James Parker, who murdered two Dartmouth professors in a bizarre plot to move to Australia, has been granted parole after spending his adult life in prison. The now-40-year-old expressed remorse and said he has spent his time behind bars improving himself.
In a shocking decision, James Parker, the high school student who murdered two Dartmouth professors in 2001, has been granted parole after serving 24 years in prison. Parker, now 40, and his accomplice, Robert Tulloch, brutally stabbed Half and Susanne Zantop in their New Hampshire home in a bizarre plot to rob and move to Australia.
At the time of the killings, Parker was just 16 years old. He and Tulloch, convinced they needed $10,000 to fund their overseas adventure, devised a plan to randomly target and kill people to obtain their financial passwords. After selecting the Zantops' residence, they gained entry under the pretense of conducting a climate survey.
However, the plan went awry when the Zantops invited the teenagers inside their home. Tulloch then stabbed Half, while Parker, allegedly instructed by Tulloch, stabbed Susanne. The boys fled the scene, but left behind crucial evidence, including the sheaths of their knives.
Despite initially denying their involvement, fingerprints and a bloody boot print led police to Parker and Tulloch three weeks later. Parker pleaded guilty to being an accomplice to second-degree murder and was sentenced to life in prison with a minimum of 25 years.
At his parole hearing, Parker expressed deep remorse and said he had spent his time behind bars reflecting on his actions and working to improve himself. He earned his bachelor's and master's degrees, participated in jailhouse theatrical productions, took up sports, and helped develop educational guidelines for inmates.
Parker's attorney, Cathy Green, touted her client's "stellar" disciplinary record and rehabilitation efforts. "He knows that nothing he can say or do will bring solace to the family and friends of the Zantops," Green said. "However, he has spent the past 24 years doing everything in his power to not only improve himself, but to better the prison community."
Despite Parker's efforts to turn his life around, nine people associated with the Zantops attended his parole hearing, one of whom cried out in disbelief when his request for early release was granted. Veronika Zantop, the Zantops' surviving daughter, expressed mixed emotions about the decision.
"This is a hard one to make a statement about, especially because I can't speak for everyone affected by what happened," Zantop said. "For me — I miss my parents and am deeply sad for everything they — and we — have missed out on."
"Among so many other things, I am deeply grateful for all of the support we have received," she added.
Parker's parole comes after the Supreme Court's 2012 ruling that it was unconstitutional to sentence juveniles to mandatory life imprisonment. Parker appealed his sentence in 2018 but later withdrew his petition after hearing of Zantop's disapproval.
Tulloch, who was sentenced to life without parole for first-degree murder, is scheduled for a new sentencing hearing in June following the Supreme Court's ruling.
