John Lennon's Killer Denied Parole For The Ninth Time
Mark David Chapman, the man who murdered John Lennon back in 1980, has reportedly been denied parole for the ninth time.
Now aged 61, Chapman was given a sentence of 20 years to life after shooting The Beatles star in Manhattan 36 years ago, however, officials do not think that he is ready to be released.
A hearing held yesterday saw his application for parole be rejected, with The New York Board of Parole saying in a statement: “In spite of many favourable factors, we find all to be outweighed by the premeditated and celebrity-seeking nature of the crime.
"From our interview and review of your records, we find that your release would be incompatible with the welfare of society and would so deprecate that seriousness of the crime as to undermine respect for the law.”
Chapman has had his petition for parole come up every two years since 2000 but it has been rejected each time, with five people recently writing letters to the board pleading for his release, according to reports.
His next parole hearing will be in August 2018.
Chapman was an obsessed fan of Lennon and The Beatles and was pictured getting an autograph from the huge British star just hours before he shot Lennon dead as he arrived at his Upper West Side apartment with his wife, Yoko Ono.
Chapman pleaded guilty to second-degree murder after shooting Lennon four times in the back.
Earlier this year, a shirt stained with John Lennon’s blood from the night that he was murdered sold at auction for £31,000.