Mark David Chapman, the man convicted of murdering John Lennon in 1980, has been denied parole for the 14th time, New York state corrections officials announced today.
Chapman, 70, appeared before a parole board on August 27th. The decision underscores the enduring impact of Lennon’s death and the continued scrutiny of Chapman’s decades-long incarceration. The denial means Chapman will remain imprisoned until at least his next hearing in February 2027,continuing a process that has repeatedly rejected his bids for freedom despite expressions of remorse.
On December 8, 1980, Chapman fatally shot Lennon outside the musician’s Manhattan apartment building as Lennon and his wife, Yoko Ono, returned home. Earlier that day, Lennon had signed an autograph for Chapman on a copy of his album, Double Fantasy.
Police arrested Chapman near the scene shortly after the shooting, finding him with a copy of J.D. Salinger’s novel, The Catcher in the Rye. Lennon was 40 years old at the time of his death.
While the full transcript of the recent parole hearing has not yet been released, Chapman has previously articulated remorse for his actions. During a 2021 hearing, he stated, ”I knew what I was doing, and I knew it was evil, I knew it was wrong, but I wanted the fame so much that I was willing to give everything and take a human life.”
Chapman is currently incarcerated at Green Haven correctional facility, located north of New York City, serving a sentence of 20 years to life.
