The State Newspaper

Section: METRO/REGION

Edition: FINAL Page: B5

The Associated Press

A former Death Row inmate has been paroled after 21 years, raising questions from lawmen and Gov. David Beasley about his release. Charles N. Wakefield was convicted of killing an off-duty Greenville County deputy and his father. Wakefield was granted parole last week 30 minutes after the board initially rejected his release and the opposition had gone home.

Beasley's office is reviewing the decision at the request of the Greenville Police and the Greenville County Sheriff's Office. Whether the parole can be revoked remains unclear, governor's spokesman Gary Karr said. Wakefield was paroled on the condition that he move to New Jersey and never return to South Carolina. His release has been held up by New Jersey's rejection of his proposed residence, officials said. Wakefield, 43, remains in prison while he looks for a home in New Jersey acceptable to both New Jersey and South Carolina parole officials. Wakefield was convicted of killing Greenville County Sheriff's Lt. Frank Looper and his father 22 years ago during an armed robbery at a West Greenville repair garage owned by the elder Looper. His sentence was commuted to life plus 25 years in 1978 when the state's death penalty was ruled unconstitutional. The board previously rejected him for parole seven times. Parole board member Raymond Rossi, who brought up Wakefield's case for reconsideration, said it's unusual for the board to reverse itself. Rossi said he thought Wakefield deserved a chance, questioned the jury's decision from more than two decades ago and wondered why law enforcement didn't oppose Wakefield's release at an earlier hearing. "I couldn't stop thinking about how well the man had done," Rossi said Sunday. "He had no disciplinary (punishment) in 21 years of incarceration. He had done well as far as educating himself, good family support." No board member opposed Rossi's call for a unanimous decision for parole, according to a tape recording of the 20-minute hearing. "It's really sad that you can kill a police officer and only serve 22 years," Greenville County Sheriff Johnny Mack Brown said. Brown said he didn't send someone to oppose Wakefield's release because his office wasn't notified of the hearing. Greenville Police Chief Mike Bridges called the release an outrage. Board member J.F. Elliott of Aiken said he considered the amount of time Wakefield served when voting for parole. "After 20 years, we figure a person is not as violent as he once might have been," Elliott said. Rossi said the board had some questions about Wakefield's guilt at a January parole hearing on the case. "The whole thing seemed like a question from the very beginning," Rossi said.