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Yoko Ono reportedly sent letter
opposing release
John Lennon’s killer will remain in prison for at least
two more years after being denied parole Tuesday because of
the “extreme malicious intent” he showed in gunning
down the former Beatle in 1980.
Mark David Chapman, 49, was notified of the decision late
Tuesday after appearing before a three-member panel earlier
in the day.
“During the interview your statement for motivation
acknowledges the attention you felt this murder would generate,”
the board wrote in its single-page decision. “Although
proven true, such rationale is bizarre and morally corrupt.”
It was Chapman’s third bid for freedom. He was denied
parole in 2000 and again in 2002, on what would have been
Lennon’s 62nd birthday.
The latest denial “is based on the extreme malicious
intent you exhibited (when) you fired a handgun multiple times,
striking your victim — John Lennon,” the board
wrote.
Chapman has been in prison more than 23 years for shooting
Lennon outside his Manhattan apartment building as the musician
returned from a recording session.
He became eligible for release after serving 20 years of
a maximum life sentence.
Before Tuesday’s hearing, a letter sent to the parole
board on behalf of Lennon’s widow, Yoko Ono, requested
that Chapman remain imprisoned, according to a source close
to Ono, who spoke only on condition of anonymity.
In 2000, Ono said she opposed Chapman’s release out
of concern for the safety of herself and her children.
For his own safety, Chapman lives in housing separate from
the general population at the Attica Correctional Facility,
about 30 miles east of Buffalo, according to corrections officials.
His next appearance before the parole board will be in October
2006. Courtesy: The Associated Press
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