John Lennon’s Killer Finally Reveals Chilling Reason Behind The Murder Of The Beatles Legend
It was on December 8, 1980, when Lennon, the frontman of the legendary Liverpool band, was shot multiple times by Mark David Chapman outside his home in New York City. The attack came just after Lennon returned from a recording session with his wife, Yoko Ono.
The 40-year-old singer and songwriter, remembered as one of the greatest musical talents of all time, collapsed on the steps outside his apartment building and died soon after. News of his death spread across the globe within hours, leaving fans and fellow musicians in disbelief and mourning.
In an interview transcript obtained by the New York Post, taken from his appearance at Green Haven Correctional Facility in August, the now 70-year-old said:
“This was for me and me alone, unfortunately, and it had everything to do with his popularity. My crime was completely selfish.”
He continued, reflecting on how low he had fallen at the time, saying: “I don’t have to die and I can be a somebody. I had sunk that low.”
In earlier parole hearings, Chapman revealed that he had already been planning Lennon’s murder for months and had even traveled to New York in October 1980 with the intent to kill him but changed his mind and left the city before acting.
That evening, he waited again outside the same apartment building and shot Lennon four times in the back as the musician walked inside with Yoko Ono. The senseless act instantly ended one of the most influential lives in music history.
After the shooting, Chapman stayed at the scene and began reading The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger—a book whose main character, Holden Caulfield, he claimed to identify with deeply. He later said the novel had shaped his twisted state of mind at the time of the crime.
Speaking about Lennon during the hearing, Chapman said: “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.”
Chapman, who was sentenced to 20 years to life in prison back in the 1980s, has been denied parole for the 14th time. His most recent hearing once again ended in rejection after officials concluded he still lacks “genuine remorse or meaningful empathy” for the devastation his actions caused.
He will not be eligible to apply for parole again until 2027, meaning he will remain behind bars for at least two more years before the next review.
