Mark Chapman Quotes

Mark David Chapman is an American prison inmate who murdered John Lennon outside the Dakota apartment building in Manhattan in New York City on December 8, 1980. Chapman fired five times at Lennon, hitting him three times in the back and one in his left shoulder. Chapman later remained at the crime scene and began reading J. D. Salinger's novel The Catcher in the Rye until the police arrived and arrested him. He repeatedly said that the novel was his statement.

Chapman's legal team intended to mount an insanity defense based on expert testimony that he was in a delusional psychotic state at the time of the killing. As the trial approached, Chapman instructed his lawyers that he wanted to plead guilty, based on what he had decided was the will of God. The judge allowed the plea change without further psychiatric assessment after Chapman denied hearing voices, and sentenced him to a prison term of 20 years to life with a stipulation that mental health treatment be provided. Chapman will most likely remain in prison for the rest of his life, having been denied parole nine times amidst campaigns against his release after becoming eligible in 2000.

✵ 10. May 1955   •   Other names Մարկ Դեյվիդ Չեփմեն, มาร์ก เดวิด แชปแมน
Mark Chapman: 6   quotes 0   likes

Famous Mark Chapman Quotes

“Dead, cold quiet, until he walked up. He looked at me… he walked past me and then I heard in my head. It said, 'Do it, do it, do it,' over and over again.”

Mark Chapman on his motive. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/music/2310873.stm

“I aimed at his back and pulled the trigger five times and all hell broke loose in my mind.”

Mark Chapman http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/940986.stm

“There was no emotion in my blood. There was no anger. There was nothing. It was dead silence in my brain.”

Mark Chapman explaining how he felt when he committed murder http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/music/2310873.stm

“There are not many places to go once you've killed someone like John Lennon.”

Mark Chapman http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/940986.stm

“I don't know how easy that would be but I'd try just to lead an ordinary life again. Stay out of the papers.”

Mark Chapman http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/940986.stm

“I just sought a way to be someone I wasn't. To be loved.”

Mark Chapman http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/940986.stm

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