|
Mark David Chapman (born May 10, 1955) was, at various points in his life, a drug-addict, a born-again Christian, and a hospitalized mental patient. At one time he attended Covenant College in Lookout Mountain, Georgia, near the border of Georgia and Tennessee. He viewed the novel The Catcher in the Rye by novelist J.D. Salinger as having great personal significance.
On the night of December 8, 1980, Chapman murdered John Lennon, in front of Lennon's residence, the Dakota, at the corner of 72nd Street and Central Park West in Manhattan. He had a copy of The Catcher in the Rye on hand at that time.
Earlier in the day, Chapman had shaken hands with Sean Lennon and John had autographed Chapman's newly-purchased copy of Double Fantasy. Chapman remained in waiting for several hours for John to return, whereupon he shot at him five times, inflicting four wounds.
He was charged with second degree murder and was found competent to stand trial. It was expected that he would plead insanity; instead, he lodged a guilty plea.
He is currently incarcerated at Attica State Prison, near Buffalo, New York. He has been denied parole three times, in 2000, 2002, and October, 2004. Prior to his parole hearings there have been several threats made on his life should he be released.
External link
|
