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Mark David Chapman—the man who murdered John Lennon outside his New York apartment in 1980—has once again been denied parole. This marks the 14th time he’s been turned down since becoming eligible in 2000.
The New York Department of Corrections and Community Supervision confirmed the decision online following Chapman’s latest hearing on August 27, 2025.
Chapman, now 70, pleaded guilty to fatally shooting Lennon outside The Dakota on December 8, 1980, as the former Beatle returned home with Yoko Ono. Lennon was just 40 years old. After the killing, Chapman waited calmly for police while holding a copy of The Catcher in the Rye, and was later sentenced to 20 years to life.
In transcripts from a previous parole hearing in 2022, Chapman admitted he acted out of a desire for notoriety. “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,”he told the board.
The transcript from this most recent hearing has not yet been released. Chapman’s next parole hearing is scheduled for February 2027.
SOURCE: Music News