One man convicted in 2001 Dartmouth double-murder eligible for parole
Apr. 2—One of the two Vermont men who pleaded guilty to killing two Dartmouth College professors in 2001 has a parole hearing scheduled in two weeks.
James Parker, 39, is scheduled to face the three-member parole board on April 18. He was 16 at the time of the killings and sentenced to a minimum of 25 years in prison.
Parker pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in agreeing to testify against Robert Tulloch, who was 17 at the time. Tulloch was the notorious mastermind behind the random rob-and-kill scheme on Jan. 27, 2001.
Dartmouth professors Half Zantop, 62, and Susanne Zantop, 55, were stabbed to death after they answered the door for the two teenagers.
Tulloch was convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison without parole.
Parker is listed under "community corrections," which refers to transitional housing units or a work center, according to a New Hampshire Department of Corrections spokesperson.
"Many residents transition out from incarceration through one of these locations when they move to a lower custody level (C-1 or C-2 status)," the spokesperson said. "I am not able to give the specific location where Mr. Parker is housed."
Parker is being represented by Cathy Green, an attorney with Shaheen and Gordon.
"James Parker remains deeply sorry for his actions," Green said in a statement. "He has spent his time in prison very constructively with dedication not only to his own rehabilitation, but to making it a better place for others. Out of respect for the Zantops' family and friends, he will have no further comment."
According to court documents, Parker has earned his high school diploma, associate's degree, bachelor's degree for creative writing and a master's degree in nonprofit leadership/management. The programs earned him 21 months toward early release.
Hundreds of pages of court documents shed light into "Jim's path to rehabilitation" in having lived more than half his life behind bars. He has developed skills as an artist and dedicated himself to theater and music programs.
He has helped produce promotional materials through the Career and Technical Education Center (CTEC).
He has received frequent visits from his parents who still live in Chelsea, Vermont, and others.
In June 2019, Parker withdrew a request to suspend the remainder of his sentence after the Zantops' daughters objected to the motion.
"Jim does not wish to cause the family any more pain than he already has, so he hereby withdraws his motion to suspend," Green said in the withdrawal.
In August 2021, prosecutors agreed Parker should be allowed work release within one year of his minimum parole date. Judge Lawrence MacLead agreed.
The earliest he can be released is May depending on the outcome of the hearing.
