Pender County killer up for parole

PENDER COUNTY, NC (WWAY) — A man convicted of murder more than two decades ago in Pender County is up for parole.

The North Carolina Post-Release Supervision and Parole Commission says it is investigating Keith Wagner, 47, for parole as part of the Mutual Agreement Parole Program (MAPP). MAPP is a scholastic and vocational program that is a three-way agreement between the Commission, the Division of Prisons and the offender.

In January 1995 Wagner was convicted of first-degree murder and discharging a weapon into an occupied dwelling. A judge sentenced him to life in prison for the murder conviction.

Records show in August 1993 Wagner, after a fight, shot a .22-caliber rifle into a mobile home, where the bullet hit and killed Annette Miller.

Under state law, criminals are not eligible for parole if they were convicted of crimes committed on or after Oct. 1, 1994, but parole must be considered for offenders who were sentenced under previous sentencing guidelines.