Tankleff was 19-years-old when he was convicted of killing his parents, Arlene and Seymour Tankleff, in their Belle Terre home. However, an appeals courtruled that new evidence pointing to other suspects would probably have swayed a jury to acquit him.
Gov. Eliot Spitzer has appointed Attorney General Andrew Cuomo as a special prosecutor in the case. Cuomo's office has until Feb. 15 to decide whether to retry Tankleff or drop the charges and go after other suspects.
During his 17-year lockup, Tankleff worked in the prison law library and received a two-year degree. At Hofstra, he will take two courses this semester to allow himself time to work on his case, Barket said.
