John Lennon's Killer Didn't Target The Beatle: 'He Was Simply The Most Famous Person I Knew Of'
Aug. 30 2012, Published 9:00 a.m. ET
By Debbie Emery - Breaking Celebrity News Reporter
John Lennon's killer Mark David Chapman was denied parole for the seventh time on August 23, and during the interview to decide whether he should be released, the convicted murderer made the bombshell revelation that he didn't target the iconic Beatles singer for death.
Chapman said he committed the "cold-blooded" crime "simply because (Lennon was) the most famous person I knew of," he told the New York State Board of Parole during meeting to determine if he should be granted parole, reported ABCNews.com.
He went on to reveal that he had a list of six or seven potential targets, including Johnny Carson, Elizabeth Taylor and actor George C. Scott. "Lennon just happened to be the most famous.
"I would like Mrs. Lennon to really know that," Chapman said. "I think it would help somewhat that it wasn't anger. It wasn't anything against her husband as a person, only as a famous person. If he was less famous than three or four other people on the list, he would not have been shot."
As Breaking Celebrity News previously reported, the 57-year-old broke the hearts of millions of Beatles fans when he gunned down the music legend on December 8, 1980, outside the Dakota Hotel in New York City. After firing five bullets into Lennon, Chapman reportedly remained at the scene reading The Catcher In The Rye by J.D. Salinger until the police arrived.
Upon his arrest, the troubled man told officers, "I’m sure the large part of me is Holden Caulfield, who is the main person in the book. The small part of me must be the Devil." Chapman pl