Although shocked and disturbed by Saturday's double murder of Dartmouth professors Susanne and Half Zantop, Hanover residents expressed faith in their police and community leaders to deal with the situation and return the town to its normal quiet calm.
"We're all totally disturbed," said Hanover resident Barbara Allen in reaction to the weekend's turn of events. "This isn't something that happens in Hanover," she added.
"We all were affected the same way, very stunned," said Hanover resident and Professor Emeritus Walter Arndt.
Many residents even declined to publicly comment, calling it a "terrible situation" that they would "rather not talk about."
The disturbing news is "striking very close to home" for Sandra Allen -- no relation to Barbara Allen -- whose daughter knows the Zantops' elder daughter Veronica.
Allen added that she is "feeling very sorry for the neighbors and close friends and family" of the deceased and expressed her "sympathy to everyone who's been directly affected, or indirectly affected" by the crime.
As a Hanover resident for the past twenty-five years, she commented that "as a community you just don't forget these things."
Yet no residents felt that the crime has made them question their own safety in a small town known for its low crime rate.
As a mother with young children, however, Hanover resident Jennifer Ayers sees that her children have been very alarmed by the news, which they picked up from their classmates on the local school bus.
A New York City native, Hanover resident Steven Arcone noted that since incidents of crime are so rare in the Upper Valley, when such events do occur it's "a scary thing for the residents."
In his 27 years in the community, Arcone can recall only two other murders, and still maintains his confidence in the "pretty safe community" of Hanover. Yet as one who grew up a violent neighborhood, the idea that "yes, it can happen to you" was never foreign to him.
Few residents, however, are panicked over the recent event. "It's just an isolated thing," with no reason to panic, said Barbara Allen. "So many of these things get people terribly hyped up," she added.
All expressed confidence in the local police and other law enforcement officials to solve the crime and deal with the situation.
Hanover has "a very good police force," and Barbara Allen is "sure they'll find out who did it." Arcone also expressed his belief that everything was being handled well.
Yet Sandra Allen was left "wondering who could have done it," but agreed that "so far as you can see, police are doing a good job."
