John Lennon's killer Mark David Chapman denied parole for 10th time

Tenth time was not the charm for Mark David Chapman, John Lennon‘s killer who applied for parole yet again and was denied parole yet again this week. He will remain in prison for at least two more years.

According to the Associated Press, New York’s parole board determined that releasing Chapman, who shot and killed the Beatles member outside Lennon’s New York apartment on Dec. 8, 1980, “would be incompatible with the welfare and safety of society and would so deprecate the serious nature of the crime as to undermine respect for the law.”

Chapman, now 63, is currently serving 20-years-to-life at New York’s Wende Correctional Facility for his crime.

As written to Chapman in the parole panel’s denial decision, “You admittedly carefully planned and executed the murder of a world-famous person for no reason other than to gain notoriety. 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.”

Chapman will be up for parole again in August 2020.

Lennon’s Beatles comrade Paul McCartney paid tribute to his fallen bandmate earlier this year at one of the pro-gun control March for Our Lives rallies.

Asked by CNN whether gun control can be achieved on the legislative level, McCartney said, “I’m like everyone, I don’t know. But this is what we can do, so I’m here to do it. One of my best friends was killed in gun violence, right around here, so it’s important to me.”

The parole board noted Chapman’s release would “tend to mitigate the seriousness of your crime” and potentially place him in harm’s way from anyone seeking retribution against him.