Lennon fans threaten his killer as release looms

[kskiska]

Mark Chapman, the man who murdered John Lennon, could be released from jail next month in a move that has sparked fears of retribution from Beatles fans.

Chapman will have a parole hearing in the week beginning 4 October, officials at the New York State Parole Division said. It will be held behind closed doors. However, one official said they had 'no idea' what the outcome of the hearing would be.

But if Chapman is released after 24 years in prison, some Lennon fans have already threatened to take action. News of the parole hearing has spread on the internet and dozens of websites have been filling up with messages from fans around the world, many already promising to take revenge on the man who gunned down Lennon on 8 December 1980 as he arrived at his New York apartment building off Central Park.

'Chapman should be executed. I would gladly get rid of him myself,' wrote a fan from Finland on one website. Another fan has already set up an online petition to have Chapman's parole denied. It is already full of messages that show Chapman's safety outside jail would be difficult to maintain. 'If Mark David Chapman is let out of jail, he wouldn't last a day. There are too many people who want him dead,' wrote a New York-based female fan.

more…
http://www.guardian.co.uk/usa/story/0,12271,1313030,00.html

[Skip Intro]

1. Hmmm - what would John do? n/t

[FlemingsGhost]

3. Yup, if these are "fans" of Lennon they missed the point.

John Lennon taught compassion, tolerance and peace.

[madrchsod]

2. give peace a chance????

sounds like some people didn`t get the message. 24 years is along time for someone to be in prison for murder, way above the average for first time offender. i doubt he will get parole if it is his first time before the board.

[trapper914]

25. I Seem To Recall...

Chapman being before the board in years past. He was denied...obviously.

My only question is this...under New York's system, does the average murderer serve at least 24 as Chapman has, or is he serving a longer sentence because he murdered a celebrity?

Granted, John Lennon was a music legend, but under the law, he should be no more important than a shopkeeper who is shot and killed in a robbery.

[johnfunk]

29. Anger and rage: Give "Peacekeeper" a Chance?

I agree that Chapman should be put away for life. Throw away the key. It's utterly shameful for Beatles and Lennon fans to seek violent retribution. Someone should remind them that this isn't Iraq.

[bobthedrummer]

4. Like Yoko and Sean I believe John Lennon was assassinated by elements

of the US government that utilized the wretch Chapman as a tool.

[smirkymonkey]

7. Then it seems the US government would want him dead

too. Kind of a Lee Harvey Oswald type of deal. Assasinate the assasinator and you don't have to worry about confessions later on down the road.

They could easily blame it on a deranged fan.

[bobthedrummer]

8. Arthur Bremer and Mark David Chapman are two of many peas in a pod.

LHO was another sort altogether.
Just as John Lennon was not POTUS he was still a highly political target, hated by J. Edgar Hoover and Richard M. Nixon among others.

[Bluzmann57]

5. Chapman killed another human being

Therefore he should not get out of prison in his lifetime. It was not self defense, it was premeditated, so there should really be no question about it.

[Charlie Brown]

6. I wholeheartedly agree

We have laws to ensure individual freedoms. If people are not accountable when they violate those laws, they have no meaning. Plus, from what I've seen in biopics of Chapman, he appears to have a few screws loose. I'm not sure I'd support releasing a potential nutcase into the public.

[despairing optimist]

11. Right. Who knows, he may end up as a Fox News anchor.

He's a fundie, I think. That was why he was offended by Lennon's remarks about Christ, which he claimed moved him to kill. He could end up with his own RW talk show given the current state of affairs. I can see all the Hannitys and O'Reillys coming to his defense, saying it was justifiable, preemptive homicide or some such garbage.

[tuvor]

9. I understand where you're coming from

but the decision was made in, what, 1981?

To start complaining now is a bit dubious.

[DS1]

10. Would you consider a trade?

Chapman for Yoko?

[liberalhistorian]

19. LOLOL!

Now, now, that isn't very nice, although I do see where you're coming from!

[stlsaxman]

27. I had a sticker on an old sax case that read-

"STILL PISSED AT LINDA- and her dad" and when folks ask me what it meant, I simply replied- "THEY broke up The Beatles- not Yoko". You might remember, Linda Eastman wanted her dad to take the management role, Paul asked the others who said no... Paul insisted and left the band.

Yoko loved John and John loved Yoko.

I personally never found the "Still pissed at Yoko" stickers humorous.


oh- and the reason Chapman didn't get life in prison or the death penalty is because the law in the State of New York at the time applied first degree murder charges solely for the killing of police officers and government officials. The most Chapman could get was second degree murder. Yeah, sure I wanted to find justice in Chapmans death but then I remembered Johns words at the bed-in for peace- "Hey, violence begets violence and we're just trying to show people one way to break that cycle..."

Chapman will probably be denied parole again and will rot in prison, as he should.

[annabanana]

12. This makes no sense..

John Lennon would be horrified. I don't think Yoko would appreciate it either. Chapman is sick and maybe shouldn't be released, but that anyone would consider murdering him is an anathema to everything John stood for. It would be a stain on his legacy.

[Charlie Brown]

13. Yoko, Sean, and Julian are all opposed

to letting him out.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/955074.stm

[annabanana]

14. Sure... but they aren't putting a HIT out on him...n/t

[liberalhistorian]

20. Absolutely correct,

John would be totally disgusted by this. It goes against everything he tried to convey in his music. I do believe, though, that Chapman should never, ever be released, EVER. Period, end of story. Not even the most clueless parole board and God knows there are more than enough of those) would be dumb enough to let him out, though, so I don't think that's anything to worry about.

[msanthrope]

15. He has as much chance of getting out as

Davey Berkowitz....

[montana_hazeleyes]

16. Any real fan

of John Lennon wouldn't say those threatening things. I think John would be appalled.

In my opinion though, Chapman should never be released. Ever.

[donco6]

18. Took the words right out of my mouth. eom

[skooooo]

17. Yep, John was all about violent vengeance.

[truthisfreedom]

21. they're not threatening him on John's behalf. they're seeking revenge for

their own loss. i miss John too. badly. i'd like to think that chapman was full-blown batsh*t crazy. no, John wouldn't approve of this kind of talk of retribution, i don't think.

let it be. his family should be the ones who express feelings about it. they suffered the most.

[FredScuttle]

22. I'm totally opposed to this,

but if it does happen, can we give him Paul McCartney's current address?

[Borgnine]

23. It makes you think...

...with what Paul morphed into, maybe he really was murdered and replaced with an imposter in the '60s.

[stlsaxman]

28. pssssst- hey I was in London last year and did the whole Beatles thing...

y'know- went by Abbey Road Studio, got a pic of me crossing the street, visited the Apple Records office where they played the last rooftop concert and went by Pauls house... i know where he lives (but after reading your idea- i think i'll keep that info to myself).

Got a good laugh out of it, though- thanks!

[DemBones DemBones]

24. The little creep needs to stay in prison. Release the

prisoners who are in for marijuana possession or other minor crimes and keep the murderers locked up.

[JI7]

26. maybe these "fans" should do research on Lennon

and learn what he was about.

[Gyre]

30. That fucking worm

should spend the rest of his life looking over his shoulder.

Gyre