Stephen Christopher Stanko never garnered much attention from police until recently.

He now is charged in the murders of two people and the sexual assault of a teenager.

Police said he committed those crimes while completing the S.C. Department of Probation, Parole and Pardon Services’ Community Supervision Program — the final phase of his 10-year prison sentence for kidnapping.

Program officials said nothing about Stanko suggested he would be a threat.

Some state officials said the program should be reviewed in light of Stanko’s arrest and charges.

“I would think a review would be under way right now in the system,” said Rep. Gregory Delleney Jr., R-Chester.

But Delleney said he was not sure who would conduct such an investigation.

“We are always looking for ways to improve everything we do here, not just because of this incident,” said Peter O’Boyle, spokesman for the Department of Probation, Parole and Pardon Services.

The community supervision program began Jan. 1, 1996. It was created as part of an effort to create truth in sentencing, said Delleney.

Before 1996 the state allowed violent inmates to be released on parole with no required supervision, sometimes after serving as little as a third of their official sentence, he said.

Legislation in 1996 created a system that requires violent offenders to complete at least 85 percent of their sentence in prison. Once released, those offenders must serve the remaining 15 percent in the community supervision program under the oversight of parole agents.

O’Boyle said that for the first three months after prison release, offenders in the community program must wear ankle bracelets so their movements can be monitored.

They are allowed to leave home only for reasons pre-approved by parole officials.

After three months, if the offender has not committed any violations, the bracelet is removed, but the offender must maintain visits with program agents twice a month. The visits are reduced to once a month once the offender successfully completes six months of the program.

While in the program, Stanko met the requirements and committed no significant violations, which could include a change of address with no prior notification, leaving the state or county without approval, or being arrested for any crime.

“He was reporting on time and made his visits on time,” O’Boyle said.

Stanko’s last visit with an agent was about a week before the first of two murders he is suspected of committing, O’Boyle said.

Stanko is charged with murder in the April 8 death of Laura Ling, 43, of Murrells Inlet, and the April 9 death of Henry Lee Turner, 74, of Horry County. Police also have accused Stanko of sexually assaulting a teen at the home he shared with Ling.

Police arrested Stanko Tuesday in Augusta, where they said he was driving a truck that was stolen from Turner’s home.

Stanko had been in the least restrictive phase of the community supervision program for more than two months when the most recent crimes occurred.

“If there is any way to look at the program and make it better we have a responsibility as legislators and those in the field to do that,” said Sen. Dick Elliott, R-North Myrtle Beach, who called the program effective overall.

Stanko is being held in the Georgetown County Detention Center.