Twenty-five years after the brutal murders of a married Dartmouth College professor couple, a Vermont man who was 17 at the time is seeking to have his life sentence reduced to a term of 30 to 40 years. The case highlights the evolving legal landscape concerning juvenile offenders sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
Robert Tulloch, now 43 years old, was convicted and sentenced to life without parole for the 2001 stabbing deaths of Half and Susanne Zantop. The Zantops, both Dartmouth faculty members-Susanne led the German studies department while Half taught Earth sciences-were killed in their New Hampshire home in an incident that shocked the local community. Tulloch's co-defendant and friend, James Parker, who was 16 at the time, also participated in the crime and later cooperated with prosecutors.
Originally, Tulloch was automatically given a life sentence without parole after pleading guilty to first-degree murder. However, in 2012, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that mandatory life without parole sentences for juveniles are unconstitutional. This landmark decision was subsequently applied retroactively, opening the door for many juvenile offenders serving such sentences, including Tulloch, to seek resentencing. Tulloch's resentencing hearing, the last among five juvenile lifers in New Hampshire to come before Grafton County Superior Court, began recently.
The state has not publicly disclosed what sentence it will recommend during the resentencing proceedings. However, Tulloch's defense attorneys, Richard Guerriero and Oliver Bloom, have filed court documents arguing that a minimum sentence between 30 and 40 years is appropriate. Their argument is grounded in a review of comparable cases involving juvenile offenders both within New Hampshire and across the country, particularly those influenced by the Supreme Court's rulings.
Tulloch's lawyers emphasized his rehabilitation and maturity over the past two decades. After some early infractions in prison, Tulloch has had no major violations since 2012 and none at all since 2017. In fact, most of his disciplinary reports concern minor matters, such as possessing too many books. His attorneys also highlighted therapy records showing that Tulloch has expressed "significant remorse" for the crime, recognizing it as "heinous and unforgivable." They describe him as having a "good capacity for empathy" and acknowledge that his actions were the result of "warped youthful thinking."
The origins of the crime trace back to the boredom the two teenagers felt in their hometown of Chelsea, Vermont. According to James Parker's statements to prosecutors, he and Tulloch hatched a plan to murder strangers, steal their money, and escape to Australia for a fresh start. Over several months, the pair went door to door in New Hampshire and Vermont, posing as surveyors conducting environmental studies in order to gain entry into homes. The Zantops were among those who let them inside.
During the attack, Tulloch stabbed Half Zantop, and then instructed Parker to assault Susanne Zantop, whom Tulloch also stabbed. Investigators found fingerprints on a knife sheath and a bloody boot print that linked the two teens to the crime scene. Following police questioning, Tulloch and Parker fled Vermont, hitchhiking westward. They were apprehended weeks later at a truck stop in Indiana.
James Parker, who cooperated with the prosecution and pleaded guilty to being an accomplice to second-degree murder, was released on parole in 2024 after serving nearly the minimum term of his 25-years-to-life sentence. During his parole hearing, Parker described the crime as "unimaginably horrible" and acknowledged that there was nothing he could do to undo the harm caused.
The Supreme Court rulings that have impacted Tulloch's case focused specifically on mandatory life without parole sentences for juveniles. The United States remains the only country that permits discretionary life sentences for minors, a practice increasingly under scrutiny. According to the Campaign for the Fair Sentencing of Youth, 28 states and the District of Columbia have banned life without parole for juvenile offenders, while five other states allow it but currently have no juvenile lifers serving such sentences.
In New Hampshire, legislative efforts to abolish life sentences for juveniles have so far failed. Nevertheless, Tulloch's case could influence future attempts to change the law. In 2018, Tulloch challenged the constitutionality of juvenile life without parole sentences under the state constitution. A judge referred the question to the New Hampshire Supreme Court, which declined to rule on it. However, in July 2023, Superior Court Judge Lawrence MacLeod ruled that such sentences violate the state constitution's prohibition against "cruel or unusual" punishment.
Nationwide, resentencing outcomes for juvenile lifers have tended to result in sentences shorter than 40 years. A 2024 study published in the Journal of Criminal Justice found that over 75% of resentenced juvenile lifers received terms under 40 years. In New Hampshire, resentencing has produced a range of outcomes, including sentences of 25, 40, and 45 years to life. One individual refused to participate in his hearing or allow his attorneys to argue for a lesser sentence and was resentenced to life without parole.
As Tulloch's resentencing hearing proceeds, his case serves as a poignant example of how the criminal justice system grapples with balancing accountability, rehabilitation, and evolving standards for juvenile sentencing. It also underscores ongoing debates over how best to address serious crimes committed by minors and the role of mercy and proportionality in sentencing decisions.
The outcome of Tulloch's hearing may not only affect his own future but could also influence the treatment of other juvenile lifers in New Hampshire and beyond, potentially shaping the trajectory of juvenile justice reform in the years to come.