The murder of John Lennon and the subsequent investigation of his killer will be the subject of a new three-part series narrated by Kiefer Sutherland.
Apple TV+ promises to reveal “shocking details” about Lennon’s death, including exclusive eyewitness accounts as well as never-before-seen photos of the crime scene where Mark David Chapman murdered The Beatles singer near his Upper House home. West Side of New York.
John Lennon: murder without trial It will also continue the police investigation and conviction of Chapman, who shot the legendary Liverpool musician on December 8, 1980.
Apple TV+ described the new series, narrated by Phone booth starring Sutherland and directed by Nick Holt, as “the most researched examination” of the shooting that “shocked and saddened the world.”
During filming, the production team received extensive Freedom of Information (FoI) Law requests from the New York City Police Department (NYPD), the Parole Board, and the District Attorney’s office, while They followed the sensational story of Lennon’s murder.
The documentary will also include interviews with defense attorneys and psychiatrists for Chapman, who confessed to killing the “Eleanor Rigby” singer that fateful day 43 years ago. It will also feature stories from some of Lennon’s closest friends, as the show showcases his astonishing influence on pop culture.
Chapman, now 66, traveled from Hawaii to New York, where he met Lennon and asked him to sign a copy of his album. double fantasy, before shooting the 40-year-old man to death that same night. He was arrested outside the Manhattan Dakota apartment, where Lennon lived with his partner Yoko Ono and his son Sean, and told police «I acted alone» as he was taken away in handcuffs.
Influential Japanese artist Ono declined to comment on the series and said The Guardian she does not appear in it.
Chapman, 65, was sentenced to 20 years to life in prison for the murder of one of the world’s biggest stars. Since then, he has been denied parole 12 times and will have another review in 2024.
At his final hearing before the review board, Chapman said that while he knew it was wrong to kill Lennon, he was motivated by a burning desire for fame, which he called «the evil in my heart.»
“I’m not going to blame anything or anyone for bringing me there,” Chapman told the board, before they rejected his request for parole. “He knew what he was doing and he knew it was bad, he knew it was wrong, but he wanted fame so much that he was willing to give it his all and take a human life.
“This was bad in my heart. I wanted to be someone and nothing was going to stop it,” he said at the August 31, 2022 hearing. “I have hurt a lot of people everywhere and if someone wants to hate me, that’s fine, I understand. .”
The Beatles, one of the most influential musical groups in the world, disbanded in 1974, six years before Lennon was murdered in New York. Earlier this week, it was announced that fans will finally be able to enjoy the band’s “final” song featuring its original members, including Lennon, Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr and George Harrison.
“Now and Then” will be released on November 2, after artificial intelligence was used to turn a grainy recording of the song featuring Lennon’s vocals into the group’s swan song.
A release date for the Apple TV+ documentary is currently expected.
