In jail for 31 years, Lennon killer up for parole again
August 19th, 2012 - 9:50 pm ICT by IANSLondon, Aug 19 (IANS) Mark Chapman, who was jailed in 1981 for the murder of John Lennon, is up for parole for the seventh time and may be released, a media report said.
The 57-year-old inmate at the Wende Correctional Facility will be interviewed by members of the parole board soon, and the board would make a decision on whether to release the murderer by Friday, the Daily Mail reported.
Chapman shot Lennon in December 1980 outside a Manhattan building where the 40-year old former Beatle lived.
The killer was sentenced in 1981 to 20 years to life in prison after he pleaded guilty to murder.
He was transferred in May from the Attica Correctional Facility in New York to the Wende Correctional Facility. Both are maximum security prisons.
Chapman was denied parole in 2000, 2002, 2004, 2006 and 2008.
He was last up for parole in 2010, but was denied because his “discretionary release remains inappropriate at this time and incompatible with the welfare of the community”, said the New York State Division of Parole.
Chapman is currently being held in protective custody in a single-person cell and is allowed out for three hours each day.
In 2010, Chapman said he killed the musician because he wanted “instant notoriety”.
“I made a horrible decision to end another human being’s life, for reasons of selfishness, and that was my decision at that time. I felt that by killing John Lennon, I would become somebody, and instead of that I became a murderer and murderers are not somebodies,” he said.
Lennon’s widow Yoko Ono has submitted a letter requesting that parole be denied.
- John Lennon's killer denied parole - Sep 08, 2010
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- "The Beatles" Fans Pay Tribute To John Lennon, Remembers Mark David Chapman - Dec 09, 2010
- Mark David Chapman denied parole for the sixth time - Sep 08, 2010
- Yoko Ono opposes the parole of John Lennon's killer - Mark David Chapman - Aug 08, 2010
- Yoko Ono still against parole for John Lennon's killer - Jul 27, 2010
- John Lennon murderer denied parole for the 6th time - Sep 08, 2010
- I thought by killing Lennon I would become somebody, says his killer - Sep 17, 2010
- John Lennon's widow says Mark Chapman is still a threat - Aug 06, 2010
- Yoko Ono is against the parole of John Lennon's killer - Jul 28, 2010
- Mark Chapman 'signed into protective custody to have sex with wife' - Sep 18, 2010
- The Slayer Of The Revered John Lennon Is Eligible For Parole Again - Sep 07, 2010
- Yoko Ono Does Not Want John Lennon's Killer Mark David Chapman On Parole - Aug 08, 2010
- Yoko Lennon Opposed To Parole For Killer - Aug 08, 2010
- Wife of John Lennon's assassin could have saved the ex-Beatle - Dec 08, 2010
Tags: attica correctional facility, beatle, daily mail, john lennon, life in prison, manhattan building, mark chapman, maximum security prisons, murderer, murderers, new york state, new york state division of parole, notoriety, parole board, protective custody, selfishness, seventh time, wende correctional facility, widow yoko ono, yoko ono