Man convicted in 1992 New Hanover Co. murder being considered for parole

RALEIGH, N.C. (WECT) - A man sentenced to life in prison in a 1992 murder case in New Hanover County is being considered for parole, according to a news release from the N.C. Post Release Supervision & Parole Commission.

In November of 1994, Benjamin Peterson was found guilty of first-degree murder in the death of Charles Oakley.

Oakley was found with a head injury at the store he owned, Allen’s Sports Supply, on Sept. 19, 1992. On Oct. 7, 1992, he died as a result of blunt trauma to his head.

Peterson is being considered for parole via 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.

The state’s current sentencing law, structured sentencing, eliminates parole for crimes committed on or after Oct. 1, 1994. However, the commission has the responsibility of paroling offenders who were sentenced under previous sentencing guidelines.

According to the Department of Public Safety website, Peterson has been cited for 127 infractions while in prison.

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