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ANDOVER, Mass. (AP) - Relatives of a Massachusetts teacher found slain in the woods near her school say she had a passion for teaching and mentored each and every one of her students.
At Colleen Ritzer's home in Andover, her uncle provided a statement to the media and asked for privacy for the family.
The 24-year-old's body was found near Danvers High School after she was reported missing Tuesday night. A 14-year-old student at the school has been charged with murder.
Neighbor Mary Duffy says Ritzer had just one ambition in life: To be a high school math teacher. Duffy says Ritzer lived at home with her parents and brother and sister and the close-knit family was often outside barbecuing and spending time together.
Ritzer graduated from Assumption College in Worcester and had been teaching in Danvers for two years.
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