Jun. 9—James Parker, who spent about 24 years in prison for his role in the killing of two Dartmouth College professors in 2001, has been released from prison.

Parker, then 16, murdered Susanne Zantop, 55, while his friend, Robert Tulloch, 17, killed her husband, Half Zantop, 62, in their Hanover home in January 2001.

Cathy Green, Parker’s attorney, confirmed he had been released, but would not comment further. Parker is to have no contact with the Zantop family and will remain under supervision for the rest of his life.

Parker, 40, faced the adult parole board in April where he shared the grisly details of cutting Susanne’s throat. He showed remorse and called his actions “unimaginably horrible.”

Parker and Tulloch planned to rob and kill someone that day to get money to travel overseas. Tulloch was the mastermind behind the scheme.

In agreeing to become a key witness in a trial against Tulloch, Parker pleaded guilty to second-degree murder.

In August 2021, prosecutors agreed Parker should be allowed work release within one year of his minimum parole date of May 2024. Judge Lawrence MacLeod agreed.

A New Hampshire Department of Corrections spokesperson had confirmed Parker was living in a halfway house before the parole hearing.

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. He earned 21 months off his sentence for his educational pursuits.

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 paint several murals in the prison.

In 2018, Parker had tried to have his sentenced suspended, but later pulled the request because he didn’t want to hurt the Zantop family further.

The court filings say Parker’s parents, Joan and John Parker, have eagerly waited for his release.

Parker had gone through a forensic evaluation by Dr. Robert Kinscherff in 2018.

“Unlike many persons who have experienced long-term incarceration, he has obtained educational and vocational skills which increase the likelihood of stable meaningful employment in community settings,” Kinscherff wrote in a report.

He added, “James Parker has unusually promising prospects for living a productive life free of crime in the community upon his release.”

A parole board member said Parker had a “stellar” disciplinary record, though a board member also termed his crime “heinous.”

If released, “I’ll just keep being the man that I’ve been trying to become. Trying to become a better man than when I was that kid,” Parker said.

Tulloch was convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison without parole. His sentence will be reconsidered after the U.S. Supreme Court found mandatory life prison sentences for juvenile murderers unconstitutional in 2005.

A hearing originally set for this month will be rescheduled to another date.