In a new documentary titled “Lennon: Murder Without A Trial,” the last words of iconic musician John Lennon have been unveiled.
The film delves into the tragic events of December 8, 1980, when Mark David Chapman fatally shot Lennon outside The Dakota, the renowned apartment building where he resided.
Numerous witnesses share their accounts of that fateful day for the first time in the documentary.
Chapman used a .38-caliber handgun to fire five shots, hitting Lennon four times in the back.
Jay Hastings, a concierge at The Dakota, recounts the moment Lennon stumbled and fell to the ground, uttering his final words, “I’m shot.”
Hastings rushed to assist Lennon, rolling him onto his back and removing his glasses.
Meanwhile, Yoko Ono, Lennon’s wife, pleaded for someone to call an ambulance repeatedly.
Richard Peterson, a taxi driver parked nearby, witnessed the merciless shooting unfold.
He describes how Chapman approached Lennon, exclaimed his name, and proceeded to shoot him.
Peterson initially believed it was a movie scene until he realized the absence of cameras or lights.
The documentary, set to release on Apple TV, promises to showcase previously unpublished photographs from the crime scene.
It also sheds light on Chapman’s interaction with Lennon hours before the incident, where he requested an autograph on a copy of the album “Double Fantasy,” recorded with Ono.
Lennon had just finished a recording session with Ono before the tragedy occurred.
At the age of 40, Lennon’s life was cut short.
Following the shooting, Chapman calmly sat on a nearby curb, reading “The Catcher in the Rye” until his arrest by the police.
In June 1981, Chapman pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and received a 20-years-to-life sentence at Green Haven Correctional Facility in New York.
Since 2000, Chapman has made regular attempts for parole, with his next opportunity scheduled for February 2024.
Ono has consistently opposed his release and submitted letters to the parole board urging them to deny his requests.
Over the years, Chapman has expressed some remorse for his actions.
During his tenth parole hearing in 2018, he acknowledged feeling increasing shame as time passed and stated that he was sorry for his crime.
However, his parole was denied once again.
John Lennon, known for his time as a member of The Beatles, was rushed to Roosevelt Hospital in a police car after the shooting but was pronounced dead on arrival at 11:15 p.m. Lennon’s departure from the band in 1969 marked the end of their journey together, and the group officially disbanded in 1970.
The Beatles hold the record for the most number one albums on the British charts and have sold more singles than any other band, surpassing 170 million albums and over 1.6 billion singles sold in the US alone.
