Lennon killer's parole pushed

2010-08-10 22:18

New York - A parole hearing for John Lennon's assassin was delayed until September on Tuesday, a court official said, as the famed Beatles star's killer sought conditional release after nearly 30 years in prison.

For the sixth time, Mark David Chapman, 55, is seeking release as part of a routine review of sentences at Attica prison in northern New York state, where he is an inmate.

"Mr Chapman was informed today that his parole interview has been postponed one month," the parole board said. "The Division of Parole is awaiting the receipt of additional information so that the record is complete for Mr Chapman's upcoming parole interview."

The board's decision would be announced the day after hearings are completed.

Chapman shot Lennon to death outside his Manhattan apartment building on Central Park, an act that stunned the world and in the view of many historians marked the end of an era.

Chapman was sentenced in 1981 to life in prison with the possibility of parole after 20 years in prison.

The widow of the former Beatles, Yoko Ono, has said on repeated occasions that she is opposed to Chapman's release because she still considers him a threat to her family. His requests for parole have been rejected every two years since 2000.

Ono's lawyer, Peter Shukat, was quoted last month by the Daily News as saying her position hasn't changed.

- SAPA