Robert Tulloch, who pleaded guilty to the first-degree murder of Dartmouth professors Half and Susanne Zantop in 2001, is now eligible for parole after a resentencing hearing in Grafton Superior Court. The new sentence, a joint recommendation from the state and defense, is two concurrent sentences of 45 years to life, with credit for time served.
Tulloch was 17 years old at the time of the murders and had been automatically sentenced to life without parole. The resentencing was mandated by a 2012 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that declared mandatory life sentences without parole for juvenile offenders unconstitutional. He is now eligible for release at age 62.
During the hearing, Veronika Zantop, the daughter of the victims, spoke about the profound impact of her parents' deaths, describing the murders as stemming from "sheer depravity" and urging the judge to impose the longest possible sentence. The state's Attorney General John Formella stated that while the resentencing was required, the new sentence reflects the seriousness of the crimes, promotes accountability, and protects the public while providing protections for the Zantop family.
The 2001 Murders
Tulloch and his then-16-year-old friend James Parker planned to kill strangers, steal their money, and move to Australia, according to Parker's account. They targeted the Zantops by posing as surveyors at their New Hampshire home. Half Zantop, 62, was an Earth sciences professor, and Susanne Zantop, 55, chaired Dartmouth's German studies department. Parker told prosecutors that Tulloch stabbed Half Zantop, and then directed Parker to attack Susanne Zantop, whom Tulloch also stabbed.
Evidence, including a knife sheath and a bloody boot print, linked the teens to the crime. After their arrest, they were attempting to flee to California but were apprehended at a truck stop in Indiana.
In April 2022, Tulloch pleaded guilty to first-degree murder and received a life sentence without parole. His codefendant, James Parker, pleaded guilty to second-degree murder as an accomplice and received a 25-year to life sentence. Parker was released on parole in June 2024.
As part of the resentencing, Tulloch is prohibited from contacting any members of the Zantop family and cannot profit from the murders through any commercial exploitation, such as selling his story. The resentencing hearing, initially scheduled for three days, concluded in about an hour with the agreed-upon sentence recommendation.