Dartmouth case continues

The two Dartmouth College professors murdered this weekend were stabbed, possibly by someone they let into their home, authorities announced yesterday afternoon. New Hampshire Attorney General Philip McLaughlin yesterday confirmed in a statement that Half and Susanne Zantop were victims of a stabbing, but would not reveal details about the weapon used. The police also believe that the Zantops most likely knew their assailant and let him or her into their home the night of the murders. "We knew the Zantops' doors were normally locked and they had to have let the person who murdered them in," Senior Assistant Attorney General Dan Mullen said. McLaughlin also tried to assure the community that Hanover, N.H., is still a safe place to live. "He's trying to alleviate concerns in the Hanover community," Mullen said. "It most likely was not random but a targeted crime." Mullen added though, that the Attorney General's office could not completely rule out the possibility that the stabbing was a random act. Thus far, the Attorney General's office has been very reluctant to release information about the crime, in order to protect the integrity of the investigation. "We're still working and we're pursing many leads," Mullen said of the continuing investigation. The Attorney General's office would not reveal the number of students who have been questioned in the case, but a student was taken in for questioning. He was reportedly one of the last people to see Half Zantop alive. McLaughlin said in his statement that the student was not considered a suspect. The atmosphere on campus continues to be rather tense, and students are dealing with the situation in different ways. "I think the general student sentiment is that people are pretty uneasy," Dartmouth senior Kate Mattern said. "At one extreme, people just kind of lose it, but in other cases, they try to pass it off with jokes." Mattern said she still feels safe on campus, but that students are taking precautions. "Hanover has always, always been a safe place," Mattern said. "We've left our doors unlocked. Now we're taking small precautions -- kids are getting rides from campus security and locking their doors." The Dartmouth administration has set up counseling for students and faculty, and have made campus security escort services available around the clock. Dartmouth President James Wright has also been providing support to the student body through e-mail statements. "I think the main communication is the e-mail," Mattern said. "That has helped out a lot." Susanne Zantop was a German and comparative literature professor and chaired the German Studies Department at Dartmouth. Half Zantop was a geologist and an earth sciences professor. Half Zantop joined the Dartmouth faculty in 1976 and Susanne in 1982. The memorial service for the Zantops will be held on Saturday.