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John Lennon’s killer has apologized to his widow Yoko Ono, saying her murder was “despicable” and deserves a lifetime behind bars.
Mark David Chapman, 65, was denied parole at a hearing in New York On August 19, a Freedom of Information request from the Press Association was revealed.
A transcript of the hearing shows that officials denied his release because “it would be incompatible with the welfare of society.”
Mark David Chapman in a 2010 mugshot
Chapman, who was 25 years old at the time of Lennon’s death, shot the Beatles star four times in Manhattan in December 1980, while his wife watched.
He apologized to the 40-year-old man’s widow, saying he only killed the singer to “glory in himself”, admitting that his actions were “despicable” and “quite creepy.”
Chapman also believes he should have been sentenced to death, according to the transcript.
He told officials: “I just want to reiterate that I regret my crime. I have no excuse. This was to glory.
“I think it is the worst crime there can be to do something to someone who is innocent.
“He was extremely famous. I didn’t kill him because of his character or the kind of man he was.
“He was a family man. He was an icon. I killed him … because he was very, very, very famous and that’s the only reason and I was very, very, very, very much seeking personal glory, very selfish.
“I want to add that and emphasize it a lot. It was an extremely selfish act. I’m sorry for the pain I caused you. [Ono]. I think about it all the time. “
Crowds gather outside Lennon’s home in New York after his murder in December 1980.
Chapman is married and his wife, 69, lives near the Wende Correctional Facility in New York, where he has spent the past eight years.
He describes himself as deeply religious and a “devout Christian.”
The 65-year-old wakes up at 6.30 a.m. every day and works as a janitor and clerk on the block he lives in, which is separated from the rest of the prison, for his own protection, the transcript says.
The Beatles in 1963 (LR) Paul McCartney, John Lennon, Ringo Starr and George Harrison
In its decision, the New York State Department of Corrections and Community Oversight board said it found a statement it made disturbing that “infamy brings you glory.”
He praised his “personal growth and productive use of time,” but said his “selfish actions robbed future fans of the opportunity to experience the inspirational words this artist brings to millions of people.”
“His violent act caused devastation not only to the family and former members of the gang, but to the world,” he added.
Chapman is eligible for parole in two years.
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