TOPEKA – A convicted murderer out of Pratt who took his case to the Kansas Supreme Court was denied his request to with draw his plea in the case. 

21-year-old Charles Denmark-Wagner was sentenced to life in prison with no chance of parole for 20-years after he entered a plea, and the state dropped all the other charges against him including an alternate count of murder, aggravated robbery, aggravated burglary, and possession of narcotic drugs. 

He tried unsuccessfully to withdraw the plea telling the judge on the stand that he entered the plea under pressure from his family, namely his mother who he says wanted to be able to hug and touch him. Apparently, she could only see him through the glass in the county jail where he is being housed. 

The other reason, he claims he thought he would be set free after 20-years even though no where in the written plea agreement he signed, does it say that. The Assistant Attorney General who was assigned to the case at the time Barry Disney asked him if he saw that in the agreement and he said no. In the end, the judge denied the request and sentenced him to the life sentence. He appealed, but the Supreme Court Friday ruled that his contention that he should be allowed to withdraw his plea because he misunderstood the meaning of “life” or “life in prison” is meritless, when the district judge confirmed the defendant’s comprehension of the possibility of being in prison the rest of his life and the defendant otherwise participated actively and sensibly in the proceedings. 

They also say that the judge is not required to ask a defendant specifically what medications they’re taking so long as the judge informs the defendant of the maximum penalty he may face when entering the plea, which is another issue the defendant raised. 

He did win a few battles with his appeal. The court ruled its illegal for him to be on life-times post release supervision, thats assuming he ever makes appeal. They also ruled that he is only required to register a violent offender for 10-years, not life. 

Denmark-Wagner along with 30-year-old Dan Riendeau were convicted in the stabbing death of 48-year-old Alesia M. Doris Graham. She was found inside her bedroom and had been stabbed with a knife as many as 100-times in the head, neck, back and arm. The murder occurring back on November 22, 2008. 

Riendeau also entered pleas in the case against him and was sentenced to 22- and half years in prison.