Two Teens Are Sought in Professors’ Slayings

Authorities in New Hampshire, Vermont and Massachusetts said Saturday that they have launched a nationwide search for two Vermont teenagers accused in the Jan. 27 killings of Dartmouth College professors Half and Susanne Zantop.

Warrants charging Robert Tulloch, 17, and James Parker, 16, with first-degree murder in the stabbing deaths of the two respected academics were issued Friday and Saturday, respectively. The high school students, each described as about 6 feet tall and “clean cut,” were last seen Thursday in their hometown of Chelsea, Vt., about 25 miles from the homicide scene near Hanover, N.H.

At a televised news conference Saturday in Hanover, New Hampshire Assistant Atty. Gen. Kelly Ayotte said the complaints charge Tulloch and Parker with acting together to cause the Zantops’ deaths “by stabbing them multiple times in the heads and chests.”

Flanked by officials from state and local police as well as the FBI, Ayotte offered no insights into why or how the Vermont teenagers became suspects. Ayotte also deflected questions about any possible relationship between Tulloch, Parker and the victims.

“We are exploring every aspect of Tulloch’s and Parker’s connection with their own community, as well as with the Zantops,” she said.

Asked outright why the Zantops were killed, Ayotte replied, “This is an ongoing investigation, and this is not something I am at liberty to answer at this time.”

The Zantops, married for 31 years, were widely known in scholarly circles. Half Zantop, 62, taught Earth sciences and often led students on exotic expeditions to study geological formations. His students marveled that even in obscure corners of the world, he would seek out an Internet connection to send e-mail to his wife at home.

Fifty-five-year-old Susanne Zantop was chairwoman of Dartmouth’s German language department. She published extensively; she also taught Spanish and comparative literature. The night before her death, she picked daffodils from her greenhouse to take to a friend who had recently given birth.

The Zantops, who were both born in war-torn Germany, met while studying at Stanford University. They have two daughters, one a physician and the other an international human rights worker.

The couple lived in a secluded ranch house in Etna, a popular town for Dartmouth faculty. They were found in pools of their own blood when a fellow professor arrived at their home for a Saturday dinner. The faculty member called police and summoned a neighbor.

Other than confirming that the pair had been killed, authorities in Hanover at first stubbornly refused to disclose details about the Zantops’ deaths. More than a week passed before officials would say the pair had been stabbed. Even then, police would not name the murder weapon or describe the Zantops’ injuries. They also did not confirm published reports that the couple had been killed by a knife with a 12-inch blade.

With so many uncertainties, the tragedy weighed heavily on the peaceful soul of Hanover, a close community of 9,600 that takes pride in its sense of safety. Many residents say they never lock the doors to their homes or their cars. The Zantops’ slayings were only the third case of homicide in Hanover in 50 years.

Although Dartmouth President James Wright said he knew of no connection between Tulloch and the prestigious Ivy League institution, the fact that the suspects remained at large brought scant calm to the community.

New Hampshire State Police Col. Gary Sloper said Saturday, “We have no specific information to believe that they are currently armed, but by the very nature of the offenses with which they are charged, we have every right to believe that they are armed and dangerous.”

Tulloch and Parker were believed to be traveling in a silver 1987 Audi, Sloper said.

Phone calls Saturday to the Tulloch and Parker homes in Chelsea went unanswered.

But at the Saturday news conference, Sloper unveiled photographs of the two teenagers. He described both: “Short hair, clean cut.”

New Hampshire Atty. Gen. Philip McLaughlin obtained a petition Saturday allowing Parker, like Tulloch, to be charged as an adult. First-degree murder in New Hampshire requires purposeful conduct and premeditation.

The maximum sentence for the crime is life in prison without parole.

Ayotte said the charges were brought based on “evidence received from law enforcement and forensic investigations.” She praised numerous law enforcement agencies and the public for “tremendous team effort” in the three-week effort to identify the suspects.