In Concord, New Hampshire, Robert Tulloch, who confessed as a teenager to the double stabbing of two Dartmouth College professors in 2001, is now challenging his life-without-parole sentence on the grounds that it violates the state constitution. Tulloch, who was 17 at the time of the murders, plotted with his best friend to rob and kill people before fleeing to Australia with the stolen money. A hearing was slated to take place in Grafton County Superior Court to address the legal matters raised in Tulloch’s case.
Now 41 years old, Tulloch faces resentencing due to a 2012 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that deemed mandatory life sentences without parole for juveniles as “cruel and unusual” punishment. This decision was made retroactive, allowing numerous juvenile offenders the opportunity for a new sentence. Despite 28 states prohibiting such sentences for crimes committed by minors, New Hampshire has not passed similar legislation. Tulloch’s attorney argued that the state constitution’s language provides broader and stronger protection than the U.S. Constitution.
The American Civil Liberties Union of New Hampshire and other groups have voiced their support for Tulloch’s challenge. However, prosecutors have countered that the argument presented by Tulloch’s lawyer lacks merit. Tulloch’s lawyer pressed for a ruling that requires proof beyond a reasonable doubt that such a severe sentence is warranted and that the defendant is incapable of reform.
Tulloch is the final one of five men awaiting resentencing following a state supreme court ruling. While three were resentenced to lengthy terms with a chance for parole, one was resentenced to life without parole after declining to participate in his hearing. His accomplice, James Parker, who was released on parole at the age of 40, had pleaded guilty to being an accessory to second-degree murder in one of the deaths. Parker cooperated with authorities and testified against Tulloch, who initially planned to mount an insanity defense but later pleaded guilty to first-degree murder.
The motive behind the crimes stemmed from the teenagers’ desire to relocate to Australia, estimating they needed $10,000 for the journey. They targeted the Zantop residence in Hanover due to its affluent appearance and secluded surroundings. The victims, Susanne Zantop, head of Dartmouth’s German studies department, and her husband, Half Zantop, who taught Earth sciences, were selected by the teenagers after failed attempts to rob other homes in Vermont and New Hampshire.
Following their arrest a few weeks later, the teenagers’ intricate plan to gain entry into homes under false pretenses and then commit robbery and murder was unveiled. The upcoming legal proceedings will address Tulloch’s challenge to his life-without-parole sentence in light of the state constitution’s prohibition of cruel and excessive punishments.
