NEW YORK: The man who shot dead Beatles star John Lennon was denied parole for an eighth time after being deemed likely to violate the law again, prison authorities said Friday.
Mark David Chapman was convicted in 1981 to between 20 years to life in prison for shooting Lennon five times on December 8, 1980. The legendary singer-songwriter had been walking with his wife, Yoko Ono, to their Central Park apartment building in New York when he was killed.
The New York State Board of Parole told Chapman it had “determined that if released at this time, there is a reasonable probability that you would not live and remain at liberty without again violating the law,” according to a statement released by state prison authorities.
It added that his 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.” Chapman, 59, was interviewed via videoconference by the parole board on Wednesday from the Wende Correctional Facility where he is held. He first became eligible for parole in 2000, and has applied unsuccessfully for release every two years since then.
He is eligible for another parole review in August 2016. Lennon’s wife has repeatedly demanded that Chapman shouldn’t be released from jail.
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