Mark David Chapman, killer of John Lennon in 1980, again rejected for parole

Sept. 13 (UPI) -- Mark David Chapman, the man who shot and killed famous ex-Beatle John Lennon outside of his New York City home more than 40 years ago, has been turned down for parole for the 12th time.

The New York Department of Corrections acknowledged the hearing and said that Chapman had been denied parole. Chapman, who was married and living with his wife in Hawaii when he shot Lennon, had the parole board hearing on Aug. 31.

In December 1980, Chapman traveled from Hawaii to New York City with the specific intention to shoot Lennon -- mainly because he considered the iconic singer to be a "phony" and a hypocrite. These feelings were reinforced by one of Chapman's favorite novels, The Catcher in the Rye. He was sitting on a curb and reading the book when police arrived to arrest him.

Lennon was shot four times immediately after he and wife Yoko Ono returned from a recording studio that night. Before the shooting, Chapman had asked Lennon for an autograph to be signed on his new album. During the encounter, a nearby photographer snapped the now-famous photo of Lennon signing Chapman's album.

After being shot, Lennon made his way to a security booth and collapsed. Police officers immediately took him to the hospital where he died a short time later. He was 40.

Since he famously killed Lennon outside of his high-rise apartment building, Chapman has repeatedly expressed remorse for the crime over the past 42 years.

Chapman was sentenced to 20 years to life in prison in 1981. He's incarcerated at the Wende Correctional Facility in Alden, N.Y.

Authorities said in 1980 that Chapman had been loitering outside Lennon's home, New York City's famed Dakota tower, for three days and carried dozens of Beatles tapes and a snub-nosed revolver.

Lennon's shooting death caused immediate and widespread grief and outrage. The Beatles -- comprised of Lennon, Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr and George Harrison -- is regarded by many to be the greatest musical group in history. The band split up in 1970. Harrison died in 2001.

Chapman's next opportunity for parole is February 2024.