According to CNN, New York corrections officials have confirmed that Mark David Chapman, the man who shot and killed The Beatles’ John Lennon, has been denied parole for the twelfth time. Chapman has been seeking parole every two years since 2000 when he first became eligible.
Chapman is currently serving a 20 years to life sentence at Green Haven Correctional Facility in New York state. After his most recent parole hearing, he will remain in prison for another two years before he will be eligible to seek parole again.
Chapman fatally shot Lennon in the back four times with a .38-caliber handgun on December 8, 1980. It was reported that hours before the deadly attack, Chapman had asked Lennon for an autograph on his copy of Double Fantasy, the last album Lennon would release in his lifetime. Chapman pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in June 1981 and was sentenced two months later. He has said that he suffered from depression and other mental health related issues.
In recent years, Chapman expressed contrition for Lennon’s murder stating during his parole hearings, “As each year goes by, I feel more and more shame. What it comes down to is I am sorry for my actions. I am sorry for my crime.”
The New York Department of Corrections and Community Supervision explained the reason for denial citing concerns over public safety should Chapman be released.
The Peter Jackson directed The Beatles documentary Get Back was just released last year with Lennon’s son, Julian, commenting positively on the film.
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