A sullen Robert Tulloch signed his life away yesterday after pleading guilty to the murders of professors Half and Susanne Zantop. His face, occasionally contorted into a smirk, showed no awareness of his surroundings. Displaying irritation and disengagement, Tulloch's public persona differed from his shy, private demeanor as an inmate.
Removed from the glare of public scrutiny and separated by miles from his friend and accomplice James Parker, Tulloch's stay in Grafton County Jail in North Haverhill has been marked by reservation, reflection and secrecy, interviews with those who have had contact with him reveal.
A fellow prisoner, a Taoist instructor and a former teacher offered a rare glimpse of life behind bars for Tulloch, who they portrayed as a teenager who wanted to escape his limited world.
Although he refused to discuss his case, Tulloch nonetheless communicated with others. He contacted a local t'ai chi teacher who schooled him in Taoist philosophy and standing meditation because, Davis Pimock said, the 18 year-old convicted murderer was searching for answers.
He phoned and met with his fifth and sixth grade teacher, with whom he expressed his emotions, his opinions on media reports and messages for the outside world. But as always, he did not discuss details about his pending murder trial.
"He was really quiet -- really, really quiet," John Connelly, who lived in an adjacent cell from April to June 2001, said.
Apart from the occasional game of cards, the two did not befriend each other despite the closeness in their ages. Connolly quickly learned that Tulloch's case was perpetually off-limits for discussion.
"He seemed like a pretty normal kid -- really scared, really timid," Connelly said. "He got picked on a lot, and he would never talk about his case."
When pressed about his case, Tulloch would reply, "I can't talk about it. I can't talk about it," Connelly remembered.
Tulloch's behavior made Connelly question his capacity to commit murder.
"I don't think he could do something like that. He was putting on a show, but he was really scared," he said of Tulloch. "He'd kind of give you the eye a lot."
DeRoss Kellogg, Tulloch's fifth grade teacher, believes fear has not consumed the former student council president. The two have remained in contact during Tulloch's jail stay.
"I talked with Robert. Teachers do have favorites, and he's one of mine," Kellogg said. "He does have inner strength."
"He's a brilliant thinker," Pimock agreed. "I'm trying to help him with his linear thinking."
While Tulloch's appearances in public have been marked by smirks and near-silence, Kellogg argued that his former student felt the impact of his crimes.
He added, "Robert said it was untrue that he had no remorse," in reference to Tulloch's typical media portrayal. "It really bothered him that someone would say that."
