Mark David Chapman Apologizes to Yoko Ono for Killing John Lennon

Author Erica Banas // Rock Music Reporter

September 22nd, 2020 12:13 PM

Mark David Chapman apologized to Yoko Ono for killing John Lennon 40 years ago during his latest parole hearing in August.

Per the BBC, Chapman told the parole board at the Wende Correctional Facility in New York, “I just want to reiterate that I’m sorry for my crime. I have no excuse. This was for self-glory. I think it’s the worst crime that there could be to do something to someone that’s innocent.”

Chapman continued, “He was extremely famous. I didn’t kill him because of his character or the kind of man he was. He was a family man. He was an icon. He was someone that spoke of things that now we can speak of and it’s great. I assassinated him, to use your word earlier, because he was very, very, very famous and that’s the only reason and I was very, very, very, very much seeking self-glory, very selfish. I want to add that and emphasize that greatly. It was an extremely selfish act. I’m sorry for the pain that I caused to her [Ono]. I think about it all of the time.”

Per New York affiliate WABC-TV, Chapman was up for parole for the 11th time in August and was denied release. Chapman, 65, will be up for parole again in August 2022. He’s currently serving a 20-years-to-life sentence.

GALLERY: John Lennon and Yoko Ono Through the Years

• Yoko and John

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  Japanese multimedia artist, singer, songwriter, and peace activist Yoko Ono with her husband, English singer, songwriter, and peace activist who co-founded the Beatles John Lennon (1940 - 1980) in Paris for their honeymoon, France, 23rd March 1969. (Photo by Reg Lancaster/Daily Express/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

• John’s Joke Art

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  Beatles singer, songwriter and guitarist John Lennon (1940 - 1980) and his wife, artist Yoko Ono, at the opening of John's 'Joke Art' exhibition, UK, 1st July 21968. (Photo by Ballard/Daily Express/Getty Images)

• John And Yoko

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  Singer and songwriter John Lennon (1940 - 1980), formerly of English rock band the Beatles, and his wife Yoko Ono share a bag labelled 'Bagism' before their appearance on the 'Today' programme with Eamonn Andrews, UK, April 1969. (Photo by Bob Aylott/Keystone/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)
• John And Yoko

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  Singer and songwriter John Lennon (1940 - 1980) of English rock band the Beatles and his wife Yoko Ono holding acorns during a press conference at Heathrow Airport in London, 1st April 1969. They have just arrived from Austria, and are going to send the acorns to world leaders as a symbol of peace. (Photo by Dennis Oulds/Central Press/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

• The Magic Christian Premiere

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  Musicians John Lennon and Yoko Ono carrying a 'Britain Murdered Hanratty' sign at the premiere of the film 'The Magic Christian' at the Odeon Kensington, London, 11th December 1969. (Photo by Pierre Manevy/Express/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

• John And Yoko

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  Singer and songwriter John Lennon (1940 - 1980) and his wife Yoko Ono arrive at London Airport from New York, 14th July 1971. (Photo by R. Brigden/Daily Express/Getty Images)
• John And Yoko

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  Japanese-born artist Yoko Ono and her husband, singer and songwriter John Lennon (1940 - 1980) at Selfridges department store in London to autograph copies of Ono's new book 'Grapefruit', 15th July 1971. (Photo by Central Press/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

• John And Yoko

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  John Lennon (1940 - 1980) with Yoko Ono, December 1968. (Photo by Keystone/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

• John, Yoko And Balloons

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  Beatle John Lennon (1940 - 1980) and his girlfriend Yoko Ono outside the Robert Fraser Gallery, where Lennon's work is on show at the gallery in an exhibition entitled 'You Are Here', London, July 1968. Lennon is about to release 365 helium-filled balloons to mark the occasion. (Photo by Keystone Features/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)
• John, Julian and Yoko

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  John Lennon (1940 - 1980), his son Julian and Yoko Ono pose for photographers at Internel Studios in Stonebridge Park, Wembley, during a rehearsal for the Rolling Stones' 'Rock and Roll Circus' TV special, London, 10th December 1968. (Photo by Daily Express/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

• Bed-In For Peace

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  Beatle John Lennon (1940  1980) and his wife of a week Yoko Ono in their bed in the Presidential Suite of the Hilton Hotel, Amsterdam, 25th March 1969. The couple are staging a 'bed-in for peace' and intend to stay in bed for seven days 'as a protest against war and violence in the world'. (Photo by Keystone/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

• Beatles Bride And Groom

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  John Lennon and Yoko Ono, both dressed in white, board a private aircraft in Gibraltar after their wedding, 20th March 1969. Their pilot Trevor Copleston stands by the plane. (Photo by Simpson/Express/Getty Images)
• Lennon’s Certificate

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  John Lennon and Yoko Ono, both dressed in white, with their marriage certificate after their wedding in Gibraltar, 20th March 1969. (Photo by Simpson/Express/Getty Images)

• John And Yoko Circus Costume

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  Beatles singer and songwriter John Lennon with his wife Yoko Ono on the set of the TV special 'Rolling Stones Rock n Roll Circus' at Internel Studios in Stonebridge Park, Wembley, London, December 1968. (Photo by Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

• Mr And Mrs Lennon

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  John Lennon and Yoko Ono, both dressed in white, with their marriage certificate after their wedding in Gibraltar, 20th March 1969. (Photo by Simpson/Express/Getty Images)
• Lennon And Ono

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  1969: John Lennon (1940 -1980), singer, songwriter and guitarist of British pop group The Beatles, with his wife Yoko Ono listening to the playback of one of their tapes. (Photo by Keystone Features/Getty Images)

• John And Yoko

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  17th May 1971: Ex-Beatle John Lennon (1940 - 1980) and his wife Yoko Ono stroll in the sunshine at Cannes. (Photo by Keystone/Getty Images)

• Rock ‘N’ Roll Circus

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  L-R: Rolling Stones guitarist Brian Jones, artist Yoko Ono and her husband, Beatles guitarist John Lennon, with his son Julian on his lap, guitarist Eric Clapton, and behind them singer Roger Daltrey of The Who, gather at Internel Studios in Stonebridge Park, Wembley, where they watched some of the circus acts who will appear in a television spectacular planned by the Rolling Stones, 'The Rolling Stones' Rock 'n' Roll Circus,' England, December 10, 1968. (Photo by Hulton Archive/Getty Images)
• Bed Peace

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  25th March 1969: Beatles singer, songwriter and guitarist John Lennon and his wife of a week Yoko Ono receive the press at their bedside in the Presidential Suite of the Hilton Hotel, Amsterdam. The couple stayed in bed for seven days 'as a protest against war and violence in the world'. (Photo by Central Press/Getty Images)

• John’s Joke Art

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  1st July 1968: Beatles singer, songwriter and guitarist John Lennon (1940 - 1980) and his wife, artist Yoko Ono, at the opening of John's 'Joke Art' exhibition. (Photo by Ballard/Express/Getty Images)

• Bed Protest

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  25th March 1969: John Lennon (1940 - 1980), singer, songwriter and guitarist with the Beatles, in bed in the Presidential Suite of the Hilton Hotel in Amsterdam with his wife, artist Yoko Ono. The couple stayed in bed for seven days as 'a protest against war and violence in the World'. (Photo by Central Press/Getty Images)
• Carrying Yoko

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  1970: British pop singer, songwriter and guitarist John Lennon (1940 - 1980) carries his wife, artist Yoko Ono, across the snow in North Jutland, Denmark, where they are visiting Yoko's daughter by her previous marriage, Kyoko, who lives with Yoko's former husband Anthony Cox and his wife Belinda. (Photo by Keystone/Getty Images)

• Shorn Lennons

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  24th January 1970: Beatle John Lennon (1940 - 1980) and his wife, artist Yoko Ono, seen with their newly shorn hair, at the Centre Of Peace in Vust, North Jutland, where John, Yoko and friends are living in meditation. (Photo by Anthony Cox/Keystone/Getty Images)

• Lennons In White

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  2nd April 1969: Singer and songwriter John Lennon (1940 - 1980) and his wife artist Yoko Ono, both dressed in white at London Airport. (Photo by Evening Standard/Getty Images)
• John Lennon

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  January 1970: John Lennon (1940 - 1980) with his wife Yoko Ono the first time he was photographed with short hair since his hippy days. (Photo by Anthony Cox/Keystone/Getty Images)

• John And Yoko

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  1969: John Lennon (1940 - 1980) and his wife Yoko Ono arrive at London Airport. They were married secretly in Gibraltar on 25th April. (Photo by Evening Standard/Getty Images)

• John And Yoko

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  circa 1970: John Lennon (1940 - 1980) with his wife Yoko Ono. (Photo by Keystone/Getty Images)
• Lennon & Ono

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  31st March 1971: Rock singer songwriter John Lennon (1940 - 1980) and his wife, artist Yoko Ono at a gallery party. (Photo by Evening Standard/Getty Images)

• Lennon On The Phone

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  25th November 1969: Singer-songwriter John Lennon (1940 - 1980) on the telephone during the press conference held after he returned his MBE to the Queen in protest against the war in Biafra, the British support of the American action in Vietnam, and, he quipped, his latest single dropping in the charts! Beside him is his Japanese born wife, artist Yoko Ono. (Photo by Joe Bangay/Express/Getty Images)

• Gallery Party

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  31st March 1971: British rock star John Lennon (1940 - 1980) with his wife Yoko Ono at the E.M. Gallery party. (Photo by Evening Standard/Getty Images)
• John And Yoko

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  1969: John Lennon (1940 - 1980) with his wife, Yoko Ono and James Hanratty Senior at a protest meeting against the controversial execution of Hanratty's son for the A6 murder of Michael John Gregsten. Posters on the walls read 'Britain Murdered Hanratty'. (Photo by Express/Express/Getty Images)

• Shorn Lennon

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  4th February 1970: John Lennon (1940 - 1980) and Yoko Ono in London after having their hair cut. The hair was given to the Black Power leader Michael X in exchange for a pair of Muhammad Ali's shorts. Both the hair and the shorts will be auctioned for charity. (Photo by Central Press/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

• John And Yoko

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  1969: John Lennon (1940 - 1980) and Yoko Ono pictured during filming of the promotional film for 'The Ballad of John and Yoko'. (Photo by Fox Photos/Getty Images)
• John, Yoko And Kyoko

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  1st May 1969: John Lennon (1940 - 1980), former member of The Beatles, with his wife, Yoko Ono, and her daughter Kyoko (from her first marriage to Anthony Cox) at London Airport, where they are leaving for the Bahamas. (Photo by Keystone/Getty Images)

• Laughing Lennon

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  14th May 1971: Beatles singer, songwriter and guitarist John Lennon (1940 - 1980) with his wife, artist Yoko Ono, at London Airport. (Photo by George Stroud/Express/Getty Images)

• Beatle In Bed

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  Rock 'n' roll singer, songwriter and guitarist John Lennon (1940 - 1980) of The Beatles with his wife of a week, artist Yoko Ono, in bed in the presidential suite of the Hilton Hotel in Amsterdam during their honeymoon, 25th March 1969. They plan to stay in bed for seven days as a protest against war and violence. (Photo by Central Press/Getty Images)
• In Bed With Eamonn

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  Television presenter Eamonn Andrews in bed in a London TV studio, while John Lennon and Yoko Ono sit in front of him. Lennon and his wife have been staging a protest for world peace which will feature on a television show presented by Andrews. (Photo by Bob Aylott/Getty Images)

• Lennons In Paris

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  John Lennon of The Beatles with his partner, artist Yoko Ono, on a visit to Paris following their recent wedding. (Photo by Central Press/Getty Images)

• Bagism

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  John Lennon (1940 - 1980) and his wife, Japanese born artist Yoko Ono, sit in a bag before appearing on the 'Today' programme with Eamonn Andrews (1922 - 1987), seen in bed in the background. (Photo by Bob Aylott/Getty Images)
• War Is Over

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  John Lennon (1940 - 1980) and Yoko Ono pose on the steps of the Apple building in London, holding one of the posters that they distributed to the world's major cities as part of a peace campaign protesting against the Vietnam War. 'War Is Over, If You Want It'. (Photo by Frank Barrett/Keystone/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

• John, Yoko & Kyoko

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  Beatles singer, songwriter and guitarist John Lennon with his wife Yoko Ono at London's Heathrow airport before flying to the Bahamas to stage a seven day 'Bed In For Peace' protest. With them is Kyoko, Yoko's daughter by her previous marriage, who Lennon is carrying. (Photo by Central Press/Getty Images)

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Author Erica Banas // Rock Music Reporter

Category:

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• Music

Tags:

John Lennon,Mark David Chapman,Yoko Ono