John Lennon's Murder Docuseries In Works - True Story Of The Beatles Frontman's Tragic Death

It might have been over 43 years since music and cultural icon John Lennon¡¯s tragic death but the intrigue behind it remains as is.

Now, it has been announced that a three-part series titled 'John Lennon: Murder Without a Trial' will offer "the most comprehensive look into the truth of the tragic murder of music and cultural icon John Lennon, and the investigation and conviction of Mark David Chapman".

Narrated by Kiefer Sutherland, it is said to have exclusive interviews with eyewitnesses along with never-seen-before crime scene photographs.

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As per Apple TV+ press release: "'John Lennon: Murder Without A Trial' is the most thoroughly researched examination of John Lennon¡¯s 1980 murder, which shocked and saddened the world.

The production was granted extensive Freedom of Information Act requests from the New York City Police Department, the Board of Parole and the District Attorney¡¯s office; and the series includes exclusive interviews with eyewitnesses ¡ª speaking for the first time ¡ª along with some of Lennon¡¯s closest friends, revealing shocking details of Lennon¡¯s tragic murder. John Lennon: Murder Without A Trial' also features interviews with Chapman¡¯s defense lawyers, psychiatrists, detectives and prosecutors."

John Lennon¡¯s Murder - The Most Appalling Moment In The History Of Rock Music

Over time, the world has lost many great musicians but Lennon¡¯s demise felt like a big blow to mankind because it was rare for a star and someone of his stature to be brutally murdered!

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The Beatles weren¡¯t just popstars, they had such a massive influence on society, music, art and culture. Their experiments with music, fashion, drugs and religion were something that always left tongues wagging. What they did in the 1960s, not even half of those things could have been done in the present times.

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Imagine the amount of hoopla it would have been when news broke that John Lennon was brutally killed on the steps right outside his home in New York!

Before we get into those details let¡¯s talk a little bit of a walk down memory lane.

John Lennon Was Supposed To Make A Big Comeback in 1980

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Lennon had been on a five-year hiatus from music when he decided to finally make a comeback in the year 1980. However, fate had some other plans. After the release of his greatest hits compilation ¡® Shaved Fish¡¯ in 1975, The Beatles company Apple was dissolved a year later which meant that all the group members were free and not binded by any sort of commitments to any record company.

That is when he decided to step away from showbiz. He wanted to give his time to his family, especially his newborn son Sean. He had also gotten his green card in 1976 which meant that he could now stay in the United States as a permanent resident. With no visa worries and an official USA resident status, he then travelled to Tokyo, Japan to visit relatives of his wife, Yoko Ono.

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Years passed by in domestic bliss, and by the time it was 1980 summer, Lennon had already begun to write songs and had been working on creating new music. It is said that he was so inspired and motivated that he had written enough songs which could be turned into two brand new albums!

Soon enough, John and his wife Yoko began recording an album which was titled Double Fantasy at New York's Hit Factory studios between August and October 1980.

The first single from the album was (Just Like) Starting Over, which had a 1950s vibe and profound lyrics.

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It marked a smashing comeback of Lennon as not only was the song well-received but Beatles fans were elated to see their idol back in the charts after a long time while competing with his old partner Paul McCartney.

The Fateful Night Of 8 December 1980 When John Lennon Breathed His Last

Both husband and wife decided to record a song called Walking On Thin Ice at a studio as Lennon was eager to release it before Christmas. As they were walking through the sea of his fans, one of them requested John to sign the sleeve of his new album Double Fantasy. That fan was Mark David Chapman. He had been a Beatles fan since his teens. However, he was quite angered by them when John Lennon went on to claim that their band was 'more popular than Jesus' in 1966.

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Once Lennon made his comeback in 1980, Chapman felt the resentment towards him intensify. He couldn¡¯t digest the fact that the man who preached 'All You Need Is Love' was now a millionaire leading a comfortable life in New York.

Mark Chapman travelled to the city in October 1980 with the intention of murdering the former Beatle, but something changed his mind and returned home. When Chapman travelled to New York again on 6 December again with a .38 caliber revolver, it was pretty much established that there won't be any turning back this time around.

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For most part of the day on 8 December 1980, Mark Chapman obsessively hung around outside the Dakota building(where Lennon resided), waiting to catch a glimpse of his hero. When Lennon was leaving his building to go to the studio to record the song with his wife, Chapman got him to sign his music sleeve. It was at 10:50 PM that night that the couple returned home in their limousine after the recording session.

As the couple walked across the pavement and through the archway that led into the building's entrance, Lennon was shot five times in his back by Mark Chapman. As Lennon fell at the entrance, his doorman heard the commotion and ran to help. The New York police also arrived at the scene in no time.

One of the officers tried to get a response from an injured Lennon, asking: "Are you John Lennon? Lennon reportedly responded: "Yes."

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Meanwhile, Chapman stood under a nearby lamp reading a book called The Catcher In The Rye. When the doorman found him and asked him -"Do you know what you've just done?", Chapman replied calmly: "Yes. I just shot John Lennon."

John Lennon had lost his pulse before arriving at the Roosevelt Hospital ten minutes after the incident. Medics tried for nearly 20 minutes to resuscitate him, but the bullets had deeply punctured his body and the Beatle passed away in the emergency room.

As per the coroner's report, Lennon had lost more than 80% of his blood supply.

Mark Chapman Was Declared A Paranoid Schizophrenic By Several Psychiatrists

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Chapman was interviewed for several hours by court-appointed psychiatrists. In the end, the defense concluded that Chapman was a paranoid schizophrenic. The prosecution claimed he was fit to go on trial. Chapman took the decision to plead guilty to the murder and was sentenced to 20 years to life.

In 2022, forty-two years after the murder, Chapman was up for parole for the twelfth time. At the parole hearing, he admitted he knew what he did was wrong, but "wanted the fame too much".

The board denied his parole due yet again. 69-year-old Chapman will now be eligible for parole in 2024.