Mark David Chapman, the man who killed John Lennon, recently spoke to a parole board, reflecting on his actions from nearly 45 years ago. He admitted that his motivation was rooted in a misguided desire to “be somebody.”
“It was about me—me alone—connected entirely to his fame,” said Chapman, now 70 years old, during an August interview at Greenhaven Correctional Facility, as quoted in a transcript obtained by the media.
He characterized his actions as “completely selfish.”
Chapman infamously shot Lennon, a beloved figure, outside his apartment building on December 8, 1980. He was denied parole for the 14th time despite expressing regret for the suffering he caused to fans and friends of John Lennon. Documentation indicates that the board was not convinced by his remorse.
When questioned about why he felt the need to kill Lennon, Chapman replied, “To be famous, to be something that I wasn’t.”
He continued, mentioning how he recognized a certain “goal” in his actions, saying, “You don’t have to die; you can be somebody. That’s how depressed I was.”
In previous hearings, he had made similar comments about seeking notoriety, admitting he held “evil in his heart.”
Chapman detailed his chilling plan at an August hearing, explaining that he had traveled from Hawaii to New York with the intention of killing Lennon. He described identifying with the character Holden Caulfield from “The Catcher in the Rye,” believing that Lennon was a “charlatan.”
Though he initially waited outside Lennon’s residence in October, he sought to act on his obsession two months later. “On the morning of the 8th, I just knew,” he claimed. “I don’t know how I knew, but I just knew that was the day.”
Hours after Lennon signed an album for him, Chapman shot him four times while Lennon was with his wife, Yoko Ono. He was ultimately sentenced to 20 years to life in prison.
In the years since, Chapman has engaged in Bible studies, played volleyball with fellow inmates, and maintained a long-term marriage with his wife, Gloria.
At his recent hearing, he reiterated his sorrow over the killing, stating, “This was a human being.”
He expressed his regret to Lennon’s family, friends, and fans, acknowledging, “At the time of the crime, I wasn’t thinking about it or caring about it.”
However, despite his apologies, the parole board concluded that he demonstrated a lack of “genuine remorse or meaningful empathy” toward the victims. He will have another chance for parole in 2027.
Interestingly, Chapman mentioned a desire to avoid the spotlight now, asserting, “I’m not interested in being famous at all. Please sweep me under the rug somewhere. I don’t want to be famous anymore.”
