2 weeks ago
A precocious schoolhouse student who murdered 2 Dartmouth professors successful their ain location successful a bizarre crippled to rob them and move to Australia has been granted parole aft spending his big life down bars.
James Parker, now astir 40, was 16 erstwhile he and Robert Tulloch convinced Half and Susanne Zantop they were conducting a study connected ambiance issues successful 2001.
After nan Zantops invited nan 2 teenagers into their New Hampshire home, Tulloch stabbed Half and allegedly instructed Parker to stab Susanne. The boys did not cognize nan mates and chose their location because it looked costly and was surrounded by trees.
Before nan killings, nan duo estimated they would request $10,000 to move from their location successful Chelsea, Vermont, to Australia, and they planned to make random captives springiness them their financial passwords earlier sidesplitting them. But they only made disconnected pinch $340 from Half's wallet and were tracked down by constabulary aft leaving nan sheaths of their knives astatine nan home.
James Parker during his parole proceeding April 18, 2024, successful Concord, N.H. (Charles Krupa/Associated Press)
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Although constabulary initially suspected a crime of passion from a suspected affair, according to reporting later retracted by nan Boston Globe, fingerprints connected nan sheaths and a bloody footwear people led them to nan 2 boys 3 weeks aft nan Jan. 29, 2001, killings.
Nearly 25 years aft he pleaded blameworthy to being an accomplice to second-degree murder, he told New Hampshire's authorities parole committee his actions were "unimaginably horrible."
"We were attempting to move overseas and unrecorded immoderate benignant of life of adventure," Parker recalled of his scheme pinch Tulloch. "It’s conscionable truthful hard. I’ve gone complete and complete it and conscionable uncovering an mentation for that is just, I conscionable don’t cognize really I could do that.
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Susanne Zantop, 55, and hubby Half Zantop, 62, were murdered successful their New Hampshire location Jan. 29, 2001, by precocious schoolhouse students Robert Tulloch and James Parker. Susanne headed nan German studies section astatine Dartmouth University, while her hubby taught Earth sciences. (Associated Press)
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"I cognize there's not an magnitude of clip of things I tin do to alteration it aliases alleviate immoderate symptom I've caused," he told nan committee April 18. "I'm conscionable profoundly sorry."
Those who knew nan precocious schoolhouse boys were shocked by nan killings, telling nan Cape Cod Times they were "class clowns."
"Jimmy is nan people clown," Casey Purcell, a elder who attended Chelsea High School pinch nan 2 boys, told nan outlet aft their 2001 arrest. "He's ne'er really serious. That's each location is to him. Rob is nan 1 who ever gets voted Most Likely to Take Over nan World, conscionable because he's truthful witty. But they are not violent. They for illustration tricks and stuff, but not thing for illustration this."
Parker's attorney, Cathy Green, touted her client's "stellar" disciplinary grounds during his clip down bars. Parker earned his bachelor's and master's degrees while incarcerated, she said, and painted artworks that are now connected show successful nan prison. He has acted successful jailhouse theatrical productions, taken up sports and helped to create acquisition guidelines for inmates.
"Twenty-four years ago, erstwhile he was 16, Jim Parker committed a unspeakable crime. He has afloat accepted work for his actions and remains profoundly remorseful," Green told Fox News Digital Friday. "He knows that thing he tin opportunity aliases do will bring solace to nan family and friends of nan Zantops."
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Parker is pictured Feb. 20, 2001, arsenic he is led to nan Henry County Courthouse successful New Castle, Ind. He and Tulloch devised a scheme to rob and execution strangers to raise costs to move to Australia, Parker said astatine his parole proceeding past week. (Getty Images)
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However, she said, her customer "has spent nan past 24 years doing everything successful his powerfulness to not only amended himself, but to amended nan situation community. He is very appreciative that nan parole committee has fixed him nan privilege of surviving successful nan community."
Green said that he would not beryllium commenting to nan media "out of respect for nan Zantop family." He could beryllium released arsenic early arsenic adjacent month.
Parker was sentenced to life successful situation pinch a minimum of 25 years aft he testified against Tulloch, per tribunal documents. The Supreme Court ruled that it was unconstitutional to condemnation a juvenile to mandatory life imprisonment successful 2012, and Parker appealed his condemnation successful 2018.
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"We were attempting to move overseas and unrecorded immoderate benignant of life of adventure," Parker told New Hampshire's parole committee past week. "It’s conscionable truthful hard. I’ve gone complete and complete it and conscionable uncovering an mentation for that is just, I conscionable don’t cognize really I could do that." (Associated Press)
He withdrew his petition successful 2019 aft proceeding of nan Zantop's surviving daughter's disapproval.
Among 9 group associated pinch nan Zantops who showed up astatine Parker's parole hearing, 1 cried retired erstwhile his petition for early merchandise was granted.
In ray of nan parole board's decision, girl Veronika Zantop said she "wish[ed] James Parker and his family nan champion and hop[ed] that they tin heal."
Robert Tulloch, pictured successful an undated photo, was sentenced to life successful situation for first-degree execution successful nan Zantops' deaths. He is scheduled for a caller sentencing proceeding successful June. (Associated Press)
"This is simply a difficult 1 to make a connection about, particularly because I can’t speak for everyone affected by what happened," Veronika Zantop told nan outlet. "For maine — I miss my parents and americium profoundly sad for everything they — and we — person missed retired on. I miss my father’s consciousness of joke and kindness and my mother’s crisp wit and tenacity successful each things. Among truthful galore different things. I americium profoundly grateful for each of nan support we person received."
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Her mother was 55 and her begetter was 62 erstwhile they were killed. The 2 German immigrants some taught astatine Dartmouth University. Susanne was nan caput of nan school's German studies department, and her hubby taught Earth sciences. The brace were "beloved" by their students and colleagues and had an unfastened invitation to galore of their homes.
Tulloch, now 40, sewage a mandatory condemnation of life without parole for first-degree execution successful nan killings. He is scheduled for a caller sentencing proceeding successful June. After its 2012 decision, nan Supreme Court ruled Tulloch and 4 different men who were sentenced to life successful situation should beryllium resentenced.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
