the cape. the clouds starting to push in the boston area as well. farther inland and to the north, partially sunny skies. temperatures in the mid-40s for that e

ritzer. colleen's mother sat and cried. >> this guilty verdict, while the beginning of justice for colleen, is certainly no cause for celebration. >> victoria: the ritzer family not even getting chance to process the weeks of graphic testimony they just sat through. first thing wednesday, chism is back inside another courtroom, this one in boston where he's facing attempted murder charge, accused of attacking a department of youth services worker while he was in custody. >> we will honor her legacy and be her voice during the continued judicial process. >> victoria: that process is also likely to see lengthy appeals, and because chism was only 14 years old when he killed his math teacher, the judge has to follow new sentencing guidelines, which means he can't get life without parole, meaning there is a chance he could be years old. the ritzers know what's ahead for them, but in this moment they want to focus on their daughter and her lasting impact on those who knew her. >> one of colleen's favorite quotes is, "there is something good in every day." to celebrate our love for her and in rec

colleen's mother weeping before the verdict is read. guilty, deliberate premeditation and atrocity with cruelty. >> reporter: phillip chism guilty of first-degree murder. came back with the verdict after more than nine hours of deliberation. video from inside danvers high school shown during the trial allowed jurors to see chism stalking ritzer before the murder and taking her body in a recycling bin afterwards. the jury found chism guilty of armed robbery and one count of aggravated rape while acquitting him on another. prosecutors worked on securing these sentences. >> we want bring her back but provide some sense of justice for her family. >> reporter: still the legal process does not end here and won't for some time. chism chism, a juvenile, cannot be sentenced to life in prison without parole. chism's sentencing date has not been set, are r, and ahead in 30 minutes, hear from the rit congress family about those sentencing restrictions. in the meantime, the other systems on that dys worker attack, and as soon as that situation devel

and remember, colleen's message of being good to people. >>> the judge set a hearing for next week to discuss chism's sentencing, stay with wbz on air and online for the latest on the case. >>> new this morning a bad crash in wakefield, emergency responders rush to the scene of 128 south, just after 1:00 a.m. paramedics took them both to the hospital, the vehicle then caught fire, state police are now investigating. >>> in other news, brewster police for an armed man, holding up the brewster market, holding up the clerk and threatening the owner's mother, new bedford detectives want to know if he committed a similar crime there. >>> wild winds collapse a wall in malden right on the street, fell on several people walking by, including a mom and her toddler. nicole jacobs is live in malden this morning with a closer look at what happened. nicole? >> reporter: chris, kathryn, where that wall collapsed, it's all cleaned up now and if you take a look now, this wooden beam is all that's left of the wall, there were no serious injuries rewards -- with regards surveillance video captures the

colleen never gave up and neither will we. >> one of colleen's favorite quotes, there is something good to celebrate our love for her and in ec anything of many lives, despite the immense loss we are forced endure, we will carry on and do our best to find the good in every day. >> reporter: colleen ritzer's mother peggy ritzer was emotional when the verdict was read. guilty, those words guilty on three of four charges, and perhaps this was something they were prepared for, the most serious, of course, murder in the first degree. and so this decision, this night and perhaps for the receipt xer family speaking out publicly about what they have been through has been a long time coming. live at salem superior court, crisscross tina hagar wbz news. >> christina you were there for the entire trial, for the duration watching as the ritzers had to listen to very very difficult testimony. once the silence in that courtroom was broken, the verdict was read, what was their reaction? >> reporter: well, the most -- let me back up to the course of this trial when really the most emotion we ever saw f

his mother doubled over while colleen's mother sat and cried. >> this guilty verdict is certainly no cause for celebration. >> the ritzer family not even getting a chance to process the weeks of yarveg testimony they sat through. first thing wednesday, chism was back inside another courtroom. this one in boston where he is facing attempted murder charges, accused of attacking a department of youth services worker while he was in custody. >> we will honor her legacy and be her voice during the continued judicial process. >> that process is likely to see lengthy appeals and because chism was only 14 years old, when he killed his math teacher, the judge has to follow new sentencing guidelines. that means he can't get life without parole. meaning there is a chance he could be parole-eligible before he is 40 years old. the ritzers know what's ahead for them. but gh this moment, they want to focus on their daughter and her lasting impact on those who knew her. >> one of colleen's favorite quotes is there is something good in every day. to celebrate our love for her and in recognition of th

as they move forward they want to spread colleen's message of love. >> we will condition to follow colleen's story how one person many lives. >> julie: a scholarship in woman that have a passion to teaching. a christmas ornament with a message he lived by. every day may not be good, but something good in every day. ritzer would often share these words with her students. one her last tweets before she was murdered. our coverage of the phillip chism verdict continues throughout our morning newscast and we are in court in boston where he is expected to appear in person. >>> a temporarily wall at malden center crashes down on five people including a baby and inspectors continue to investigate how this happened. take a look. surveillance video from a shop across that t station showing the wall slamming to the ground on pleasant street. the store owner and several >> we were just trying to get them out there. hopefully nobody was hurt. the baby was crying the whole time probably little bit in shock. >> catherine: police say the victims suffered only minor injuries and the baby's stroller kept it f

colleen ritzer's family vowed to carry on her legacy of kindness. her mom, dad, younger brother and sister spoke shortly after the verdict. they all wore pink which was ritzer's favorite color. they attended every day of the trial, and they are pleased with a verdict, but believe there will never be true justice. as they move forward, they want to spread ritzer's message of love and kindness. >> we, her family and friends, will continue our effort to share colleen's story how one person can make the from found difference in the lives of so >> reporter: a scholarship have been set up for students that have a passion to study education. you can learn more on our web site at myfoxboston.com. >>> ritzer's family updated a page. a christmas ornament with a message her family thought she lived by. every day may not be good, but there is something good in every day. ritzer would often share these words with her students. it was one of her last tweets before she was murdered. our coverage of the phillip chism verdict will be throughout our morning newscast

. >>> colleen ritters killer phillip chism. >> guilty of premeditated murder. >> wearing colleen's favorite color pink, they say there is >> there is a painful absence. >> we will try to do the good in every day. >> the trial and it's graphic painful testimony ended this guilty. after ritters was raped and killed. in addition to murder, the 8 men and four women found him guilty of aggravated rape and armed robbery. christina hagger was in the courtroom for the verdict and joins us from salem. >> reporter: it took jurors nine hours to come to this verdict after deliberating and when they did, there were two mothers on opposite sides of the courtroom, both of the >> these jurors have given this case everything they have. tears. guilty premeditation. >> soon after she wiped the tears she left the room after she sat through a month's worth of unimaginable last moments and surprisingly optimistic words. >> speaking publicly into we will carry on and do our best to find the good every day. >> about an hour after chism stood in front of her guilty of murdering his math teacher but robbing and rapi

in the rape and murder of his math teacher colleen ritzer. eduardo says his grandson was a quiet kid with a beautiful soul. but the grandfather also detailed a family history of mental illness affecting philip's grandmother and aunt long before philip was born. suddenly. >> first, she had a nervous breakdown. >> reporter: then a family friend got emotional on the >> how long did she stay with you at that time? >> reporter: the chisms lived with her on and off in tennessee as philip's mother and father split. she said the father was not through it all, she said philip was well-behaved living situation. came first. she did struggle. >> reporter: his best friend tanner considered chism a brother. family. chism was described as well-behaved except for how he treated his mother in the tennessee. >> for a while, it was really hateful to watch how philip treated his mother. >> there was a time where my husband addressed it with him. >> reporter: also taking the stand, several danvers high school students who remembered chism as a new kid who was doi

that surveillance video from inside danvers high school proves chism was not insane when teacher colleen ritzer was raped and murdered. >> vanessa: our bob ward is in the courtroom from the start of this trial and bob, what the doctor had to say could be a very big problem for the defense. >> the reporter: yeah. the defense is contending that phillip chism was mentally ill, that he was hearing voices when math teacher colleen ritzer was attacked, raped and murdered at the high school, but this last witness for the prosecution, he went right to the videotape. he broke it down for the jury, and he said, if it video shows phillip chism knew exactly what he was doing. it is the shocking danvers high school surveillance video that is the centerpiece of the state's case, against 16-year-old phillip chism. and this forensic psychologist was perfectly sane on the day he attacked and killed math teacher colleen ritzer, that there were telltale signs that phillip chism took steps to try to get away with it and it begins with video of chism following colleen ritzer into the bathroom where she was a

the prosecution -- colleen fritzer. the prosecution argues he's been faking insanity and knew what he was doing. >>> the danvers community held a special concert in her honor and money from ticket sales will benefit the beloved teacher's foundation. >> reporter: the danvers high school auditorium transformed into a full blown holiday pop concert this weekend. this is a great time and we get to do some good with it. >> reporter: this year's concert will benefit the colleen e. ritzer scholarship fund with two other charities. >> reporter: 17-year-old danial sacottle said it's been a really challenging year. >> her students really loved her. >> holiday and christmas time was so important to colleen and to have a concert like this at danvers high school and to benefit her fund is something that will carry her legacy for many years to come of the. >> reporter: this is obviously a very -- come. >> reporter: this obviously is a very difficult time for the community with the closing arguments this week, but the community says i

we will not allow colleen's death to define oo how she is remembered. emily: this morning, the family of colleen ritzer is honoring her memory as her now convicted killer faces new charges. another hearing is looming right now for teenager phillip chism. erika: the eyeopener's sera congi is live in boston with the other case involved. sera? sera: today's hearing will focus on chism's alleged attack on a held last summer. he's facing a slew of charges in that case including attempted murder. meanwhile the family of the teacher he is now convicted of killing is vowing to live in kindness. the ritzers wore pink in the courtroom as the jury found philip chism guilty on three of four charges including first degree murder and aggravated rape. through their grief, the ritzers promising to remember colleen and how she lived her life. >> our family enters a new phase in our lives. begin. best to find the good in every day. sera:16-year-old chism now faces life he'll be sentenced after the holidays. it's unclear if he will be here in boston for today's hearing. e

ritzer's family be alouped -- allowed to wear pink it at the sentencing, the favorite color of colleen ritzer, a coordinated display would be inappropriate they said. >> the sentencing here not the appropriate time and place for a display outside of the evidence that's presented to the court at sentencing. >> i frankly find at this point, these requests petty and cruel. this is not the intended to get anyone's sympathy, this is not intended to pinpoint support in any way. >> the judge denied that request from the defense but did spipt -- stipulate that prosecutors and law enforcement could not wear the color pink during sentencing. >>> deciding if aaron hernandez's cell phone can be used as evidence in his second murder trial, supposed to saturday january but a judge delayed it yesterday until the high court rules on the accused of killing two men in boston in 2012, he's already serving a life sentence north murder of odin lloyd. >>> the homeless woman accused of driving her car on a crowded sidewalk in the las vegas strip is expected to make her first court appearance, lakeisha hollow

. >> reporter: in colleen fitz's new dorchester home, not one but by two different families, who knew their family needed them more. >> and i do everything for them. >> reporter: and there was plenty to open christmas morning. boston police, e.m.s., and perfect strangers brought board games, baby dolls and trucks for colleen's five children, replacing what a thief stole just three days ago. >> these were just good people that wanted to help. and wanted to put a smile on a kids' face. >> reporter: tuesday colleen came back to her home and found all of the presents from her home stolen. then to make matters worse, they had to move because of safety reasons on christmas eve. >> to have nothing or no tree or nothing under the tree, you know, i thought about it after, wow, they must have really needed. because i would never take from children and i would never want a child o to -- to wake up with nothing under the tree. >> reporter: but santa in the form of an entire community stepped forward, to make sure this christmas was, indeed, merry and bright. their face this morning was enough for

jury came back to the courtroom that are hung instructions given by the judge over whether or not colleen ritzer was dead or alive when that crime took place and in the end when the jury came back, they found philip chism guilty on the most serious charge, that first-degree murder charge. as you mentioned, it was courtroom. family members of the ritzer family, including ritzer's mother broke down and she was later members. ritzer took the stand for the prosecution earlier on in this trial and they sat here in court day in and day out. they were warned by the judge, as was philip chism's mother, no emotional outbreaks in the courtroom and for everyone to remain calm as those verdicts were rendered this afternoon. in the end the jury didn't buy the defense's argument that philip chism who was 14 at the time two years ago back in october of 2013, they didn't buy the defense's chism did it but that he was insane at the time that he committed those crimes. the jury clearly focused on the security, the videos, that were shown to this jury during the trial and also during the closing arguments y

he was convicted of raping and killing teacher colleen ritzer yesterday. emily: right now, this airport incident is under investigation in nashville. eight people were hurt when this southwest flight slid off the runway last night. passengers say they heard a loud noise just beforehand, but it' s to end up in a ditch. right now, a major decision is looming that will have a big impact on your finances. and the world is watching. erika: the eyeopener' s juli mcdonald is live in boston' s financial district with what we can expect in just hours. juli? juli: that is right, emily and erika. economists expect the federal reserve will raise interest rates for the first time in nearly a decade. this is a move that will impact markets not just here but around the world. here' s what we know right now. the fed is widely expected to hike that key interest rate by a quarter of a point. it' s been near zero since december 2008. basically the hike makes it more expensive for americans to get a mortgage or finance a car loan. the fed has been slow to hike rates, waiting

. >> this year's concert will benefit the colleen e receipt general memorial scholarship fund. >> colleen was a wonderful example of the ideal of teaching and caring for her students. >> 17-year-old danielle scott gale said it's been a and staff. >> i know she was really a nice compassionate person and her students really loved her. >> holiday and christmastime was so important to colleen, a concert is something that will carry her legacy. >> this is a difficult time for community with the closing arguments happening this -- week. >> it's nice to do this kind of stuff. and i keep her memory alive. >> what she has meant to this community and legacy especially for students who want to go on and study education in college, her fund benefits those students. >> paul burton wbz news. >>> today flags across connecticut will fly at half staff to mark the three anniversary of the school shooting in knew town, 20 children and six adults were school. this is the first time the anniversary falls on a weekday. >>> the three years after the tragedy at sandy hook elementary school gun control advocates

we will not allow colleen' s death to define how she is remembered. sera: chism faces life in prison and sentencing is expected after the holidays. as for the boston case, the next emily: bridgewater state university is introducing a new app for students. the smartphone app rave guardian has been tailored to the university. it works like a panic call button to the police department and the university. erika: nurses and athletic trainers in norfolk county are being trained today on how to use the overdose reversing drug narcan. the district attorney says overdose deaths in the community sports injuries. the deadline to sign up for the extended. you now have until midnight thursday to select a health plan. the white house says there has been an influx in activity over the last few days. temperatures right now. much: that may have seen in the we have seen in the recent days. mike: you look at 2:00 in the morning, it was 45 degrees. s. let me show you what is happening on the satellite picture. you can see a few clouds now. they are kind of working their

the only person powerless in those bathroom, in those woods is colleen ritzer. ritzer.. >> anchor: . >> reporter: this jury has a lot to get through. they had 53 witnesses in all they listened to over the past several weeks and more than 140 pieces of evidence. so they will return tomorrow morning to court to continue their deliberations. live in salem, steve cooper, 7 news. >> anchor: two fire fighters are hurt while battling flames in a home in roxbury of officials say the fire fighters fell down a staircase. they were taken to a hospital to be checked out. everyone inside made it out safely but officials say there was a big problem for crews . >>> we had the obstacles of all that clutter made it difficult so we needed a lot of companies to start moving it out of way of i think that contributed to the fire fighter injuries. >> anchor: the fire fighters are expected to be okay. electrical problem sparked those flames. >> anchor: coming up first at 4:00, shiny, bright and lester lesterment an annual light display in full phosphor the holidays. . thomas in a "blu

anthony allegedly stabbed to death his ex-girlfriend, colleen straw, saturday at her home in san mateo. >> we don't know what the motive is. we do know that the relationship was estranged. we have a witness that heard an argue beforehand, but as far as the motive, we don't know that yet. >> what we know is police responded to a domestic violence call at this home before. court records show police arrested the man september twishth for felony assault and domestic violence after he allegedly hit 34-year-old colleen in the face, threatened her, and tried to smother her with a pillow. he pled no contest to domestic violence. the other charge was dropped, and anthony was ordered to spend 60 day s in jail and stay away from colleen. they say while he was in jail, anthony allegedly beat up an inmate. he got out of jail, was arrested on a battery charge involving the inmate, and posted $10,000 bail. he was supposed to return to court on that charge today. now, he's on the run as a murder suspect. considered armed and dangerous, which is why the san carlos urgent care center was shut down satur

was he legally insane when he murdered colleen ritzer or not? that is what the jury has to graph he will as they weigh a aggravated rape. >> philip chism, a kind, smart, terrible acts when he was in the throws of a serious mental illness. >> set against the back drop of a horrific crime, that is the final image philip chism grew of her client acknowledging that he brutally murdered his high school math teacher in 2013 pointing to testimony from three psychiatrists who suggested he was insane. >> he found that it was consistent with philip having a psychotic disorder most likely onset schizophrenia. >> karen mcdougal painted a picture, she replayed the moment when philip followed ritzer into the bathroom where candidate. >> she is lying on her back and he is carving away at her neck, what was he trying to do? he brought to school, all signs of sanity mcdougal argues. all while chism stared emotionless behind him colleen agony. >> had he a goal, a terrible terrible purpose. woods. >> reporter: now the jury has plenty of evidence to go over includi

friends say colleen was a kind person who attended st. simon parish school in los altos and high school in mountain view. they describe her as a talented artist who loved her chihuahua. curinsic was released from jail just days before he allegedly killed straw. he pled no contest to a domestic violence charge for attacking her and was sentenced to 120 days but he served only 60. >> california law says you only do half of the sentence. that's what he did in this case. he did the 60 days. one half of the 120 days. >> so it's not unusual. it's minimal. it doesn't hold a person accountable. >> kathleen is the executive director of next door solutions to domestic violence in san jose. she says her office has seen a 15% increase in calls from victims since straw's murder. she's hoping the courts, prosecutors, and police will now exam straw's death to learn what more can be done to prevent another tragedy. the man also faces a battery charge for beating up an inmate while he was in jail. reporting live in san mateo, marianne favro, nbc bay area

30, philip chism facing charge in another case today after jurors find him guilty in the murder of colleen ritzer, what's next? >>> scary moments as a rain roll off the runway, passengers who were on board. >> a war of words between the republican presidential candidate, all the highlights from the latest gop debate. boston. this is wbz "this morning". >> good morning, it is forngs >> and i'm chris mckinnon. >> it was a bit of a difference today, pamela gardner in for danielle, good morning! >> definitely different feeling, we have the rain, the clouds moving out too, a brighter start to the day once that sun gets high in the sky, and temperatures will be right around average for this time of year, we'll click back tht 30s, for now we're in the 30s in a lot of spots from orange to worcester, 38 degrees, boston 34, plymouth 34, we hold there and then drop over the next few hours, the satellite radar picture shows clouds over the coast, the cape island, but mostly clear skies farther inland, informer that morning drive back in the 30s and then for that lunch hour, 44 degrees, we'll actually

. >> all about the defense strategy to prove chism was insane when he killed colleen ritzer, susie steimle live outside the courthouse with a closer look at the trial, good morning, susie. >> reporter: good morning, chris and kathryn, yesterday chism's lawyers brought forward the people who knew him best in their first attempts to lay out the insanity defense, we expect to see more of that this morning, before the jurors head out to the scene of the crime, danvers high school. on their first full day of witness testimony, philip chism's lawyers laid out their argument for the insanity defense. >> he is my beloved grandson. >> reporter: those who knew chism best detail a storied family history of mental illness, from his mother to his grandmother joyce who underwent electric shock therapy. only once, but many times. >> reporter: chism sat emotionless as the family friend recalled watching his mother fall apart in tennessee and florida. >> but she did struggle, she did not receive any child support from her husband. >> reporter: next came kids from danvers high school. >> he started to quiet

we will not allow colleen's death to define how she is remembered. heather: chism's conviction on the murder-degree murder charge means he does face life in prison. but he can appeal and he will be eligible for parole. something the ritzer family is not looking forward to, heather: why the chance for parole? chism was tried as an adult but at 16 he's still legally a juvenile. the state's highest court, and the u.s. supreme court have both ruled that it is unconstitutional to send a juvenile to prison for the rest of their life without the chance of ever getting out. ed: breaking news at 11. a wild ride on this southwest airlines flight. the plane rolled off the runway in nashville and landed in a eight people are hurt. be damaged. the plane went off the taxiway arrival gate. it had just landed from houston. the faa is still trying to figure out how it happened. heated debate with the president. newscenter 5's jorge quiroga is here. >> coming on the heels of the attacks in paris and san bernadino. terrorism was the focus of tonights debate. front runn

. >> reporter: good morning, philip chism trial that they say he took the day of colleen ritzer's murder, they will start at danvers high school this afternoon then head to the movie theater and store where he was seen on surveillance camera and then to route one in topsfield where he was arrested that day. on the first day, his lawyers gave it for the insanity defense. those who knew him best detailed a storied family history of mnlt from -- mental illness from his grandmother joyce who underwent electric shock therapy. >> she had shock treatment not only once, but many times. >> reporter: chism sat emotionless as a family friend recalled watching his mother fall apart np tennessee and florida. >> but she did struggle, she did not receive any child support from her husband. >> reporter: next came kids >> he started to quiet down a bit. >> reporter: his teammate and classmate talked about watching chism change from an outgoing kid at first to being withdrawn the week his math teacher colleen ritzer was raped and murdered. >> very outgoing, talking to us a lot, getting to know us and then

they will visit several kilo occasions connected to the death of math teacher colleen ritzer. catherine parrotta is live at the courthouse in salem where it will be a long day for those jurors, catherine. >> reporter: a long day today. a shorter day for them yesterday. the testimony wrapped up in the morning and afternoon. they had a hearing about some motions, but phillip chism testimony all morning said he did not want to be present in the court room in the afternoon even though they would discuss things related to the case so he was excuse theed from court room in the afternoon. today the jury will be back and will hear testimony this morning and board and bus and look at the scene this afternoon. part of the scene will be danvers high school and the woods nearby where colleen ritzer had been bury ritzer had been buried and the movie theatre where he bought a ticket with ritzer's credit card and where chism was found. witnesses including his grandfather who told the jury that mental health issues run in the family starting with >> . >> she had shock treatment. not only once

and her students really loved her. >> holiday and christmas time was so important to colleen, to have a concert like this and to benefit her fund is something that will carry her legacy for many years to come. >> the ritzer scholarship will help students who want to study education in college. >>> the suspect in a deadly car crash heads to court, 33-year- old michael burns was high on drugs when he hit and killed a man friday night. 71-year-old joseph brady was hit while trying to get to his roadside stand where he was selling christmas trees. the job he has done for over 40 years, his wife remembers him as a family man and a hard worker. >> that man was my life, you know, my husband is a gentle from me and i won't get him back. >> burns is from tauton and being held on $30,000 bail. >>> a lynn man is due in court charged in a double murder in revere, a third person shot thursday night was seriously wounded, police have not revealed a motive. >>> a new hampshire man accused of setting his parents house on fire, just justin kane, kind's mother told police he started the fire after an a

prosecutor: what did colleen say to you just about why the boy was in her classroom? giaquinta: she said i don't know why he's here. sera: also on the final day of the prosecution's case the doctor who performed the autopsy on ritzer who described her gruesome injuries. in all, the prosecution called 36 witnesses. the defense is expected to call family members to testify on a well as experts who evaluated chism. today a judge will also make a ruling on a rape charge focusing on whether ritzer was alive during the assault. that was in the woods. that could result in a heftier sentence for chism. live in salem, sera congi, wcvb, newscenter 5. emily: breaking news. a new bedford marine has been found guilty of homicide in the death of a transgender woman in the philippines. the verdict coming down overnight. private first class joseph scott pemberton was convicted of strangling the woman and leaving her body in a hotel room last fall. witnesses say the two left together after meeting in a bar. pemberton was sentenced to 6 to 12 years. right now a second person is facing

when math teacher colleen ritzer was raped and murdered. dr. kelly casey, a psychologist, conducted an ink blot personality test on chism. opposite of the defense's claim that chism suffered a psychotic episode when colleen ritzer was killed. >> in this particular case, did phillip chism show any signs of a spot disorder or psychosis. >> no, he did not. >> the reporter: another psychologist, dr. nancy, conducted a number of tests on chism. and she found evidence of malingering or exaggerating symptoms. >> my opinion was that his report across the various measures revealed multiple inconsistencies and that taken together with his history and his presentation to me were highly suggestive of a no langerred langerred meant -- malingered mental illness. >> mark: according to the doctor, that means in her opinion, phillip chism is exaggerating his symptoms tore faking it. buttal witness to call. it is likely the jury will get this case on friday. in salem, bob ward, fox 25 news. >> vanessa: be sure to follow the fox 25's bob ward on twitter for all o

and sarah says colleen was smiling and at ease. >> what did colleen say to you just about why the boy was in her classroom? >> she said, i don't know why he's here. >> victoria: so this morning the judge is expected to decide whether or not toes tos that second rape charge. the defense will start calling its witnesses tomorrow. the jury will go on a view of the murder scene to danvers high school. and the high school is dismissing students early to accommodate the trial. live this morning in salem, victoria warren, 7news "today in new england." >> christa: happening right now, police are searching for the gunman who shot a high school student near several schools in roxbury. the 16-year-old was shot in the leg on malcolm x boulevard monday afternoon. he's a boston public school student. were placed in safe mode after the shooting happened. >> we had to be super quiet. everybody who was on the certain side of the room who was near the door had to move to the other side of the room. it was kind of scary. >> very proud of the administration as well as the staff here at madison park. >> c