¹The man who killed former Beatle John Lennon has told prison authorities why he did it. Mark David Chapman, 55, explained his reasons to his parole board on September 7th. It is the first time he has given any explanation for murdering Lennon on the steps of the rock legend's apartment in New York on December 8th, 1980.

²He said: "I felt that by killing John Lennon I would become somebody, and instead of that I became a murderer and murderers are not somebodies." He added: "I made a horrible decision to end another human being's life for reasons of selfishness, and that was my decision at that time." Chapman thought that by killing someone famous he would achieve "instant notoriety and fame."

³Chapman is serving a sentence of 20 years to life for shooting Lennon. He was first eligible for parole in 2000 but prison officials decided not to release him. His next parole hearing will be in August 2012. He hopes that talking about his crime will help him get released. He revealed that his deepening belief in God while in prison has made him a better person.

⁴He admitted that he understands why members of the public want to keep him locked up forever. Another new revelation is that Chapman had other famous people on his hit list, including actress Elizabeth Taylor and former U.S. president Ronald Reagan. He chose John Lennon because he was "more accessible." He said: "I found out what building he was at and went there."