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Background

As Mark David Chapman moved from his teens into his 20s, he felt he was failing in life and, at one point, tried to delete himself. Unable to keep a job, he started drinking, and as his mental health worsened, he was obsessed with Catcher in the Rye and John Lennon.

Chapman had been a Beatles fan, but after a religious conversion, he was pissed that in 1966, John Lennon said the Beatles were “more popular than Jesus”. Chapman was also infuriated by the singer’s lavish lifestyle and some of his song lyrics.

In the fall of 1980, he started planning to kill Lennon. He took a trip to New York in October and November, but did not take action.

He returned to his home in Hawaii and confessed to his wife that he was obsessed with killing the world-renowned singer. His wife did not alert the authorities.

Murder of John Lennon

Chapman returned to New York on December 6th, 1980. On the morning of December 8th, he went to the Dakota apartment building where Lennon lived. Chapman had a copy of The Catcher in the Rye in his pocket, and he was armed.

At 5pm, when Lennon and his wife, Yoko Ono, exited the building, Chapman held out a record, and Lennon signed it. The couple soon left, but returned at 10:50pm. As Lennon followed behind his wife, Chapman pulled a revolver and shot him four times in the back and shoulder.

Chapman did not flee and waited for the police to arrive and arrest him. Lennon was rushed to the hospital in a squad car but was pronounced dead on arrival.

Chapman was later labeled psychotic and schizophrenic and was diagnosed with several personality disorders. His lawyer advised him to claim insanity, but he pleaded guilty.

He was later sentenced to 20 years to life in prison.

He has had 14 parole hearings since he became eligible in 2000, but he has been denied each time.

Now 70 years old, he will be eligible for parole again in February 2027.