John Lennon’s Killer Apologizes for His Despicable Act

The man behind the death of John Lennon, Mark Chapman, has apologized to the late Beatle’s widow, Yoko Ono, 40 years after John Lennon’s death.

Mark Chapman shot Lennon four times outside his New York Manhattan apartment in 1980.

Chapman added that he recalls the despicable act all the time and admits he may spend the rest of his life in prison.

“I just want to reiterate that I’m sorry for my crime,” Chapman told the parole board at the Wende Correctional Facility in New York. “I have no excuse. This was for self-glory. I think it’s the worst crime that there could be to do something to someone that’s 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. He was someone that spoke of things that now we can speak of, and it’s great,” Chapman continued. “I assassinated him, to use your word earlier, because he was very, very, very famous and that’s the only reason and I was very, very, very, very much seeking self-glory, very selfish,” he added.

“I want to add that and emphasise that greatly. It was an extremely selfish act. I’m sorry for the pain that I caused to her [Ono]. I think about it all of the time.”

Chapman was 25 at the time of the crime. Now 65, he is married, and his wife lives near the facility where he has been for the last eight years.
He is a devoted Christian, a clerk, and a porter in a restricted prison block, where he was placed for his safety.

He went on to say that he deserved the death penalty – “When you knowingly plot someone’s murder and know it’s wrong and you do it for yourself, that’s a death penalty right there in my opinion,” said Chapman.

“Some people disagree with me, but everybody gets a second chance now,” he added. “If the law and you choose to leave me in here for the rest of my life, I have no complaint whatsoever.”