Born in Fort Worth, Texas and raised in Decatur, Georgia, Chapman had been a fan of the Beatles, but after becoming a born-again Presbyterian, he was incensed by Lennon's much-publicized remark about the band being "more popular than Jesus". In the years leading up to the murder, Chapman developed a series of obsessions, including artwork and the music of Todd Rundgren. 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. He also contemplated killing other public figures, including Johnny Carson, Elizabeth Taylor, and Ronald Reagan. At the time of the killing, he had no prior criminal convictions and had just resigned working as a night security guard in Hawaii. His wife was aware of his plans but she did not inform the police or mental health services.
Following the murder, Chapman's legal team intended to mount an insanity defense that would be based on the testimony of mental health experts who said he was in a delusional psychotic state. He was more cooperative with the prosecution team, who argued that his symptoms fell short of a schizophrenia diagnosis. As the trial approached, he instructed his lawyers that he wanted to plead guilty based on what he had decided was the will of God. The judge allowed the plea change and concluded that Chapman was sane, sentencing him to a prison term of 20 years to life with a stipulation that mental health treatment would be provided.
Chapman refused all requests for press interviews during his first six years in prison, later saying he regretted the murder and did not want to give the impression that he killed Lennon for fame and notoriety. He ultimately supplied audio-taped interviews to journalist Jack Jones, who used them to write the investigative book Let Me Take You Down: Inside the Mind of Mark David Chapman in 1992. He has been denied parole ten times amidst campaigns against his release after becoming eligible in 2000.
