John Lennon: Murder Without a Trial, the recently reported three-part docuseries about John Lennon’s 1980 murder, is set to premiere Wednesday, December 6, on Apple TV+. According to U.K. newspaper The Independent, the program will feature an interview with Jay Hastings, the concierge of the Dakota—the New York City building where Lennon lived and his wife, Yoko Ono, and son Sean—who reveals the late Beatles legend’s last words.
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As The Independent reports, Hastings was at the Dakota’s front desk when Lennon was shot just outside by deranged fan Mark David Chapman, and he recalled in the documentary that the mortally wounded Lennon then entered the building.
“He runs past me. He goes, ‘I’m shot,’” Hastings shared. “He had blood coming out of his mouth. He just collapsed on the floor.”
Hastings noted that after Lennon fell, he “half rolled him on his back,” then took off his glasses and placed them on the desk. At this point, he remembered that Ono was screaming, “Get an ambulance,” over and over again.
The Independent also reports that the docuseries will feature the recollections of a taxi driver named Richard Peterson who claims he saw Chapman shoot Lennon while he was sitting in his cab that was parked near the Dakota.
“Lennon was walking in and this kid says, ‘John Lennon,’” Peterson recalled. “I’m looking at him through the front window of my cab … I’m looking at him shoot him. This guy just shot John Lennon. I thought they were making a movie, but I didn’t see no lights or cameras or anything so I realized, ‘Hey, this ain’t no movie.’”
As previously reported, John Lennon: Murder Without a Trial is narrated by Emmy-winning actor Kiefer Sutherland, and according to a press statement, will offer “the most comprehensive look into the truth of the tragic murder of … Lennon, and the investigation and conviction of Mark David Chapman.”
The docuseries includes exclusive interviews with eyewitnesses, close friends of the late Beatles legend, detectives and prosecutors who worked on the case, and Chapman’s lawyers and psychiatrists. The presentation also features previously unseen photos of the crime scene.
In addition, the program will examine some of the conspiracy theories that have sprung up in the wake of Lennon’s murder.
An official trailer for the docuseries includes a clip of a retired New York City police officer Peter Cullen, who was one of the first officers to arrive at the scene of the shooting.
“[Chapman] actually apologized to us,” Cullen said in the segment. “He said, ‘Gee, I’m sorry I ruined your night.’ And I said, ‘You got to be kidding me, you just ruined your whole life.’”
Lennon was shot to death by Chapman on December 8, 1980, as he and Ono were returning from a recording session. He was 40 years old.
Chapman admitted to the killing and received a 20-years-to-life sentence; the now-68-year-old convict has been in prison for more than 40 years. In November 2022, he was turned down for parole for the 12th time. Chapman currently is serving his sentence at Green Haven Correctional Facility in Stormville, New York.
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