LENNON KILLER HAD HIT LIST OF CELEBS
ALBANY - John Lennon's murderer said he had a backup
hit list in case he was unable to get to the legendary former
Beatle.
Mark David Chapman spoke of the list of other celebrities in
a parole hearing last week. The transcript of that 50-minute
closed-door hearing was released to The Post yesterday.
Chapman, serving a life sentence in Attica prison for the
1980 murder, was denied release by a three-member state
Parole Board panel. He's eligible for another hearing in two
years.
Chapman told the panel that within a month of deciding to kill
Lennon, he thought up "a substitute list" consisting of several
names.
"Probably, I thought he wouldn't be an attainable type of
thing, and I did think of harming some people," he told the
board.
He listed three names, which state officials blacked out from
the transcript and would not release, and said there were
several others he could not remember.
While none of the three other Beatles were on the list,
sources said, Jack Jones, an author who has chronicled
Chapman for 16 years, said Jackie Onassis, George C. Scott
and Johnny Carson were among those considered killed.
The inmate cited feelings such as "vanity," "jealousy,"
"anger" and "stupidity" as reasons he wanted to kill Lennon
and other celebrities.
While he said he was not asking the board to release him,
Chapman insisted that he poses no threat to Lennon's family
or other celebrities if paroled.
During the hearing, the pudgy 45-year-old detailed his mental
state leading up to the high-profile murder.
He said his desire to kill Lennon began after seeing photos of
the pop icon standing in front of the singer's Dakota
apartment building in a book called "One Day at a Time."
"I took it upon myself to judge him falsely for ... being
something other than, you know, in a lotus position with a
flower, and I got angry in my stupidity," he said.
He spoke of an "obsession" on the night he killed Lennon,
and claimed he heard a small voice - "probably something
very evil" - telling him to "just do it."
He told the board he never considered the effect the murder
would have on Lennon's family and friends.
Prison life the first few years was hard, and he said he
experienced fits of rage that he learned to quell in the 1980s
and '90s to the point that he says he is now free from any
mental illness.
Chapman said a recent statement from Lennon's widow,
Yoko Ono, that she was violently shaking after witnessing
the murder haunted him so much he said he considered
skipping his parole hearing.
He reiterated earlier statements that he belongs in prison,
and is lucky to be alive.
"I believe once you take a person's life, there's no way you
can make up for that. Period," Chapman said.
He also apologized to Ono, who in a letter asked the board to
deny Chapman release for a recent statement in which he
suggested Lennon would forgive him and want to see him
freed.
"Maybe it wasn't my right to speak my own crime victim's
words," he said.
Tuesday October 3, 2000 3:14 PM ET
Text of Chapman Parole Decision
By
The Associated Press
Here is the text of the decision of
a New York State Division of Parole
board to deny parole to John Lennon's
killer, Mark David Chapman.
The
parole board was headed by R. Guy Vizzie.
The other members were W. William Smith Jr. and Daniel J. Doyle.
Parole is denied. You murdered the victim, John Lennon, when you fired a .38 special caliber Charter Arm
revolver, filled with hollow-point bullets. You discharged all five chambers and hit Mr. Lennon as many as four
times. Mr. Lennon was returning to his residence and was in the company of his wife when you committed this
murder. This act was calculated and unprovoked. You had planned this crime for a protracted period of time and
it is apparent that you were obsessed in causing fatal harm to John Lennon. In addition to being an international
celebrity, Mr. Lennon was a husband and a father of two young children.
During your incarceration, you have maintained an exemplary disciplinary record which this panel has noted and
considered. This panel also recognizes that, because of your continued special housing status, you have been
unable to avail yourself of anti-violence and/or anti-aggression programming.
Your most vicious and violent act was apparently fueled by your need to be acknowledged. During your parole
hearing, this panel noted your continued interest in maintaining your notoriety.
When all factors are reviewed, your discretionary release is determined to be inappropriate. Additionally, this
panel strongly believes that your release to parole supervision at this time would deprecate the seriousness
of the crime and serve to undermine respect for the law.
hit list in case he was unable to get to the legendary former
Beatle.
Mark David Chapman spoke of the list of other celebrities in
a parole hearing last week. The transcript of that 50-minute
closed-door hearing was released to The Post yesterday.
Chapman, serving a life sentence in Attica prison for the
1980 murder, was denied release by a three-member state
Parole Board panel. He's eligible for another hearing in two
years.
Chapman told the panel that within a month of deciding to kill
Lennon, he thought up "a substitute list" consisting of several
names.
"Probably, I thought he wouldn't be an attainable type of
thing, and I did think of harming some people," he told the
board.
He listed three names, which state officials blacked out from
the transcript and would not release, and said there were
several others he could not remember.
While none of the three other Beatles were on the list,
sources said, Jack Jones, an author who has chronicled
Chapman for 16 years, said Jackie Onassis, George C. Scott
and Johnny Carson were among those considered killed.
The inmate cited feelings such as "vanity," "jealousy,"
"anger" and "stupidity" as reasons he wanted to kill Lennon
and other celebrities.
While he said he was not asking the board to release him,
Chapman insisted that he poses no threat to Lennon's family
or other celebrities if paroled.
During the hearing, the pudgy 45-year-old detailed his mental
state leading up to the high-profile murder.
He said his desire to kill Lennon began after seeing photos of
the pop icon standing in front of the singer's Dakota
apartment building in a book called "One Day at a Time."
"I took it upon myself to judge him falsely for ... being
something other than, you know, in a lotus position with a
flower, and I got angry in my stupidity," he said.
He spoke of an "obsession" on the night he killed Lennon,
and claimed he heard a small voice - "probably something
very evil" - telling him to "just do it."
He told the board he never considered the effect the murder
would have on Lennon's family and friends.
Prison life the first few years was hard, and he said he
experienced fits of rage that he learned to quell in the 1980s
and '90s to the point that he says he is now free from any
mental illness.
Chapman said a recent statement from Lennon's widow,
Yoko Ono, that she was violently shaking after witnessing
the murder haunted him so much he said he considered
skipping his parole hearing.
He reiterated earlier statements that he belongs in prison,
and is lucky to be alive.
"I believe once you take a person's life, there's no way you
can make up for that. Period," Chapman said.
He also apologized to Ono, who in a letter asked the board to
deny Chapman release for a recent statement in which he
suggested Lennon would forgive him and want to see him
freed.
"Maybe it wasn't my right to speak my own crime victim's
words," he said.
Tuesday October 3, 2000 3:14 PM ET
The other members were W. William Smith Jr. and Daniel J. Doyle.
Parole is denied. You murdered the victim, John Lennon, when you fired a .38 special caliber Charter Arm
revolver, filled with hollow-point bullets. You discharged all five chambers and hit Mr. Lennon as many as four
times. Mr. Lennon was returning to his residence and was in the company of his wife when you committed this
murder. This act was calculated and unprovoked. You had planned this crime for a protracted period of time and
it is apparent that you were obsessed in causing fatal harm to John Lennon. In addition to being an international
celebrity, Mr. Lennon was a husband and a father of two young children.
During your incarceration, you have maintained an exemplary disciplinary record which this panel has noted and
considered. This panel also recognizes that, because of your continued special housing status, you have been
unable to avail yourself of anti-violence and/or anti-aggression programming.
Your most vicious and violent act was apparently fueled by your need to be acknowledged. During your parole
hearing, this panel noted your continued interest in maintaining your notoriety.
When all factors are reviewed, your discretionary release is determined to be inappropriate. Additionally, this
panel strongly believes that your release to parole supervision at this time would deprecate the seriousness
of the crime and serve to undermine respect for the law.
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