Mark David Chapman, the man convicted of killing John Lennon in 1980 outside The Dakota apartment building in New York City, was denied parole again by the New York Department of Corrections.
The board said the reason for denying Chapman for the eighth time was because it was not convinced that Chapman could stay on the right side of the law if he was released,
according to the Journal News in Westchester.
"After a review of the record and interview, the panel has determined that if released at this time, there is a reasonable probability that you would not live and remain at liberty without again violating the law," the panel's report stated.
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"Your release would be incompatible with the welfare of society and would so deprecate the serious nature of the crime as to undermine respect for the law," stated the reported. The newspaper said the parole board will review Chapman's release eligibility again in August, 2016.
The New York Daily News reported Chapman is serving a 20-year to life sentence at the Wende Correctional Facility for killing Lennon as he left his apartment building with his wife Yoko Ono after signing an autograph for him.
"This victim had displayed kindness to you earlier in the day and your actions have devastated a family and those who loved the victim," the panel said, according to the Daily News. The newspaper said that Ono had concerns Chapman would be at risk of angry Lennon fans still upset with the singer's untimely death.
The Daily News reported that Chapman's disciplinary record has been spotless since 1994 and he has received letters of support and has expressed remorse for his actions. Chapman takes part of the prison's family reunion that allows him conjugal visits with his wife, Gloria Hiroko Chapman, who married him 18 months before Lennon's murder, and visits with his stepfather, according to the Daily News.
Lennon teamed to Paul McCartney to form one of the most successful songwriting duos in musical history and with George Harrison and Ringo Starr, launched the Beatles to rare musical heights until Lennon left the band in 1969,
according to Biography.com.
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