John Lennon’s killer allegedly apologized to witnesses after killing the singer.
The 40-year-old Beatle was shot dead by obsessed fan Mark David Chapman, 68, outside his New York City apartment on December 8, 1980, and a new Apple TV+ documentary includes a claim from a bystander that the killer apologized for “ruining” their night with his shooting.
One of the witnesses says in the three-part series “John Lennon: Murder Without a Trial”: “He actually apologized to us. He said, ‘Gee, I’m sorry I ruined your night.'”
The witness said they replied: “You gotta be kidding me, you just ruined your whole life.”
Actor Kiefer Sutherland, 56, narrates the documentary, which will be released Dec. 6. The filmmakers say they received extensive Freedom of Information Act requests from the New York City Police Department, the parole board and the district attorney’s office.
The documentary features interviews with John’s friends. It also includes interviews with Chapman’s defense attorneys, psychiatrists, detectives and prosecutors.
Also featured in the documentary are Richard Peterson, a cab driver who witnessed the shooting, and Jay Hastings, a doorman at Lennon’s apartment building who heard his last words – reportedly “I’m shot” or “I’m hit.
The show’s title is taken from the fact that there was minimal investigation into the murder, as Chapman waited at the scene and pleaded guilty as soon as the police arrived.
He was convicted of second-degree murder and sentenced to twenty years to life in prison.
In 2020, Chapman publicly apologized to John’s wife, Yoko Ono, 90, during a parole hearing, saying: “It was an extremely selfish act. I’m sorry for the pain I caused her. I think about it all the time.”
Chapman was denied parole for the 12th time last year, which means he will stay in prison until February 2024 at the earliest, whilst John’s voice can be heard on the recently released Beatles song “Now and Then”.
