A convicted rapist serving a life sentence may soon be released, according to the state parole board.

The N.C. Post Release Supervision and Parole Commission has approved Larry Donnell Bridges, 52, for parole under the Mutual Agreement Program.

Bridges has served 30 years of a life sentence after a Feb. 13, 1979 conviction for first-degree burglary, common-law robbery and second-degree rape, according to the North Carolina Department of Correction.

He received a life sentence for the burglary, a four to five year sentence for the robbery and a 35 to 40 year sentence for the rape.

The state's current sentencing law eliminates parole for crime committed on or after Oct. 1, 1994. But the state has the "responsibility of paroling offenders who were sentenced under previous sentencing guidelines."

Bridges release date has yet to be set, according to Patsie Joyner, Parole Commission administrator.

She said there are still components of his Mutual Agreement Program contract that Bridgers must complete. The contract constitutes an agreement between the parole commission, the division of prisons and the inmate, where conditions are set that the inmate must meet in order to be paroled.

Joyner said that, in order to be considered for the program, the inmate must: have no major infractions within the last 90 days, be in a minimum or medium security prison, have no pending charges and agree to all conditions set by the Department of Corrections and Parole Board. These conditions can include educational programing, job training or other goals that are meant to make an inmate more successful once they are released.

She said that, once he has completed the final conditions of the MAP contract, Bridges will be given a release date. Joyner doubted that Bridges would be released to Scotland County.

Bridges was convicted of raping a 68-year old Siler City, woman in the home of her bedridden aunt in Laurinburg on July 11, 1979.

The woman told the courtroom Bridges had told her "Don't yell out. I don't mind killing you," The Exchange reported at the time.

Bridges used mental illness as a defense, initially entering a plea of not guilty by reason of insanity. He was reportedly medicated during the trial.

A psychiatrist also testified that Bridges was mentally ill and could not be held accountable for his actions, though the prosecution argued that the psychiatrist never observed Bridges and based the diagnosis off several interviews.

The defense used Bridges criminal history as evidence that he needed treatment, according to The Exchange, including an assault with the intent to rape.

Judge Anthony Brannon, who presided over the trial, recommended no work release or parole for Bridges.

The time period when the commission can consider new information has passed, Joyner said.

Bridges served the burglary sentence in concurrence with the burglary sentence, but the sentence for his rape conviction was to be served after the burglary sentence and he has yet to serve any time on that conviction.

While in prison, Bridges had six infractions – unauthorized funds, fighting, two incidents of profane language, substance possession and disobeying an order. His last infraction was Nov. 5, 1991.