Lennon murderer denied parole
August 23, 2014
The man who shot dead former Beatle and British music legend John Lennon has been denied parole for the eighth time, New York prison authorities confirmed on Friday.
Mark David Chapman was sentenced to between 20 years to life imprisonment in 1981 after he pleaded guilty to second-degree murder.
Chapman shot at 40-year-old Lennon five times outside the The Dakota Manhattan apartment block on December 8, 1980, hitting him four times in the back.
The New York State Board of Parole said the murder of the world-famous British musician and founding member of the Beatles "devastated a family and those who loved the victim."
Worldwide mourning
On December 14, 1980, a vigil of 50,000 to 100,000 mourners took place in New York's Central Park, with a further 25,000 in Lennon's hometown in Liverpool, England.
"Your release would be incompatible with the welfare of society and would so deprecate the serious nature of the crime as to undermine respect for the law," added the New York Parole Board.
Chapman has unsuccessfully applied for bail every two years since he became eligible in 2000. The 59-year-old can reapply for parole in August 2016.
Lennon's widow, singer and artist Yoko Ono, has repeatedly demanded that Chapman should remain behind bars for life.
kb/tj (AFP, dpa)