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Judgment Ridge: The True Story Behind the Dartmouth Murders
A riveting investigation of the brutal murders of two Dartmouth professors –– a book that, like In Cold Blood , reveals the chilling reality behind a murder that captivated the nation. On a cold night in January 2001, the idyllic community of Dartmouth College was shattered by the discovery that two of its most beloved professors had been hacked to death in their own home. Investigators searched helplessly for clues linking the victims, Half and Susanne Zantop, to their murderer or murderers. A few weeks later, across the river, in the town of Chelsea, Vermont, police cars were spotted in front of the house of high school senior Robert Tulloch. The police had come to question Tulloch and his best friend, Jim Parker. Soon, the town discovered the incomprehensible reality that Tulloch and Parker, two of Chelsea's brightest and most popular sons, were now fugitives, wanted for the murders of Half and Susanne Zantop. Authors Mitchell Zuckoff and Dick Lehr provide a vivid explication of a murder that captivated the nation, as well as dramatic revelations about the forces that turned two popular teenagers into killers. Judgement Ridge conveys a deep appreciation for the lives (and the devastating loss) of Half and Susanne Zantop, while also providing a clear portrait of the killers, their families, and their community—and, perhaps, a warning to any parent about what evil may lurk in the hearts of boys.
448 pages, Paperback
First published September 16, 2003
About the author
Dick Lehr
25 books99 followersDick Lehr is a professor of journalism at Boston University. From 1985 to 2003, he was a reporter at the Boston Globe, where he was a Pulitzer Prize finalist in investigative reporting and won numerous regional and national journalism awards. He served as the Globe's legal affairs reporter, magazine and feature writer, and as a longtime member of the newspaper's investigative reporting unit, the Spotlight Team. Before that, Lehr, who is also an attorney, was a reporter at The Hartford Courant.
Lehr is the author of The Fence: A Police Cover-up Along Boston's Racial Divide, a non-fiction narrative about the worst known case of police brutality in Boston, which was an Edgar Award finalist for best non-fiction. He is coauthor of the New York Times bestseller and Edgar Award winner Black Mass: Whitey Bulger, the FBI and a Devil's Deal, and its sequel, Whitey: The Life of America's Most Notorious Mob Boss.
Lehr was a John S. Knight Journalism Fellow at Stanford University in 1991-1992. He lives outside Boston with his wife and four children.
Lehr is the author of The Fence: A Police Cover-up Along Boston's Racial Divide, a non-fiction narrative about the worst known case of police brutality in Boston, which was an Edgar Award finalist for best non-fiction. He is coauthor of the New York Times bestseller and Edgar Award winner Black Mass: Whitey Bulger, the FBI and a Devil's Deal, and its sequel, Whitey: The Life of America's Most Notorious Mob Boss.
Lehr was a John S. Knight Journalism Fellow at Stanford University in 1991-1992. He lives outside Boston with his wife and four children.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 136 reviews
August 21, 2011
So much useless detail. Do I need to know that little Jimmy Parker's 4th grade substitute teacher allowed him to stand on his desk? Is it important that "escargot with soft polenta and beurre rogue" cost $7.75 at the Hanover Inn? Is it important that the movie Diane and Mike watch as the troopers search their house is "Air Force One", which, the authors helpfully point out, stars "Harrison Ford playing the president during a terrorist hijacking"?
Next, the redundancies. The books shifts through time more often than does Billy Pilgrim in Slaughterhouse Five, but at least Vonnegut's protagonist shifted to different moments instead of coming back to the same time again and again. The authors dribble out one or two new details with each recursion, but also remind the reader of information that presented just a few sections previously. It feels as though they were paid by the word, but ran out of words early.
The real problems, though, are the competing theses:
i. It is a tragedy that two bright young men from good families had their lives marred
Yes, the real victims are the murderers. Tragically, the school system allowed them to take advanced classes when in grade school, so that by the time they were in High School, there were no classes left to occupy their vast intellects. Idle hands are the Devil's Workshop, after all, and small town life is boring. If only the school hadn't had a gifted program, or if the Federal government had provided grants to the rural school so they could produce challenging programs (never mind that murderers' peers found ways to stay occupied). And then there was the "boys will be boys" attitude of law enforcement and the families as the crime spree gradually escalated, so maybe society is to blame.
ii. It is a tragedy that two splendid and brilliant professors still inexplicably in love with one another after decades of marriage (and who never once cheated on each other with impressionable and nubile grad students or willing peers in spite of all the opportunities) were killed violently
The problem with this thesis is that it suggests naturally that the murders would have been less tragic had the victims been disagreeable people. Over and over, the authors emphasize how a great person Half Zantop was (his name means "to help in German!), how well-liked he was, how doting a father and husband he was (oh, and Susanne was okay, too). If only the murderers had killed surly Franklin Sanders (who hates the environment) instead. And then there's the money -- $340 dollars. It's insulting that Half's life (oh, and Susanne's) was only worth that much. Too bad the boys weren't aware of the value of all the art objects in the Zantop house -- the $18,000 painting and $15,000 sculpture -- they could have fenced that to an unscrupulous art dealer for the $10,000 they needed to move to Australia -- that way Half's life (and Susanne's, of course) might have been worth the trade.
iii. It is a tragedy that a small town community had its splendid isolation shattered
The poor Chelseans will never again be able to leave their doors unlocked. Their innocence is lost forever, but maybe, with therapy, they can recover some semblance of normalcy, if only those wicked reporters will leave them alone and stop quoting people who aren't even real Chelseans in the papers.
Each of these theses, though, the authors present in passive voice, as though no one is morally responsible for the actions of the boys. In the final chapters, they reverse themselves, and almost blame Robert. Robert, you see, is a classic psychopath. He has no sense of right and wrong, and like the other psychopaths in the nation ("at least two million in North America"), is charming and manipulative. So maybe it's only half a tragedy -- Robert is a psychopath and Jim is his hapless disciple, fallen under the mesmeric influence of the charmingly amoral killer. But it's not really Robert's fault -- there is almost no way to treat psychopathy, and it's hard to identify psychopaths (since the list of characteristics they exhibit fit most normal teen-aged boys, and the characteristics he lacks are because he doesn't have his own car). So, actually, it's nobody's fault. It was an uncontrollable act of God that no one could have seen coming. A series of unfortunate coincidences and missed opportunities.
Yet Half Zantop (and Susanne, of course) is still dead.
Next, the redundancies. The books shifts through time more often than does Billy Pilgrim in Slaughterhouse Five, but at least Vonnegut's protagonist shifted to different moments instead of coming back to the same time again and again. The authors dribble out one or two new details with each recursion, but also remind the reader of information that presented just a few sections previously. It feels as though they were paid by the word, but ran out of words early.
The real problems, though, are the competing theses:
i. It is a tragedy that two bright young men from good families had their lives marred
Yes, the real victims are the murderers. Tragically, the school system allowed them to take advanced classes when in grade school, so that by the time they were in High School, there were no classes left to occupy their vast intellects. Idle hands are the Devil's Workshop, after all, and small town life is boring. If only the school hadn't had a gifted program, or if the Federal government had provided grants to the rural school so they could produce challenging programs (never mind that murderers' peers found ways to stay occupied). And then there was the "boys will be boys" attitude of law enforcement and the families as the crime spree gradually escalated, so maybe society is to blame.
ii. It is a tragedy that two splendid and brilliant professors still inexplicably in love with one another after decades of marriage (and who never once cheated on each other with impressionable and nubile grad students or willing peers in spite of all the opportunities) were killed violently
The problem with this thesis is that it suggests naturally that the murders would have been less tragic had the victims been disagreeable people. Over and over, the authors emphasize how a great person Half Zantop was (his name means "to help in German!), how well-liked he was, how doting a father and husband he was (oh, and Susanne was okay, too). If only the murderers had killed surly Franklin Sanders (who hates the environment) instead. And then there's the money -- $340 dollars. It's insulting that Half's life (oh, and Susanne's) was only worth that much. Too bad the boys weren't aware of the value of all the art objects in the Zantop house -- the $18,000 painting and $15,000 sculpture -- they could have fenced that to an unscrupulous art dealer for the $10,000 they needed to move to Australia -- that way Half's life (and Susanne's, of course) might have been worth the trade.
iii. It is a tragedy that a small town community had its splendid isolation shattered
The poor Chelseans will never again be able to leave their doors unlocked. Their innocence is lost forever, but maybe, with therapy, they can recover some semblance of normalcy, if only those wicked reporters will leave them alone and stop quoting people who aren't even real Chelseans in the papers.
Each of these theses, though, the authors present in passive voice, as though no one is morally responsible for the actions of the boys. In the final chapters, they reverse themselves, and almost blame Robert. Robert, you see, is a classic psychopath. He has no sense of right and wrong, and like the other psychopaths in the nation ("at least two million in North America"), is charming and manipulative. So maybe it's only half a tragedy -- Robert is a psychopath and Jim is his hapless disciple, fallen under the mesmeric influence of the charmingly amoral killer. But it's not really Robert's fault -- there is almost no way to treat psychopathy, and it's hard to identify psychopaths (since the list of characteristics they exhibit fit most normal teen-aged boys, and the characteristics he lacks are because he doesn't have his own car). So, actually, it's nobody's fault. It was an uncontrollable act of God that no one could have seen coming. A series of unfortunate coincidences and missed opportunities.
Yet Half Zantop (and Susanne, of course) is still dead.
May 15, 2013
I understand why some have given this offering a lesser rating due to its heavy (and as they say, seemingly useless) detail, as I also found myself getting a little distracted during such sections of the book; however, I found that these "useless" details were essential in telling the whole story, and made the read that much richer. To come to a true understanding of the depth of this account, and why it truly shocked so many, one needs to be exposed to the intricacies of life in Chelsea and Hanover. Moreover, James Parker and Robert Tulloch are our kids, our students - they are today's typical teenager in every small town, major city, and everything in between; and when we learn of their silly school-aged pranks, and immature adolescent improprieties, then we start to develop a picture of two very normal young men that we can all relate to - young men that we too would think incapable of such a violent crime. This is what makes this book so hard to put down, while also a book that you wished you never would have picked up. It is a disturbing account, and very dark at its core - yet it is a page-turner for the very reason that I already discussed: these two boys stunned a nation and shook two towns, and no one saw it coming.
June 14, 2013
Blrgggg... Sounded like an interesting real life crime. I really liked In Cold Blood . This was SO not that. The writing was atrocious. If I received a paper written like this from my students, esp when it was NOT the first draft, I would FAIL it. Run the other way. Read another book. Read any other book. Find an article that sums up the story of the murders and be done with it.
January 20, 2014
This is a chilling portrayal of teenagers turned evil. 17-year-old Robert Tulloch, whom the authors persuasively argue was a psychopath, was best friends with 16-year-old Jim Parker in the tiny town of Chelsea, Vermont. The two friends thought of themselves as intellectually brilliant, far smarter than everyone around them. (This was in fact belied by their high school grades, B's and B minuses, their numerous misspellings and grammatical errors in notes and emails the authors viewed, their subpar school essays, and the identifying physical evidence they carelessly left behind at their crime scene.) They had grandiose fantasies about the lives they would lead; Tulloch felt he was brilliant enough to be President. They had front-loaded their high school graduation requirements and by junior and senior year had completed nearly all of them, resulting in hours of daily free time during which they could leave the school campus and roam around the Vermont countryside, fomenting mischief, doing damage, and committing petty crimes. Particuarly in Tulloch's case, bad parenting seems to have been a cause of his downward spiral. Both sets of parents were fairly hands-off. Tulloch's father had not recently stepped inside his son's bedroom, for example, and his mother had not raised any alarms when she discovered Robert had ordered two stun guns through the mail. (She returned the stun guns, irritated that Robert had used her credit card to order them, but apparently didn't question why a teenager would want or need stun guns.) During 2000 and 2001, the two boys hatched a half-baked plan to raise $10,000 by robbing people (they were too lazy to earn the money working), then escape to Australia and live off the land.
Parker probably would have been content to merely rob people, but Tulloch was determined to kill. (At one point he wanted to kill his own family dog, but Parker dissuaded him.) Tulloch was a leader, Parker a follower. Tulloch was an extreme narcissist who needed Parker's adoration and constant company in order to feel good about himself.
In the months leading up to their horrific crime, the two boys attempted to rob a man at home with his 11-year old son by pretending their car had broken down. The homeowner was immediately suspicious, having moved to Vermont from New York. When Tulloch knocked at his door, he showed his handgun and refused to open the door, then waited all night until he was sure Tulloch had left. Tulloch had cut the phone lines, Parker had been hiding in the bushes, and in their car were the stun guns and duct tape for restraints.
The teens then settled on another plan: dress as preppy students and knock on doors asking homeowners to answer an environmental survey. They tried it on a wealthy former executive who happened to be busy lining his indoor lap pool. He answered the door, quickly told them he would not answer their survey, and fortunately for himself, closed the door in their faces. Tulloch and Parker decided to rob a home in nearby Hanover, New Hampshire, where not only were residents wealthier than Chelsea, but more likely to have opinions about the environment. First they tried one home, but its occupants were away skiing. They tried the home next door, and tragedy struck. Half Zantop was a professor of geology at Dartmouth. Not only did he know all about the environment and have opinions on it, but his teaching instincts prompted him to want to help these young students and hone their survey questions for subsequent survey-takers. He was at home making lunch with his wife Susanne, a professor of German studies at Dartmouth. Zantop took the survey - after lending Parker a pen, which he had forgotten to bring with him. Tulloch then hacked Zantop to death with one of the large SEAL knives they had brought with them, and Parker murdered Susanne. The boys grabbed Half's wallet, which had $340 in it, and fled, in their haste forgetting the plastic sheaths to the SEAL knives, and tracking a bloody footprint at the threshold.
After several weeks of investigating, the authorities found out that two identical model SEAL knives had been ordered online by a local Chelsea resident, Jim Parker. They went to question him at home. He seemed exceedingly nervous, yet the investigators didn't think someone so young, whose parents seemed so supportive, could be the Zantops' killer. Jim told them he had bought the knives, but had then sold them to a random stranger at an Army Surplus store. The investigators thought perhaps there was something fishy about that part of the story, since Jim's description of the stranger kept changing, but they still didn't think Jim was their target. Jim brought up his friend Robert Tulloch, whom they also questioned. Tulloch was cool, calm and collected. Both sets of parents assured detectives their sons were good, well-behaved, and had nothing to do with any crimes, and allowed them to be fingerprinted at police headquarters. Tulloch and Parker were released. Shortly thereafter, they fled Vermont and made it to Indiana before being captured. The physical evidence against them mounted: the boots that had made the bloody print at the Zantops' house were found in one boy's closet, and when they fled they had forgotten to take the murder weapons with them, or destroy them: the SEAL knives were at the bottom of Robert Tulloch's closet.
Both teens pled guilty. Parker was remorseful and confessed the entire story to prosecutors. He was sentenced to 25 years to life. Tulloch was not remorseful. His public defenders had been planning to present an insanity defense (they were going to argue he was bipolar), but he pled guilty against their advice and was sentenced to life without the possibility of parole. Even by the time of his plea, his jailers learned of several plans he had been concocting to escape.
The book is a quick read, and straightforwardly written. There are perhaps some extraneous details that could have been edited out; in particular, the Chelsea psychiatrist Dr. Pomerantz and his insipid diary entries which the authors insist on quoting. Pomerantz was "a" psychiatrist, but he never examined either of the boys, so his opinions and musings are valueless.
I would like someday to know whether psychopathy is born, or developed, or some combination of the two. As in the case of Columbine, where you had a psychopathic ringleader and a non-psychopathic follower, parenting, and a lack of parental oversight, seems to be a contributing issue. But how much of an issue? Because of family privacy, it's impossible to know these things with certainty. No one saw the warning signs in Tulloch and Parker that would have made anyone think they were capable of brutality, much less murder. Almost the entire town of Chelsea, their friends, neighbors, and teachers, were stunned when they were arrested for a brutal killing: yes, they had done mischief, broken into their friends' houses to play tag ball when the families were away, stolen an ATV, and tried to steal other things, but these are exponentially less serious than hacking people to death. Tulloch had a girlfriend who never suspected he could be a killer - or a psychopath. Both boys had a wide circle of friends, although in the past year they had spent more time alone together than with their other friends.
It remains a mystery.
February 19, 2020
This one belongs on a syllabus with Capote's In Cold Blood and Columbine by Dave Cullen. I think between all three books you might be able to begin forming an understanding of the dangerous--yet, quite repetitive--dynamic of violent male duos. I appreciated that these authors tried to paint as detailed a picture as they possibly could given the access they had, whether that meant tracing the boys' daily lives from childhood through the crime and its aftermath, thoroughly examining the unique small-town environment they grew up in, or coming right out and saying that Robert fit the description of a psychopath to a T. A lot of times authors insist upon leaving a sense of ambiguity about why killers kill, which can sometimes make it seem like the killers are not really to blame for their own actions. I liked that these authors attempted to put forth as much evidence as possible and then used it to form cohesive theories. The contrast here between Robert and Jim was interesting to me--that line towards the end got to me: "What a difference a boy makes." And, commendably, all this detail about the boys was not at the expense of the Zantops--their precious lives were given their due.
My heart broke for so many of the players in this tragedy--John Parker forcing himself to go over to the Pattis' house and apologize for one of his son's horrific acts; John O'Brien, the dogged debate coach, continuing to give Robert chances he didn't deserve, in hopes he could simply help the troubled boy; the loyal (if somewhat gullible) teacher, Mr. Kellogg, trying to find the good when there was none left; and the Zantop daughters who went to hell and back and still had to find the strength to speak for their parents in court. This was a really well-told story.
I think some would argue that this community coddled these boys, but the thing is, they thought they were raising boys, not killers.
My heart broke for so many of the players in this tragedy--John Parker forcing himself to go over to the Pattis' house and apologize for one of his son's horrific acts; John O'Brien, the dogged debate coach, continuing to give Robert chances he didn't deserve, in hopes he could simply help the troubled boy; the loyal (if somewhat gullible) teacher, Mr. Kellogg, trying to find the good when there was none left; and the Zantop daughters who went to hell and back and still had to find the strength to speak for their parents in court. This was a really well-told story.
I think some would argue that this community coddled these boys, but the thing is, they thought they were raising boys, not killers.
October 30, 2011
Although somewhat captivating, I found there was too much filler in this book. There were detailed examples of police terms, background information on insignificant characters and opinions from random townspeople.
April 4, 2014
Just finished it and I am so glad it is over! Over is the constant talk about the smallest things.
Over is the constant talk that poor little innocent Jim was a victim of the mean nasty Robert.
Sorry I do not buy it for a second. Jim was the actor and Jim was the only one who told the story so it is so easy to say yes Roger made me do it.
This author fell for it hook line and sinker.
I did like the first half of the book although I did think there was way too much filler but because I was interested I could take it... at first.
When I learned the outcome and how sorry this author felt not only for the beautiful, gorgeous, most sweetest,loveliest,brightest 2 people of the world who were slaughtered by these 2 kids. 16 and 17! and had to read that 100 times (Yes I can exaggerate too Mister lehr.)
Anyway. they were both as guilty as the other.....
Here some bias out of the book. (During the last chapters there were so many of them)
"Thinking no one could see or hear him Robert clasped his hands together and stared upwards.
"Jim I am so sorry, Jim so sorry. Maybe if I'd used my brain a little bit.
That is what I noticed how Roger never said one mean word about Jim but Jim did plenty about Roger.
Even though the author does write about a few incidents where Roger was only thinking about Jim he does not stop constantly blaming Robert and feeling sorry for poor Jim. He makes a big deal that Jim cried during the victim's testimonies and Roger did not. He forgets he told us that Jim is a very good actor.
So all in all it is not a bad book but too much filler and too much bias I cannot give it more than 2.5 stars.
Over is the constant talk that poor little innocent Jim was a victim of the mean nasty Robert.
Sorry I do not buy it for a second. Jim was the actor and Jim was the only one who told the story so it is so easy to say yes Roger made me do it.
This author fell for it hook line and sinker.
I did like the first half of the book although I did think there was way too much filler but because I was interested I could take it... at first.
When I learned the outcome and how sorry this author felt not only for the beautiful, gorgeous, most sweetest,loveliest,brightest 2 people of the world who were slaughtered by these 2 kids. 16 and 17! and had to read that 100 times (Yes I can exaggerate too Mister lehr.)
Anyway. they were both as guilty as the other.....
Here some bias out of the book. (During the last chapters there were so many of them)
"Thinking no one could see or hear him Robert clasped his hands together and stared upwards.
"Jim I am so sorry, Jim so sorry. Maybe if I'd used my brain a little bit.
That is what I noticed how Roger never said one mean word about Jim but Jim did plenty about Roger.
Even though the author does write about a few incidents where Roger was only thinking about Jim he does not stop constantly blaming Robert and feeling sorry for poor Jim. He makes a big deal that Jim cried during the victim's testimonies and Roger did not. He forgets he told us that Jim is a very good actor.
So all in all it is not a bad book but too much filler and too much bias I cannot give it more than 2.5 stars.
February 24, 2022
The only thing worse than a hormonal teenager is a hormonal teenager with too much free time. Generally, it usually leads to a litany of petty crimes and binge drinking. In this case, it led to the murder of two beloved professors for… basically no reason whatsoever.
What makes Judgment Ridge a bit different from other true crimes books is the way the killers are slowly revealed. Not their identities, you know them from the beginning of the book. What you don’t know is how they got from somewhat lovable scamps to cold blooded murderers. The book chronicles how almost everyone refused to believe these two teenagers butchered two people. It just made no sense. However, the book slowly pieces everything together to gradually make you realize these two kids were not normal teenagers. They were a dangerous combination which finally went off.
What makes Judgment Ridge a bit different from other true crimes books is the way the killers are slowly revealed. Not their identities, you know them from the beginning of the book. What you don’t know is how they got from somewhat lovable scamps to cold blooded murderers. The book chronicles how almost everyone refused to believe these two teenagers butchered two people. It just made no sense. However, the book slowly pieces everything together to gradually make you realize these two kids were not normal teenagers. They were a dangerous combination which finally went off.
July 8, 2024
”No place is as isolated from evil as it thinks it is.”
At the prestigious Dartmouth College, violence is almost unheard of. One of the eight Ivy League schools, it prides itself in providing an excellent education for all who attend and a place where intelligent minds come in their quest for knowledge. It’s a safe place where crime is low, the wilderness vast, and educated minds can come together to study and learn in peaceful and quiet tranquility. In January 2001, however, that tranquility would be shattered forever with the murders of Half and Susanne Zantop, two beloved college professors at Dartmouth. Brutally murdered in their home, no one can think of who would want the Zantops dead. The answer to that question is answered, but it’s an answer almost to incomprehensible to believe: the Zantops were murdered by Robert Tulloch and Jim Parker, two teenage boys from the nearby town of Chelsea, Vermont. Chelsea plunges into a state of sheer panic, grief, and disbelief. How could two popular teenage boys with no criminal record, no history of violence, and no outwards signs of intending to do harm brutally and maliciously kill two individuals who they knew nothing about? In this riveting true crime account, Dick Lehr and Mitchell Zukoff attempt to find the answers.
Wow! This book truly hit it out of the park. It’s one of the most comprehensive and detailed analyses of a crime I’ve read so far. From the town of Chelsea itself to the history of Dartmouth, from the victims of the crime to the suspects, from the townspeople to the time period, Lehr and Zukoff cover it all. I couldn’t wait to pick this book up whenever I had the chance to do so, I was so enthralled in reading it. That’s a funny thing to say, being enthralled in someone else’s grief and tragedy. That’s the fine line with true crime though: you want to be respectful to the dead and the victims and people involved in it, but on the other hand, we want to answer the ever burning question of why. Lehr and Zukoff find the perfect balance in their writing.
The biggest criticism I’ve seen about this book is that it’s overly detailed and filled with information that is mundane or not considered relevant at all to the actual story. I respectfully disagree. Those details allowed me as the reader to paint a complete and comprehensive portrait of the crime, something that I think is lacking in a lot of true crime books in this day in age. Readers often want the facts, just the facts, and see true crime oftentimes in black in white, when in reality most crimes are varying shades of gray. It also made picturing the setting of Vermont, Dartmouth, and the small town of Chelsea all the more vivid. Some of the descriptions of Chelsea made me think of Alice Hoffman’s writing in a way. In providing these small but minute and sometimes insignificant details, the authors allow the reader to become completely and hopelessly immersed in the story.
They also focus a lot on some outside players to the story, like the townspeople of Chelsea. Since we don’t have a lot of information from the direct sources of the crimes themselves, these people prove to be invaluable in getting a non-biased perspective on the main players and the environment surrounding them, particularly the Zantops. The Zantops sounded like such rich, imaginative, and warm people; people I would have loved to have been friends with. And from what I’ve read about them from this book, they would welcome anyone with open arms. Their curiosity, generosity, and never ending thirst for knowledge leaps off the page. They truly were the most innocent of victims, as Jim and Robert preyed on their kindness and desire to teach lessons to anyone they met.
Jim Parker and Robert Tulloch are not only a study in psychopathy, they are also a study in manipulation. In the realm of toxic friends in literature, I often see females manipulating females and the opposite sexes manipulating each other, but rarely do I come across males manipulating other males. Judgment Ridge examines it and pulls you deep into it. I am firmly convinced that if Jim Parker had never met Robert Tulloch, he wouldn’t have committed this heinous crime. A life of petty crime? Sure. But not violent crime. That’s not to say that he should be exonerated. He could have backed out at any time. But I think Robert’s manipulation was so complete, so all-encompassing he probably felt helpless. And Robert Tulloch? He’s a truly chilling individual, and looking back on it, I find it so odd that those closest to him, his teachers, mentors, and the townspeople as a whole, didn’t see the warning signs earlier about what he was about to become.
That was the other thing that I think Lehr and Zukoff did that hit the nail on the head. They examined and explored the growing increase in teen violence in the early days. Remember, the Columbine tragedy happened in 1999, and the Dartmouth murders happened in 2001, just two years later. The seeds for this crime were planted, however, right around 1999 when Jim and Robert were in high school. Levels of violence committed by teenagers was a practically unheard of thing back then. I was barely in kindergarten at the time, but even I have memories of the Columbine tragedy. Adults didn’t know what to do with this so called onslaught of teens doing evil acts, and the struggles they faced as they tried to focus on the problem were well-explored by the authors.
All at once riveting, heartbreaking, and fascinating, Judgment Ridge takes a look at a most violent crime in a decidedly non-violent area, how the grief and trauma impacted almost everyone it touched within the area, and no matter how big or small a town you live in, no matter how isolated from it you think you are, violent crime can impact anyone.
At the prestigious Dartmouth College, violence is almost unheard of. One of the eight Ivy League schools, it prides itself in providing an excellent education for all who attend and a place where intelligent minds come in their quest for knowledge. It’s a safe place where crime is low, the wilderness vast, and educated minds can come together to study and learn in peaceful and quiet tranquility. In January 2001, however, that tranquility would be shattered forever with the murders of Half and Susanne Zantop, two beloved college professors at Dartmouth. Brutally murdered in their home, no one can think of who would want the Zantops dead. The answer to that question is answered, but it’s an answer almost to incomprehensible to believe: the Zantops were murdered by Robert Tulloch and Jim Parker, two teenage boys from the nearby town of Chelsea, Vermont. Chelsea plunges into a state of sheer panic, grief, and disbelief. How could two popular teenage boys with no criminal record, no history of violence, and no outwards signs of intending to do harm brutally and maliciously kill two individuals who they knew nothing about? In this riveting true crime account, Dick Lehr and Mitchell Zukoff attempt to find the answers.
Wow! This book truly hit it out of the park. It’s one of the most comprehensive and detailed analyses of a crime I’ve read so far. From the town of Chelsea itself to the history of Dartmouth, from the victims of the crime to the suspects, from the townspeople to the time period, Lehr and Zukoff cover it all. I couldn’t wait to pick this book up whenever I had the chance to do so, I was so enthralled in reading it. That’s a funny thing to say, being enthralled in someone else’s grief and tragedy. That’s the fine line with true crime though: you want to be respectful to the dead and the victims and people involved in it, but on the other hand, we want to answer the ever burning question of why. Lehr and Zukoff find the perfect balance in their writing.
The biggest criticism I’ve seen about this book is that it’s overly detailed and filled with information that is mundane or not considered relevant at all to the actual story. I respectfully disagree. Those details allowed me as the reader to paint a complete and comprehensive portrait of the crime, something that I think is lacking in a lot of true crime books in this day in age. Readers often want the facts, just the facts, and see true crime oftentimes in black in white, when in reality most crimes are varying shades of gray. It also made picturing the setting of Vermont, Dartmouth, and the small town of Chelsea all the more vivid. Some of the descriptions of Chelsea made me think of Alice Hoffman’s writing in a way. In providing these small but minute and sometimes insignificant details, the authors allow the reader to become completely and hopelessly immersed in the story.
They also focus a lot on some outside players to the story, like the townspeople of Chelsea. Since we don’t have a lot of information from the direct sources of the crimes themselves, these people prove to be invaluable in getting a non-biased perspective on the main players and the environment surrounding them, particularly the Zantops. The Zantops sounded like such rich, imaginative, and warm people; people I would have loved to have been friends with. And from what I’ve read about them from this book, they would welcome anyone with open arms. Their curiosity, generosity, and never ending thirst for knowledge leaps off the page. They truly were the most innocent of victims, as Jim and Robert preyed on their kindness and desire to teach lessons to anyone they met.
Jim Parker and Robert Tulloch are not only a study in psychopathy, they are also a study in manipulation. In the realm of toxic friends in literature, I often see females manipulating females and the opposite sexes manipulating each other, but rarely do I come across males manipulating other males. Judgment Ridge examines it and pulls you deep into it. I am firmly convinced that if Jim Parker had never met Robert Tulloch, he wouldn’t have committed this heinous crime. A life of petty crime? Sure. But not violent crime. That’s not to say that he should be exonerated. He could have backed out at any time. But I think Robert’s manipulation was so complete, so all-encompassing he probably felt helpless. And Robert Tulloch? He’s a truly chilling individual, and looking back on it, I find it so odd that those closest to him, his teachers, mentors, and the townspeople as a whole, didn’t see the warning signs earlier about what he was about to become.
That was the other thing that I think Lehr and Zukoff did that hit the nail on the head. They examined and explored the growing increase in teen violence in the early days. Remember, the Columbine tragedy happened in 1999, and the Dartmouth murders happened in 2001, just two years later. The seeds for this crime were planted, however, right around 1999 when Jim and Robert were in high school. Levels of violence committed by teenagers was a practically unheard of thing back then. I was barely in kindergarten at the time, but even I have memories of the Columbine tragedy. Adults didn’t know what to do with this so called onslaught of teens doing evil acts, and the struggles they faced as they tried to focus on the problem were well-explored by the authors.
All at once riveting, heartbreaking, and fascinating, Judgment Ridge takes a look at a most violent crime in a decidedly non-violent area, how the grief and trauma impacted almost everyone it touched within the area, and no matter how big or small a town you live in, no matter how isolated from it you think you are, violent crime can impact anyone.
January 18, 2016
VERY good book. Well written and well rounded reporting on the murder of two College professors in a small town. In the minds of what seemed to be two normal boys was a
murderer and a follower. Their violent acts left a town forced to deal with the aftermath and their new normal.
murderer and a follower. Their violent acts left a town forced to deal with the aftermath and their new normal.
October 20, 2017
This book is definitely chilling and beyond belief; how could this ever happen in real life? Just seems like a type of ghastly, made-up tale you'd tell around Halloween or by campfires to scare everyone...not hear about on the news.
The book did an amazing job of re-telling this event. I was enthralled by how it all came about and transpired.
The book did an amazing job of re-telling this event. I was enthralled by how it all came about and transpired.
December 6, 2017
Some say there is too much detail but I️ loved it - I️ think a big part of this is I’m from VT and work in the Upper Valley. I️ appreciated the descriptions of the people and the area - which seemed pretty apt for a flatlander!!!!!
The layout of the book was a bit confusing - it wasn’t until the end that motives (or lack thereof) were revealed. It could have all been a bit more streamlined.
Overall, terrifying. Especially striking was the support and eventual horror of the townspeople - that these two local boys couldn’t have done this. I️ would be interested in reading follow up on the two boys (now men) in jail.
The layout of the book was a bit confusing - it wasn’t until the end that motives (or lack thereof) were revealed. It could have all been a bit more streamlined.
Overall, terrifying. Especially striking was the support and eventual horror of the townspeople - that these two local boys couldn’t have done this. I️ would be interested in reading follow up on the two boys (now men) in jail.
June 18, 2013
I liked this book overall. It was an interesting story with some interesting characters. It was, however, a little too long. As true crime books go, this one wasn't that thrilling. There was too much background information that didn't really seem to add much to the story. As an example, the authors went into a great deal of detail about Robert Tulloch and Jim Parker's high school exploits, which, beyond helping us understand why investigators were initially reticent to believe two high school kids could be killers, was not relevant. There was a lengthy and dramatic lead-up to Tulloch's big explosion at a high school debate tournament, but the actual incident itself, while noteworthy, was pretty anticlimactic for all the foreshadowing that took place before it.
I am giving the book three stars because it is an interesting story, but I think we could have gotten the same understanding of the crime, how shocking it was in this bucolic Vermont town, and how psycopathic one of the killers was in a 30-50% shorter book.
I am giving the book three stars because it is an interesting story, but I think we could have gotten the same understanding of the crime, how shocking it was in this bucolic Vermont town, and how psycopathic one of the killers was in a 30-50% shorter book.
June 13, 2013
I suppose reading In Cold Blood spoiled me. In this genre, it's hard for any author to live up to that one. Apart from any fault in the writing, I think the problem with this book stemmed from the subject matter -- idiotic motives of the two teenage killers, Tulloch & Parker. Randomness...banality...teen angst. These guys were such boring morons that it was probably hard for the author to create a lot "complexity" to this book. They were so absolutely guilty that even they realized that going through a contested trial was pointless. They were so stupid about how they went about it that they were bound for prison. Still, the author captures the horror of this crime. But the sheer pointless-ness of the crime only increases the irony I felt for accomplished people like the Zantops. They had led such meaningful lives. It's such a shame that they experienced such a meaning-less death at the hands of these two juvenile psychopaths. I'm so sorry for the Zantop family -- the victims seemed like wonderful people.
March 6, 2014
Because I mostly buy books on my nook, sometimes I don't read all the fine details before purchasing. That was the case with this one.
I did not catch "The True Story Behind the Darmouth Murders" subtitle. When I began reading I was disappointed that it wasn't written
more story like. Then I figured out that it was a TRUE story and I wanted to start it over again! I read whole thing and was amazed and stunned by
the attitudes and behaviors of the boys accused and what they did.
What a scary time for that whole community.
I did not catch "The True Story Behind the Darmouth Murders" subtitle. When I began reading I was disappointed that it wasn't written
more story like. Then I figured out that it was a TRUE story and I wanted to start it over again! I read whole thing and was amazed and stunned by
the attitudes and behaviors of the boys accused and what they did.
What a scary time for that whole community.
August 10, 2016
This book examines the killing of two Dartmouth professors by two teens from a nearby town in Vermont. I have long since stopped opening my door to strangers and this book supports the wisdom of my decision.
In the context of #BlackLivesMatter, it was striking to read about police incredulity regarding the guilt of the boys. They were so convinced that the pair couldn't have done it that the boys were never under surveillance and thus allowed to take flight. It's hard to imagine this being the case if black teens had been suspects.
Absorbing read. Very well-structured work.
In the context of #BlackLivesMatter, it was striking to read about police incredulity regarding the guilt of the boys. They were so convinced that the pair couldn't have done it that the boys were never under surveillance and thus allowed to take flight. It's hard to imagine this being the case if black teens had been suspects.
Absorbing read. Very well-structured work.
July 22, 2011
This is a true story behind the Dartmouth murders in 2001. Two teenagers murdered a couple of Dartmouth professors in their home. The telling of the story reminds me of Truman Capote's In Cold Blood. It deals with the days and weeks leading up to the murders, the capture of the boys and their sentences. Very well written...probably a 4+
April 9, 2013
A pretty good true crime book. I didn't know the details of this case, and was struck by how much it reminded me of the Leopold/Loeb murder (famously fictionalized in Compulsion, an excellent book, and Hitchcock's quirky movie Rope. It was well written in a journalistic style, which means a little dry but still interesting.
February 6, 2019
I thought that this was a very well researched true crime book. I don't know why it is getting so much hate for being overly detailed. I found it to be clear, unbiased, and not lingering too much on the gore aspects. For me this book was solid and one I would recommend to anyone who likes a good true crime story.
January 24, 2015
Meticulously researched and fairly and objectively told. A very comprehensive look at the causes and effects of this horrible crime. A great read for anyone interested in crime and the psychology of violent criminals.
February 26, 2011
A chilling and fascinating story about the Dartmouth murders. The author really conveys the evil and creepiness of the murderers (particularly Robert Tulloch). Very well told and well paced.
October 30, 2015
It's always weird reading an outsider's perspective to a real life experience. While it's bound to be weird, I wish the writing had been better.
January 2, 2015
If you like true crime books, I strongly recommend.
January 20, 2024
Drawn to Lehr's books and Zuckoff's books. I've read 3 now in the past few weeks.
Jan 18, 2024 - I am 1/3 of the way through this nonfiction book, so I can't give final ratings, but there is a lot of backstory. Sometimes it drags on and on. I know it is a true story, and the information is vital about each friend of the couple murdered, about the murderers, about their families. But it is long and a lot, and sometimes I just wanted to get to the point of the story.
A serious concern for me in the story is the lack of school control over the students. As a teacher, I don't love the idea of students getting out of school early or coming in late. There are too many variables - are their guards or security at the doors of schools checking all of these students to make sure they are students? Where are they when they leave school? I understand the argument of students having jobs if they leave school at noon, and being able to earn money for college, but that wasn't the case in 2001 in Chelsea. These kids weren't working (many of them). They were causing problems. Also 21 credits - that isn't the rule now. But I do see so many kids getting out early and causing problems, or being entitled, doing nothing with their time. A traditional school day is important, and if it means more study hall teachers to cut down on crimes, is it worth discussing? The fluidity with Robert and Jim just coming in and out of school for certain classes or clubs should have raised red flags. Then again, as a teacher, not having the problem kids in class every day is nice.
January 19, 2024 - I have done nothing but read this book for the last 24 hours (thanks to a snow day), but I had to take frequent breaks to process everything. It was long, and I made a comment about there being so many details, but finishing the book, it all made sense. I needed to understand Robert more, and his motives, and Jim's. I doubt I am giving away anything (no spoilers) in saying that Jim had such remorse, and Robert did not. I cried and cried at the end. I thought about my students and how some get volatile, and is anyone watching for signs or concerns?
Last year I read a book - Murderous Minds - by Dean Allen Haycock, and I learned so much about what needs to be done but as of 2014 hadn't. There needs to be more funding to test what makes up a psychopath vs someone who has psychotic tendencies. I am just so impressed wit the officers, psychologists, investigators, and all those who tirelessly kept fighting to get to the truth, even just to give the victims' daughters some peace.
I can't write more because I need to process, and I will process for days. I am definitely inspired to research more about these cases and others.
Jan 18, 2024 - I am 1/3 of the way through this nonfiction book, so I can't give final ratings, but there is a lot of backstory. Sometimes it drags on and on. I know it is a true story, and the information is vital about each friend of the couple murdered, about the murderers, about their families. But it is long and a lot, and sometimes I just wanted to get to the point of the story.
A serious concern for me in the story is the lack of school control over the students. As a teacher, I don't love the idea of students getting out of school early or coming in late. There are too many variables - are their guards or security at the doors of schools checking all of these students to make sure they are students? Where are they when they leave school? I understand the argument of students having jobs if they leave school at noon, and being able to earn money for college, but that wasn't the case in 2001 in Chelsea. These kids weren't working (many of them). They were causing problems. Also 21 credits - that isn't the rule now. But I do see so many kids getting out early and causing problems, or being entitled, doing nothing with their time. A traditional school day is important, and if it means more study hall teachers to cut down on crimes, is it worth discussing? The fluidity with Robert and Jim just coming in and out of school for certain classes or clubs should have raised red flags. Then again, as a teacher, not having the problem kids in class every day is nice.
January 19, 2024 - I have done nothing but read this book for the last 24 hours (thanks to a snow day), but I had to take frequent breaks to process everything. It was long, and I made a comment about there being so many details, but finishing the book, it all made sense. I needed to understand Robert more, and his motives, and Jim's. I doubt I am giving away anything (no spoilers) in saying that Jim had such remorse, and Robert did not. I cried and cried at the end. I thought about my students and how some get volatile, and is anyone watching for signs or concerns?
Last year I read a book - Murderous Minds - by Dean Allen Haycock, and I learned so much about what needs to be done but as of 2014 hadn't. There needs to be more funding to test what makes up a psychopath vs someone who has psychotic tendencies. I am just so impressed wit the officers, psychologists, investigators, and all those who tirelessly kept fighting to get to the truth, even just to give the victims' daughters some peace.
I can't write more because I need to process, and I will process for days. I am definitely inspired to research more about these cases and others.
February 25, 2018
An in-depth investigation of the murders of a married couple of Dartmouth professors in early 2001. I remember the case, or at least the shocked disbelief at the time the bodies were discovered, well. I remember the speculation that these apparently blameless German academics might have led spectacularly depraved double lives, or that a disgruntled student might have been involved. The truth, I learned from this book, was quite different but equally chilling : two teens from a neighboring town had committed the murders as the first step towards their dream of amassing funds by a life of crime and eventually running away to Australia. The book focuses on the lives of these two boys, Robert (the leader) and Jim (the follower). Hindsight is 20-20, and there were mild to moderate signs of trouble brewing. Robert quite openly described himself as a genius, smarter than anyone else. Jim would follow anyone who would give him attention. Robert had failed in debate club and Jim had realized he was not as gifted a musician as he would have liked. But both had time on their hands in their rural community, and barely even showed up in school because through some wrinkle in the school system, they had accumulated nearly all the credits they would need to graduate. So they hung out together and spun their fantasies - a follie a deux that would soon turn murderous.
The wannabe outlaws were so inept at crime that they left behind the sheaths of the murder weapons, which the detectives traced back to them. And so, after a first interrogation or two, the boys took off with the idea of hitchhiking across the USA. But they were traced to a rest stop and arrested. Their town could initially not believe that these two boys, from "good" families and without obvious traumas in their young lives, could have killed two people just like that - to steal a couple of hundred dollars. The book refers to the Loeb and Leopold case once or twice, and I thought that there were certain parallels, including the belief that they were better, smarter than other folks and therefore not bound by conventional morality.
There was no spectacular trial because one boy made a plea bargain and the other pleaded guilty, and that is probably why the case never made big headlines again.
I thought the book was better written than the typical run-of-the-mill true crime story. There was a bit of theorizing about the psychopaths among us - that seems to be a required or set piece for this type of book. The description of these small towns in New England and the trouble that kids can get up to, was gripping (and chilling).
The wannabe outlaws were so inept at crime that they left behind the sheaths of the murder weapons, which the detectives traced back to them. And so, after a first interrogation or two, the boys took off with the idea of hitchhiking across the USA. But they were traced to a rest stop and arrested. Their town could initially not believe that these two boys, from "good" families and without obvious traumas in their young lives, could have killed two people just like that - to steal a couple of hundred dollars. The book refers to the Loeb and Leopold case once or twice, and I thought that there were certain parallels, including the belief that they were better, smarter than other folks and therefore not bound by conventional morality.
There was no spectacular trial because one boy made a plea bargain and the other pleaded guilty, and that is probably why the case never made big headlines again.
I thought the book was better written than the typical run-of-the-mill true crime story. There was a bit of theorizing about the psychopaths among us - that seems to be a required or set piece for this type of book. The description of these small towns in New England and the trouble that kids can get up to, was gripping (and chilling).
September 16, 2019
The horrifying tale of two teenagers bored with life in a very small town, with attitudes of superiority, who decided to kill to obtain the money to escape to Australia. One, 16 at the time and the follower who cracked when finally caught was sentenced to 25 years. Now eligible for parole, he recently withdrew his request when the outpouring of the community was totally against it and his victims' daughters opposed it. He will be released sometime in 2027 at the age of 41. He has a construction job lined up, I suppose with his father's company. Ironic, considering construction jobs were once beneath him, an artistic musician. The other, 17 at the time, the instigator, the more brutal knife wielder was given life without parole. In light of a recent law forbidding such a sentence for a minor, no matter the severity or horror of the crime, he is due a sentence hearing this month. So far there has been nothing in the local paper. The hearing is not to reduce the sentence from life but rather to consider whether he should have the possibility of parole. One could hope not, especially since his initial behavior, all that has been publicized, indicates no remorse and continued arrogance.
While the tale is horrifying, the book is well written and is as engrossing as any fictional mystery story.
While the tale is horrifying, the book is well written and is as engrossing as any fictional mystery story.
October 26, 2019
It's sort of fascinating how much of this well-written, obviously heavily researched book consists of details that are completely extraneous to the actual narrative. Partially this is a natural result of a random killing; nothing about Half and Susanne Zantop's lives lead naturally to their deaths. But it's also because the authors are never able to come up with a narrative for how the murders came about. "One of the killers was just a sociopath who wanted to kill someone, and the other was just incredibly easily led" is not really a satisfying answer, even if it is the truth. The book might have been better as an examination of completely random evil, rather than the portrait of a community in crisis, which was clearly the angle that the authors were most interested in. What made Robert Tulloch want to kill and James Parker so okay with it, all in service to a bizarre fantasy about living off the land in Australia that neither of them seemed to want all that much? The closest that Lehr and Zuckoff come is that their high school let high-achieving students work through the requirements incredibly quickly, leaving Parker and Tulloch with a lot of free time. Which does not really rise to the level of an explanation.
December 12, 2017
This book details the murder case of two Dartmouth professors who were murdered by two teenagers, Robert Tulloch and Jim Parker. Both boys were seemingly good kids who excelled in school and seemed to be week adjusted. Robert was the dominant personality of the two boys. He thought of himself as superior to other people and more intelligent. Jim was more the follower and under the spell of Robert. They felt they needed to escape their small town and live the life of criminals in Australia. They began by committing smaller crimes, trying to get enough money to escape their small town. They eventually devised the plan of murdering someone to get the money needed.
The book describes the lives of the boys and traces their journey from small crimes to the eventual murders of the two professors, the Zantops. The author describes the investigation into the murders and how it effected the communities involved.
Reading the book I was struck by the similarities between these two boys and Leopold and Loeb and their killing in the 1920's. in both cases the boys were bored with their lives and felt they were superior to others. The case was fascinating in a tragic sort of way.
The book describes the lives of the boys and traces their journey from small crimes to the eventual murders of the two professors, the Zantops. The author describes the investigation into the murders and how it effected the communities involved.
Reading the book I was struck by the similarities between these two boys and Leopold and Loeb and their killing in the 1920's. in both cases the boys were bored with their lives and felt they were superior to others. The case was fascinating in a tragic sort of way.
July 14, 2019
This book is about 150 pages too long. The story starts off strong with a captivating introduction and early section. However, quickly the next 100 pages or so provide a slow, meandering view of the killer's upbringings with details in minutiae that are largely irrelevant (like their class schedules and how they work in high school). Once it swings back to the investigation, manhunt, and trial it pretty much succeeds as a true crime thriller (only to later on tell another meandering story about another year of high school right in the middle of the action). Entire chapters of the book can likely be skipped without any major impact.
An interesting story once you get into the true crime details, but I'm not entirely certain I'd recommend the 400+ pages unless you're digging deep for a new true crime read.
An interesting story once you get into the true crime details, but I'm not entirely certain I'd recommend the 400+ pages unless you're digging deep for a new true crime read.
March 28, 2021
Excellent reporting of an horrific crime in New England. It, once again, makes one wonder what makes people become psychopaths. To date there doesn't seem to be one clear-cut answer. Robert wasn't abused as a child as it seems most pathological killers are, yet he has the same cold, lack of empathy or conscious as many who were. Jim, on the other hand is clearly lacking in judgment, but can elicit a bit of sympathy because of his remorse. Too bad no one noticed how toxic his relationship with Robert was before it was too late. I am left with a feeling of deep sorrow for the losses suffered by the Zantop daughters and close friends, as well as the Parker and Tulloch families. For them, the grief will be never-ending.
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