10-minute murder contains depictions of actual crimes.

What you are about to hear is real and violent in nature.

Discretion is advised.

This is 10-minute murder.

Welcome to the Brief and Bingeable True Crime Podcast, 10-minute Murder.

My name is Joe, the host, and thank you for being here.

Before we get going today, look at where you're listening right now, and be sure you are

subscribed to the podcast.

When you subscribe, you get all the episodes right after I complete them with no delay.

If you are subscribed and enjoy the podcast, find 10-minute murder and connect with me on

social media. Now, let's get to today's story. Colleen Ritzer was a 24-year-old high school teacher,

fresh out of college, with a passion so strong for educating and ensuring the success of her students

that she often stayed after school with the ones that needed her,

the ones that needed extra help.

On October 22nd, 2013,

one of those students violently attacked her,

raped her, and left her murdered in the woods.

Let me explain how this all happened.

Danvers High School is a public school located in Danvers, Massachusetts. Its student enrollment for 9th through 12th grade is usually just under a thousand.

The teacher to student ratio at Danvers is much smaller than average, at 13 students for every teacher. So that gives them the

ability to focus more time and energy on each student. More one-on-one time means a better

understanding of the material, and usually better grades. Colleen Ritzer was a math teacher

...