EXCLUSIVE: Why John Lennon's Assassin is 'Doomed to Due in Jail' After Failure of His 14th Parole Bid
John Lennon’s assassin is likely to never see the light of day.
Oct. 29 2025, Published 7:20 p.m. ET
John Lennon's 70-year-old killer, Mark David Chapman, is expected to spend the rest of his life behind bars after being denied parole for the 14th time – with insiders telling RadarOnline.com he is "too unstable" to ever be safely released into the public. The former security guard, who shot and killed Lennon outside his New York apartment in 1980, appeared before a parole board in August at Green Haven Correctional Facility in New York's Hudson Valley, but the state Department of Corrections and Community Supervision again decided not to release him.
Chapman, who first became eligible for parole in 2000, pleaded guilty to second-degree murder after firing five shots at the 40-year-old Beatles legend outside the Dakota apartment building on December 8, 1980.
'Too Volatile and Dangerous' to Be Freed
Mark David Chapman shot Lennon outside his New York home in 1980.
Lennon had moments earlier signed an album for Chapman. After the killing, Chapman remained at the scene reading J.D. Salinger's The Catcher in the Rye until police arrived. He was sentenced in 1981 to 20 years to life.
A source told us: "Chapman's mental state remains a major concern. He's shown flashes of remorse, but they come across as rehearsed rather than genuine. The parole board sees him as too unpredictable, too volatile – and frankly, too dangerous – to ever be reintegrated into society."
Another insider added: "He's not just infamous; he's a target. If he ever walked free, there's a real fear he wouldn't survive long. There are Beatles fans all over the world who still mourn Lennon deeply, and there are people who would take justice into their own hands. The risks are enormous."
The Fame-Driven Murder That Shocked the World
Lennon signed an album for Chapman moments before the murder.
During a 2022 hearing, Chapman himself acknowledged the darkness that drove him to kill. "I am not going to blame anything else or anybody else for bringing me there," he told the board.
"I knew what I was doing, and I knew it was evil, I knew it was wrong, but I wanted the fame so much that I was willing to give everything and take a human life."
At the time, the parole board described his crime as showing a "selfish disregard for human life of global consequence," saying the act left "the world recovering from the void of which you created."
Officials have repeatedly cited the international significance of Lennon's murder as part of their justification for keeping Chapman imprisoned.
A Crime That Can Never Be Forgotten
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Experts warned that Chapman remained too unstable to reenter society.
Experts say his continued confinement reflects both the ongoing psychological risks and the symbolic weight of the crime.
One legal analyst familiar with the case said: "This isn't just another parole decision – it's a matter of public order. Chapman represents a unique threat because his crime wasn't personal; it was performative. He killed to make a name for himself, and that mindset doesn't just disappear with time."
Chapman, now 44 years into his sentence, remains housed at Green Haven, where he is said to lead a largely isolated existence. According to prison staff, he spends most of his time reading religious texts and writing letters to supporters.
His next parole hearing is scheduled for February 2027, but few believe he will ever be granted freedom. One source said: "He'll never get out – and if he did, he wouldn't last a week. The board knows it, and deep down, so does he."
