Who Is Mark David Chapman? Age, Biography and Wiki
Mark David Chapman, born on May 10, 1955, is an American convicted murderer best known for assassinating former Beatle John Lennon on December 8, 1980. As of 2025, Chapman is 69 years old. His early life was marked by struggles and a troubled upbringing which led him down a dark path. After the murder, Chapman was arrested and has since been serving a sentence in New York State prison. Over the decades, he has made numerous attempts for parole, but his requests have been consistently denied due to the nature of his crime.
| Occupation | Criminals |
|---|---|
| Date of Birth | May 10, 1955 |
| Age | 70 Years |
| Birth Place | Fort Worth, Texas, U.S. |
| Horoscope | Taurus |
| Country | U.S |
Popularity
Mark David Chapman's Popularity over time
Height, Weight & Measurements
Mark David Chapman stands at approximately 5 feet 9 inches (175 cm) tall and weighs around 160 pounds (73 kg). His body measurements, while not widely documented, reflect an average build typical of his age group. Due to his long-term incarceration, there have been minimal changes to his physical appearance since 1980.
Around 10:50 p.m., Lennon and Ono returned to the Dakota in a limousine. They got out of the vehicle, passed Chapman, and walked toward the archway entrance of the building. From the street behind them, Chapman fired five hollow-point bullets from a .38 special revolver, four of which hit Lennon in the back and shoulder.
One newspaper later reported that Chapman called out "Mr. Lennon" and dropped into a combat stance before firing. Chapman said that he does not recall saying anything, and Lennon did not turn around.
Family, Dating & Relationship Status
Chapman has been married to Gloria Abe since 1979. Their relationship has faced numerous challenges, particularly due to the high-profile nature of his crime and his imprisonment. Gloria has been supportive throughout his incarceration, visiting him regularly. However, there have been speculations regarding the strains on their marriage given the circumstances surrounding his conviction. As of 2025, Mark does not have a girlfriend or boyfriend, as he remains married to Gloria.
His father, David Chapman, was a staff sergeant in the United States Air Force and his mother, Diane (née Pease), was a nurse. As a boy, Chapman stated he lived in fear of his father, who he claimed was physically abusive towards his mother and unloving towards him.
Chapman began to fantasize about having God-like power over a group of imaginary "little people" who lived in the walls of his bedroom.
Net Worth and Salary
Mark David Chapman's net worth is estimated to be around $100,000. This modest amount primarily stems from his prison earnings and occasional royalties from interviews and documentaries regarding his life and the Lennon assassination. His salary is limited due to his incarceration, with earnings coming mainly from prison jobs.
Career, Business and Investments
Chapman's "career" has been involuntary since his conviction. Prior to his notorious act, he engaged in various jobs, including an unsuccessful stint in the U.S. Navy. Due to his criminal history, he has had no career or business ventures post-conviction, and his opportunities for investments are severely restricted while incarcerated. He has, however, been the subject of media coverage and documentaries, which, although controversial, add to the discussions around his life and actions.
Mark David Chapman (born May 10, 1955) is an American man who murdered English musician John Lennon in New York City on December 8, 1980. As Lennon walked into the archway of The Dakota, his apartment building on the Upper West Side, Chapman fired five shots at the musician from a few yards away with a Charter Arms Undercover .38 Special revolver.
Lennon was hit four times from the back. He was rushed to Roosevelt Hospital and pronounced dead on arrival. Chapman remained at the scene following the shooting and made no attempt to flee or resist arrest.
Raised in Decatur, Georgia, Chapman was initially a fan of the Beatles, but was infuriated by Lennon's lavish lifestyle, the lyrics of "God" and "Imagine", and public statements such as his remark about the band being "more popular than Jesus". In the years leading up to the murder, the J. D.
Salinger novel The Catcher in the Rye took on great personal significance for Chapman, to the extent that he wished to model his life after the novel's protagonist, Holden Caulfield.
Chapman also contemplated killing other public figures, including David Bowie, Johnny Carson, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, Elizabeth Taylor, Paul McCartney, and Ronald Reagan. He had no prior criminal convictions and had recently resigned from a job as a security guard in Hawaii.
Social Network
Due to the controversial nature of his crime, Mark David Chapman has an extremely limited presence on social networks. Inmate policies restrict access to the internet, and he has not maintained any personal social media profiles. Discussions about him primarily circulate on forums, news articles, and documentaries, where people continue to debate the societal implications of his actions.
Chapman had also been influenced by Anthony Fawcett's John Lennon: One Day at a Time, which detailed Lennon's lavish lifestyle in New York City.
According to Gloria, "He was angry that Lennon would preach love and peace but yet have millions." Chapman later said: "He told us to imagine no possessions and there he was, with millions of dollars and yachts and farms and country estates, laughing at people like me who had believed the lies and bought the records and built a big part of their li
ves around his music." He also recalled having listened to Lennon's solo albums in the weeks before the murder: "I would listen to this music and I would get angry at him, for saying [in the song 'God'] that he didn't believe in God, that he just believed in him and Yoko, and that he didn't believe in the Beatles.
This was another thing that angered me, even though this record had been done at least ten years previously. I just wanted to scream out loud, 'Who does he think he is, saying these things about God and heaven and the Beatles?' Saying that he doesn't believe in Jesus and things like that.
At that point, my mind was going through a total blackness of anger and rage. So I brought the Lennon book home, into this The Catcher in the Rye milieu where my mindset is Holden Caulfield and anti-phoniness."
Education
Chapman completed his high school education but did not pursue higher education. His focus in youth shifted due to personal struggles and a tumultuous family life, contributing to his eventual violent actions. While in prison, there have been reports of him participating in various educational programs aimed at rehabilitation, although the details about completed education while incarcerated are scarce.
Chapman moved to Decatur, Georgia, at an early age and attended Columbia High School. He later recalled being targeted by bullies due to his lack of athleticism. By the time he was 14, Chapman was using drugs and skipping classes, and at one point ran away from home to live on the streets of Miami for two weeks.
