John Lennon’s killer has opened up about his initial plan to murder the iconic musician three months before he ultimately did so.
Mark David Chapman, then 25, fatally shot the British music legend on December 8, 1980, as Lennon returned to his New York home with his wife, Yoko Ono, after a recording session.
Lennon, aged 40, was shot four times in the back and succumbed to his injuries outside his apartment. He was rushed to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead upon arrival.
In August 1981, Chapman was sentenced to 20 years to life for the assassination of Lennon. Since becoming eligible for parole in 2000, he has unsuccessfully appealed for release 14 times.
Chapman has previously stated that his motive was fueled by anger towards Lennon for claiming The Beatles were ‘more popular than Jesus’ and for the lyrics in Lennon’s song ‘Imagine’, which led him to perceive the singer as a ‘phoney’.
During an August parole hearing, Chapman elaborated on his motive and disclosed in a prior hearing that he initially planned to kill Lennon two months earlier.
According to The New York Post, Chapman recounted traveling from Hawaii to New York three months before the murder, waiting outside the Dakota building for Lennon, who never appeared.
He described returning in December due to an overwhelming compulsion, stating: “That morning of the 8th, I just knew. I don’t know how I knew, but I just knew that was going to be the day that I was going to meet and kill him.”
Chapman has expressed remorse for his actions, admitting: “This was a human being. Here I am living so much longer, and not just family but his friends and the fans, I apologize for the devastation that I caused you, the agony that they must have gone through.
“I had no thought about that at all at the time of the crime; I didn’t care. I don’t have any interest at all in being famous. Put me under the rug somewhere.
“I don’t want to be famous anymore, period.”
In 2020, Chapman expressed regret during his 11th parole attempt, describing his actions as ‘creepy’ and ‘despicable’.
He also mentioned thinking about Ono, saying: “I just want her to know that she knows her husband like no one else and knows the kind of man he was. I didn’t.”
Chapman recounted Lennon’s kindness towards him on the day of the murder, as the singer had signed Chapman’s copy of the ‘Double Fantasy’ album earlier.
Despite his expressions of remorse, the parole board concluded that Chapman lacked ‘genuine remorse or meaningful empathy’ and denied his request, marking his 14th denial.
Chapman will not be eligible to apply for parole again until 2027.