John Lennon's Killer Mark David Chapman Denied Parole For Tenth Time

Los Angeles, Aug 25 (Prensa Latina) John Lennon''s killer has been denied parole for a tenth time.

Mark David Chapman appeared before New York's parole board. A denial decision said he was told his release 'would be incompatible with the welfare and safety of society'.

The 63-year-old is serving 20 years to life in the Wende Correctional Facility in western New York.

He shot and killed the former Beatle outside Lennon's Manhattan apartment on 8 December 1980.

In its decision, the state Board of Parole said releasing Chapman would not only 'tend to mitigate the seriousness of your crime', but also would endanger public safety because someone might try to harm him out of anger or revenge or to gain notoriety.

'You admittedly carefully planned and executed the murder of a world-famous person for no reason other than to gain notoriety,' the parole panel wrote.

'While no one person's life is any more valuable than another's life, the fact that you chose someone who was not only a world renown person and beloved by millions, regardless of the pain and suffering you would cause to his family, friends and so many others, you demonstrated a callous disregard for the sanctity of human life and the pain and suffering of others.'

He will be up for parole again in August 2020.

As he faced the panel, politicians and fans called for his release to be denied during a rally at Strawberry Fields, Lennon's memorial in Central Park across from his former home.

At previous hearings, Chapman has said he still gets letters about the pain he caused and was sorry for choosing the wrong path to fame. He shot the singer because of he was envious of the Beatle, he said.

He became eligible for parole in 2000 and has submitted a total of nine applications, all of which have been denied.

Saying she feared for her life and that of her sons Julian and Sean, Lennon's wife Yoko Ono has previously opposed his release.

The 85-year-old was also said to have concerns Chapman would be at risk from Lennon fans still seeking to exact revenge.