On December 8th, 1980, Mark David Chapman murdered John Lennon in front of his Central Park West apartment building. Subsequently, he was sentence to 20 years to life, and after his ninth parole hearing it was determined he will remain imprisoned for at least another two years.
A couple of items from the New York Daily News: There’s been no public explanation for the denial, which came after Chapman met with a three person parole panel. Since his last parole hearing in 2014, the panel received five letters in support of releasing Chapman, and among two letters against parole, one came from Lennon’s widow, Yoko Ono. She indicated worry for the safety of her and her children.
Chapman’s current home is the Wende Correctional Facility in upstate New York. The Daily News says that he remains in “protective custody against his will”.
The newspaper also says that for twenty plus years, Chapman has maintained a clean prison record, is in contact with a minister who has agreed to take Chapman in should he be released and repairs wheelchairs in prison.
Despite the fact that Chapman has expressed remorse for the murder, the parole board feels his release would “undermine respect for the law”