In a case tied to Dartmouth College over two decades ago, one of the two teens convicted in the brutal murders of two of its professors has been granted parole.
James Parker, now 39, was just 16 years old when he and his friend Robert Tulloch fatally stabbed Half and Susanne Zantop in their home in 2001 during a premeditated robbery attempt.
According to WMUR, Parker, who pleaded guilty in 2004 to being an accomplice to the killings, expressed deep remorse at his recent parole hearing.
“I know there’s not an amount of time or things that I can do to change it or alleviate any pain that I’ve caused,” Parker stated of the “unimaginably horrible” crime.
He also credited his years incarcerated with helping him mature and gain perspective on being “part of the community.”
James Parker’s earliest release will be on May 22, 2024, after serving over 23 years behind bars for his role as a then-16-year-old. While in prison, he obtained his high school, college, and master’s degrees and was credited with good behavior – founding programs, volunteering, and undergoing counseling.
However, the ruling has undoubtedly reopened deep wounds for the Zantop family and Dartmouth community. As a condition, Parker is banned from any contact with the victims’ relatives and must continue mental health treatment. A victim advocate spoke for the family at the hearing to request the no-contact order.
The grisly 2001 crime garnered national attention for its brutality that was conducted by young perpetrators. Court documents reveal Parker and Tulloch, two Vermont teens “bored” with small-town life, set their sights on Australia. When their plans to fund the trip through robbery escalated to plotting randomized killings, the respected academics Half and Susanne Zantop became their tragic victims that fateful January night.
While Parker has earned a second chance at life outside prison walls in his late 30s, his childhood accomplice Tulloch received a harsher life sentence he is still serving. WMUR reported that a re-sentencing hearing is planned this July, as Tulloch was 17 at the time of the killings.
