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Man who shot John Lennon sorry for being 'an idiot'

"But now, you know, obviously through people's letters and through things I hear a lot of people were affected here. I am sorry for causing that type of pain. I am sorry for being such an idiot and choosing the wrong way for glory, Chapman told the Parole Board.

By Aileen Graef
Former Beatle John Lennon, far right, along with the other bandmates appear in this 1964 file photo. (File Photo/UPI)
Former Beatle John Lennon, far right, along with the other bandmates appear in this 1964 file photo. (File Photo/UPI) | License Photo

NEW YORK, Aug. 28 (UPI) -- The man who killed John Lennon, Mark David Chapman, was denied parole for the eighth time after he said he was sorry for being "such an idiot" for seeking notoriety.

The transcript of Chapman's parole hearing on August 20 was released Wednesday, and shows he relayed the timeline of events on the night of December 8, 1980 when he shot Lennon four times outside his Dakota apartment in the Upper West Side of Manhattan.

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Chapman said The Beatles member was cordial when he signed an album for him earlier in the day. He said he believed killing him would bring notoriety.

"At that time, I wasn't thinking about anybody else, just me," Chapman told the Parole Board. "But now, you know, obviously through people's letters and through things I hear a lot of people were affected here. I am sorry for causing that type of pain. I am sorry for being such an idiot and choosing the wrong way for glory."

The parole board unanimously denied him parole, saying his release would be "incompatible with the welfare of society" and "deprecate the serious nature of the crime."

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Chapman, 59, was sentenced in 1981 to 20 years to life in prison after pleading guilty. He is serving his sentence at Wende Correctional Facility in Alden, Erie County and will be elgible for another parole hearing in August 2016.

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