CONCORD, N.H. - A man who spent more than 20 years in prison for murdering two married Darthmouth College professors back in 2001 has been granted parole.
James Parker was 16 when he was part of a conspiracy with his best friend that resulted in the deaths of Half and Susanne Zantop in Hanover, New Hampshire. Now just shy of 40, he appeared before the state parole board, years after pleading guilty to being an accomplice to second-degree murder and serving nearly the minimum term of his 25-years-to-life sentence.
His lawyer and Department of Corrections staff said he has taken many steps through the years to rehabilitate himself and make life better for fellow inmates. He earned bachelor's and master's degrees in prison and created paintings that are displayed in the building. He's been a part of theatrical, musical and sports activities and has helped develop inmate education guides.
Parker sought a sentence reduction in 2018. Under the law, he was eligible to do so because he had served two-thirds of his term, but he withdrew the petition in 2019 after the Zantops' two daughters objected.
In a bid to move to Australia, Parker and then-17-year-old Robert Tulloch, tired of their lives in nearby Chelsea, Vermont, calculated they needed $10,000 for the journey. Their plan involved knocking on homeowners' doors pretending to conduct an environmental survey, then restraining the occupants to steal their credit cards and ATM details. The ultimate goal was to force the captives to reveal their pin numbers before ending their lives.
Parker, who collaborated with the authorities and agreed to testify against Tulloch, disclosed that they singled out the Zantop residence due to its luxurious appearance and secluded setting. Half Zantop welcomed them on Jan. 27, 2001. Parker informed the police that the encounter lasted over 10 minutes before Tulloch attacked Half Zantop with a knife and then instructed him to assault Susanne Zantop. Tulloch also inflicted wounds on her.
After taking Half Zantop's wallet, containing around $340 and a list of numbers, they realized they had forgotten the sheaths for their knives at the scene. Their attempt to retrieve them was thwarted by the presence of a police officer in the driveway. Despite their efforts to return, their fingerprints on a knife sheath and a bloody boot print connected them to the crime. Following questioning by the police, they fled and hitchhiked west, eventually getting apprehended at an Indiana truck stop weeks later.
At the age of 40, Tulloch pleaded guilty to first-degree murder and received the mandatory sentence of life without parole. A resentencing hearing is scheduled for June as a result of a 2012 U.S. Supreme Court ruling deeming it unconstitutional to sentence juvenile offenders to mandatory life imprisonment without parole. In 2014, the state Supreme Court also ruled that Tulloch and four other individuals who were sentenced to life without parole for crimes committed as teenagers should be resentenced.
Susanne Zantop, aged 55, and Half Zantop, aged 62, were both born in Germany. Susanne was the head of Dartmouth's German studies department, while Half taught Earth sciences. Highly respected in their respective fields, the professors were adored by colleagues and students alike, many of whom had an open invitation to their home located just a few miles from the Dartmouth campus.
