Mark David Chapman, John Lennon killer, denied parole again
A picture of Mark David Chapman taken on December 9, 1980, the day after he killed John Lennon.
Mark David Chapman, who is serving a 20-years-to-life sentence for the murder of John Lennon, has been denied parole for the seventh time.
The state parole board noted Chapman’s “positive efforts” during his time in jail, but said this was not enough to earn him the right to freedom, the New York Times reported today, citing a statement from the Department of Corrections and Community Supervision.
“Your release at this time would greatly undermine respect for the law and tend to trivialize the tragic loss of life which you caused as a result of this heinous, unprovoked, violent, cold and calculated crime,” the panel said.
Chapman, 57, shot dead Lennon outside the former Beatle's New York City apartment on December 8, 1980.
He pleaded guilty to second-degree murder.
Chapman told the parole board in 2004 that he regretted killing Lennon, the Los Angeles Times reported.
"I am ashamed, that is my first thought. And I am sorry for what I did."
Chapman is being held in protective custody in a single-person cell at the maximum security Wende Correctional Facility in Alden, New York, UPI said.
He will be eligible to reapply for parole in 2016, according to the LA Times.
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