John Lennon's killer says he sought glory, deserved death penalty
Lennon's killer says he sought glory, deserved death penalty
ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — The man who killed John Lennon in 1980 says he was seeking glory and deserved the death penalty for a “despicable” act.
Mark David Chapman made the comments in response to questions last month from a parole board, which denied him parole for an 11th time. As in previous parole board hearings, the now 65-year-old inmate expressed remorse for gunning down the former Beatle outside the musician’s Manhattan apartment building.
“I assassinated him .. because he was very, very, very famous and that’s the only reason and I was very, very, very, very much seeking self-glory. Very selfish,” Chapman said, according to a transcript released by the state Monday after an open records request.
Looking back 40 years later, Chapman called his actions “creepy” and “despicable.” He said he thinks all the time about the pain he inflicted on Lennon’s wife, Yoko Ono.
“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,” he said.
Chapman shot and killed Lennon on the night of Dec. 8, 1980, as he and Ono were returning to their Upper West Side apartment. Lennon had signed an autograph for Chapman on a copy of his recently released album, “Double Fantasy,” earlier that day.
