At least three books are in the works about the Zantop double murder case, including one by The Boston Globe writer who first incorrectly reported that Professor Half Zantop was involved in an extramarital affair that led to his death and one cowritten by a Dartmouth student.
Mitchell Zuckoff -- who was part of a team of reporters covering the case for the Globe -- is co-writing a book about the murders with his colleague Dick Lehr, a senior Globe writer, and the co-author of the book "Black Mass," a nonfictional account of illegal dealings between the FBI and the Irish mob in the 1970s.
Although no contract has been signed, Zuckoff and Lehr have made arrangements with the publishing company Harper Collins to author a nonfiction book that would give a detailed account of the case, in which a married couple -- both of whom were professors at the College -- were allegedly stabbed by two teenagers from Vermont.
This past winter, Zuckoff, along with Globe reporter Shelly Murphy, broke the controversial and widely disputed story that Professor Half Zantop had been engaged in an adulterous affair which may have contributed to his death. However, days later, the Globe retracted the story with a front page apology from Editor Matthew V. Storin.
When asked if an account of the alleged affair will be included in the book, Zuckoff said that, in general, it was "too early to say what the book is going to look like," but he did not rule out the possibility.
According to Zuckoff, no deadline has been set for the completion of the book and that any sort of completion date depends largely on the pace of the case itself.
"We don't even have indictments yet," he said, referring to the trials of Robert Tulloch, 17, and James Parker, 16, the two teens charged with the murders.
Zuckoff feels that the book will contribute to the general public's understanding of the tragedy.
"I think any time you tell a true story that's complete, that examines a situation or a case from all sides, fairly and honestly, there's a public benefit," he said. "Understanding why this tragedy happened, I think, is in the interest of the communities of the victims ... as well as the communities where the suspects are from [and] the larger community we're all part of."
Carole Owens, a retired adolescent psychologist and author of several nonfiction and fiction books, together with Mark Bubriski '02, Managing Editor of The Dartmouth, also aim to compose a book explaining the tragic murders.
Owens, who wrote a report for a Senate subcommittee examining the subject of youth violence, plans to draw upon her expertise to "help people understand why" the two teenagers may have committed the brutal killings.
Bubriski plans to handle the more factual aspects of the case.
"We knew that people would be writing about this, and, considering Carole's credentials and experience along with my closeness to the community involved, we feel that we can write the most responsible account of what happened and that would do the most justice to the Zantop family," he said.
Although one publisher has expressed serious interest in Owens' and Bubriski's book, no contract has been signed, and the book is not expected to be completed until the conclusion of the trials.
Also, Eric Francis, a reporter for People Magazine, has reportedly struck a deal with the publishing company St. Martin's Press to write yet another book detailing the Zantop case. According to an editorial assistant at the company, as of yet, no date has been set for the book's release.
Francis could not be reached for comment.
