College tragedy: Dartmouth profs found slain in N.H. home
by Franci Richardson, Jack Sullivan and Tom Farmer
Monday, January 29, 2001
HANOVER, N.H. - Two Dartmouth College professors known for opening their home to others were found slain in the rural dwelling Saturday while investigators remained tight-lipped yesterday about the circumstances of the killings.
The bodies of Half and Susanne Zantop were discovered in their study about 6:30 p.m. Saturday by a colleague who had been invited over for dinner.
Finding Susanne Zantop lying in a puddle of blood on the floor, Roxana Verona, 54, who teaches French and Italian at the Ivy League school, ran to Robert and Audrey McCollum's home next door for help.
``She went in (the Zantop house) and called out; there was no answer,'' Audrey McCollum said. ``She turned and saw Susanne on the floor with blood around her.''
Robert McCollum, a retired dean of Dartmouth Medical School, ran into the Zantop home but quickly realized there was nothing he could do for the couple, his wife said.
``He saw enough to know for certain they were both dead and had been dead for a number of hours,'' she said, adding investigators told witnesses not to discuss what they saw in the home.
One source said two professors at Dartmouth recently saw a ``troubling confrontation with a student.'' At least one of the two reported the incident after the murder, the source said.
Police last night could not confirm that they were investigating any such incident, according to Officer Brad Sargent of the Hanover police department.
New Hampshire Attorney General Philip T. McLaughlin would only confirm yesterday that the Zantops were murder victims.
He would not discuss how they were killed, if investigators had suspects, or if they found signs of forced entry to the Trescott Street dwelling.
McLaughlin was also noncommittal when asked if area residents had reason to be afraid.
``On one hand, we don't want to be alarmist,'' he said.
``On the other hand, we don't want to understate its seriousness. It's extremely tragic. We're working diligently to pursue suspects.''
But in an e-mail to the Dartmouth community, college President James Wright urged people to be cautious and alert. Security officers would be ``a visible presence on campus, and I encourage you to contact them if you have any concerns,'' he said.
Police were observed videotaping the area around the home and removed what appeared to be evidence wrapped in paper. One piece was marked, ``Folding chair from the library, Hanover homicide.''
Susanne Zantop, 55, was chairwoman of the German Studies Department; her husband, who was 62, taught Earth sciences.
Both taught at the college ``at least 25 years,'' a school official said.
Edward Berger, dean of faculty for arts and sciences, said he knew nothing about the circumstances of the deaths.
``It comes as just a shock and horror,'' he said.
Verona found the bodies when she and a friend arrived for a planned dinner with the couple.
A native of Romania, Verona said she talked with Susanne Zantop Saturday morning to firm up the evening's dinner plans. Yesterday she was still reeling from the discovery.
``I did not sleep at all (Saturday) night, she said. ``Suddenly, I question everything around me. I think, maybe there is someone loose somewhere. Up here, we live in the country. Usually we don't lock the doors, sometimes we leave the keys in the car. Absolutely, now I will lock my doors.''
The couple had two daughters. Veronika, a 29-year-old resident at a Washington state hospital, is a graduate of Harvard Medical School.
Mariana, 27, works for an international aid agency and recently received her master's degree from Columbia University.
Verona said the young women were ``devastated'' when police told them of their parents' deaths.
The two daughters, as well as Susanne Zantop's parents from Germany, are expected to arrive tomorrow, according to Verona.
Verona met the Zantops when she moved to Hanover in 1990 and became fast friends with her fellow immigrants in 1992.
Verona purchased the German-born couple's home on Woodmore Road when they bought the house on rural Trescott Street.
``They care about others, they are very social, part of the community,'' said Verona.
``(Susanne) was very involved with women's studies, social issues, helping other young women on the campus. She was always commenting on NPR (National Public Radio) about women's issues. She was very feminist, very aware of women around here. She was a big example for me.''
Verona said Half Zantop was not as extroverted as his wife.
``He was very discreet, very nice, very delicate,'' said Verona. ``He was, I understand, a very good scientist.''
Verona said she socialized often with the couple, attending concerts and movies or having dinner.
Verona said Susanne Zantop played the piano, but most of her energies were directed toward teaching and her social causes.
Verona said just a few days ago, they all went to see the new movie, ``Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.''
``We all liked it very much,'' said Verona. ``It was a fairy tale but a nice movie for winter nights. We felt very good afterwards.''
The murders stunned the small college town of 10,000 residents.
``This kind of thing never happens around here,'' said one neighbor who did not want to be identified. ``This is not New York City. I didn't know what happened until I was interviewed by police. I didn't see or hear anything.''
The slayings are the first murders since 1991 when two female Dartmouth students from Ethiopia were murdered with an ax. At the time, police said it was the first murder in more than 40 years and the first murder of a Dartmouth student that anyone could remember.
An Ethiopian man allegedly spurned by one of the victims was convicted and sentenced to life in prison without parole.
