In the wake of yesterday's announcement that Robert Tulloch and James Parker, suspects in the Zantop slayings, had been apprehended in Indiana, the principle word on the lips of many Dartmouth students has been "relief."
"At least this phase of it is over," Sarah Mathew '03 commented regarding the arrests.
"I was definitely glad and relieved [to hear of the arrests], but at the same time it was very shocking given who the suspects are," Elizabeth Bultman '04 said.
Most students who spoke with The Dartmouth expressed a cautious confidence that the case had indeed been solved.
"I'm not entirely sure because [the authorities] don't seem entirely sure, but I'm pretty convinced," Bultman commented.
Several noted that yesterday's statement by Orange County Sheriff Dennis McClure that the teenagers' fingerprints matched those found at the crime scene increased their faith in the validity of the arrests.
Additionally, the FBI's involvement in the case and the posting of Tulloch and Parker's pictures on their homepage led Sarah Mathew to believe that investigators "must be pretty certain" of their guilt.
"I don't think they would do that without a good cause," LeVaur Livingstone '02 said of the postings.
Yet others expressed a continued disbelief that the young suspects could have committed such a crime.
"I have a hard time imagining any reason a 16 year old kid would have to kill a 50 year old couple other than robbery, which we know didn't happen," Harry Johnson '03 said.
This refusal of authorities to provide insight into the teenagers' potential motives has left students frustrated.
"I'm just a little upset that authorties have been so tight-lipped," Andrew Trief '01 said, adding, "It's disbelief -- if the suspects have been captured, it doesn't make much sense to keep withholding information from us."
"It's kind of fishy that they are still holding back info," Livingstone stated.
For students who had felt a heightened sense of danger in the weeks following the murders, the arrests have eased worries.
"Especially, as a girl, the things that you didn't even think about before became an issue," Sarah Mathew '03 said of her safety concerns.
Others noted that because the crimes had never greatly impacted their feelings of personal security, the arrests had little effect.
"I basically saw S&S outside everywhere I went," Elizabeth Bulman '04 noted, adding that the only time she had felt worried about her safety was immediately following the announcement of the murders.
Despite recent developments, many students were hesitant to state that the affair is approaching a conclusion.
"Not until we know why, and even then I'm not certain there can be closure, given who the suspects are," Bultman said.
Others looked ahead to the months of legal proceedings to follow.
"I don't think there will be closure until they give these guys a sentence," LeVaure Livingstone '02 said.
