tagged w/ Mark David Chapman
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The man who killed John Lennon says he's sorry he shot the legendary rocker - but disputed media reports on how the murder went down.
"I shot him in the back," Mark David Chapman told a two-person Parole Board panel last week during a hearing before being denied release for a fifth time.
He denied longstanding media accounts that he called out to Lennon as he and his wife, Yoko Ono, returned to their Dakota building apartment after a late-night recording session.
"I don't recall saying, 'Mr. Lennon,'" Chapman said. "I think that was something the press elaborated on. That didn't happen. He didn't turn. I shot him in the back."
Chapman, who is serving a 20-year-to-life sentence at the upstate Attica Correctional Facility for the Dec. 8, 1980, murder, said he's not the same man today.
"I am ashamed," Chapman said. "I am sorry for what I did. That 25-year-old man, I don't think he appreciated the life he was taking, that this was a human being.
"I feel now at 53 that I have grown into a deeper understanding of what a human life is. I have changed a lot."
Chapman said while he might have had a beer that day, he was not on drugs and was of "clear mind" when he succumbed to his "compulsion" to kill Lennon.
He said he pleaded guilty to second-degree murder "for my conscience's sake. I felt the Lord had told me to plead guilty at that time, and I did."
Chapman retold how he traveled to New York City twice to kill Lennon.
"I had been going through some problems and was very confused ... and was feeling like a big nothing and a nobody," he said.
The man who killed John Lennon says he's sorry he shot the legendary rocker - but... more
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John Lennon's killer, Mark David Chapman, was denied parole for the fifth time Tuesday.
Mark David Chapman in a mug shot just after his December 1980 arrest.
Mark David Chapman in a mug shot just after his December 1980 arrest.
The New York State Division of Parole issued a release saying Chapman's request was denied "due to concern for the public safety and welfare."
Chapman, 53, is serving a sentence of 20 years to life in prison for shooting to death the former Beatle outside his New York City apartment on December 8, 1980.
The killer has served 24 years of his sentence at the maximum-security Attica Correctional Facility and was previously turned down by the New York State division of parole in 2000, 2002, 2004 and 2006.
Chapman is held in a building with other prisoners who are not considered to pose a threat to him, according to officials with the state Department of Correctional Services. He has his own prison cell but spends most of his day outside the cell working on housekeeping and in the library.
For the past 16 years he has received conjugal visits with his wife, Gloria. The visits are part of a state program called "family reunion" that allows inmates to spend up to 44 hours at a time with family members in a special setting.
inmates must meet certain criteria to receive the privilege. Chapman has not had an infraction since 1994, said Erik Kriss, spokesman for the Department of Corrections.
Yoko Ono, Lennon's widow, in previous years has submitted a letter requesting that Chapman be denied parole. Calls Tuesday to Ono's legal representative have not been returned.
Fifty letters and a petition signed by almost 1,100 people were submitted objecting to releasing Chapman, said Division of Parole spokeswoman Heather Groll. Only three letters were submitted appealing for Chapman's release.
The next time Chapman can apply for parole is in August 2010John Lennon's killer, Mark David Chapman, was denied parole for the fifth time... more
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ATTICA, N.Y. (AP) -- John Lennon's killer has been denied parole for a fifth time.
Mark David Chapman will remain in New York's Attica Correctional Facility for at least two more years for gunning down the former Beatle outside his Manhattan apartment building in 1980. He became eligible for parole after serving 20 years of a maximum life sentence.
In a one-page decision issued after Chapman's appearance Tuesday, parole board members say that Chapman has had a clean disciplinary record since 1994 but his release "would not be in the best interest of the community."ATTICA, N.Y. (AP) -- John Lennon's killer has been denied parole for a fifth... more
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ivxx
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added this
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3 years ago
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It's awesome to see an actor really dive into a character. It says on IMDb that Jared gained 67 pounds for the role!
Gaining weight helped get Charlize Theron an Oscar for Monster, so best of luck to Jared...It's awesome to see an actor really dive into a character. It says on IMDb that... more
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bierse
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added this
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4 years ago
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Only in Hollywood could a film about something some personal to so many, that being the death of Musical Legend John Lennon be brought to the big screen by 30 Seconds To Mars Lead singer Jared Leto and Hollywoods Favorite Comeback Kid (mmm or not) Lindsay Lohan. Check out the exclusive brand new trailer just hitting the internet. Only in Hollywood could a film about something some personal to so many, that being... more
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