Entertainment Music John Lennon's Killer Says He Was Seeking Fame When He Murdered Beatle: 'Was Evil in My Heart' Mark David Chapman who was denied parole for the 12th time in August, is serving a 20-years-to-life sentence in a correctional facility in New York's Hudson Valley By Anna Lazarus Caplan Anna Lazarus Caplan Anna Lazarus Caplan is a writer-reporter for PEOPLE. She has been working at PEOPLE since 2022. Her work previously appeared in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, The Dallas Morning News, Eater and other publications. People Editorial Guidelines Published on November 8, 2022 08:30AM EST John Lennon. Photo: Rowland Scherman/Getty Mark David Chapman said that he killed John Lennon because he "wanted to be somebody and nothing was going to stop that." The killer, 67 — who was up for parole in August and denied for the 12th time — reportedly told New York state officials during his hearing that he knew that killing the legendary Beatles co-frontman was wrong, according to a transcript released to the Associated Press on Monday. "I am not going to blame anything else or anybody else for bringing me there," Chapman told the board. "I knew what I was doing, and I knew it was evil, I knew it was wrong, but I wanted the fame so much that I was willing to give everything and take a human life." He continued, "This was evil in my heart. I wanted to be somebody and nothing was going to stop that." Let It Be Director Michael Lindsay-Hogg's Words of Wisdom on His Misunderstood Beatles Documentary Chapman gunned down Lennon, 40, outside The Dakota apartment building on the Upper West Side of Manhattan on Dec. 8, 1980. The two had crossed paths earlier in the day when Chapman had obtained the musician's autograph on a copy of his recently released album, Double Fantasy, per the AP. Chapman bought the gun three months before the shooting and then traveled to New York City from Hawaii to carry out the crime. He was denied parole for the 11th time in 2020. In the years since his tragic death, Lennon has retained icon status in the music industry, and is often remembered by his family members and his former bandmates. At the Aug. 31 hearing, Chapman did allow that his actions carried significant consequences. "I hurt a lot of people all over the place and if somebody wants to hate me, that's OK, I get it," he said. Mark David Chapman. AP/Shutterstock Parole board members denied his release due to a "selfish disregard for human life of global consequence." He will go before the board for a 13th time in February 2024, NBC News reported. Yoko Ono Marks 41st Anniversary of John Lennon's Death with Stark Gun Violence Statistic Chapman is serving a 20-year-to-life sentence at Green Haven Correctional Facility in New York's Hudson Valley. In recent years, Yoko Ono, 89, has paid tribute to her late husband on social media by sharing gun violence statistics. Last December, on the 41st anniversary of his death, she offered a stark statistic. Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. "Over 1.5 million people have been killed by guns in the U.S.A. since John Lennon was shot and killed on December 8, 1980," Ono wrote.