Mark David Chapman, the man who murdered John Lennon, celebrated his 69th birthday on May 10. Chapman was convicted for taking the life of the beloved musician on December 8, 1980 in New York and has been serving a life sentence ever since.
Despite multiple attempts to seek parole, Chapman has been consistently denied release by the parole board. The board has deemed his release as not feasible given the seriousness of his crime and the potential risk of recidivism. Chapman has maintained good behavior in prison and has turned to his Christian faith in search of forgiveness.
Chapman’s motives for the murder date back to 1966 when Lennon famously claimed that “the Beatles were more popular than Jesus Christ” and for the lyrics of songs like “God” and “Imagine” which Chapman believed were disrespectful to faith. He considered Lennon a “hypocrite” and felt compelled to punish him for his perceived indecent lifestyle.
The parole board has deemed Chapman’s attack on Lennon as premeditated and carefully planned, arguing that his release would go against US law and diminish the severity of loss of life in the country. Despite his efforts to seek parole, Chapman remains behind bars, serving his life sentence for the murder of an iconic musician.