‘John Lennon: Murder Without a Trial Interrogates Killer Mark David Chapman’s Motives — Watch the Trailer

Samantha Bergeson
·2 min read
13

The elusive motives behind Mark David Chapman fatally shooting John Lennon are now finally being explained in a boundary-breaking Apple TV+ docuseries.

“John Lennon: Murder Without a Trial” interrogates why Chapman, a photographer from Hawaii, set out to murder Beatle Lennon. Interviews with Chapman’s defense lawyer David Suggs and Dr Naomi Goldstein, the psychiatrist who first assessed Chapman, give new insights into his state of mind at the time of the 1980 killing. A witness to Lennon’s murder, taxi driver Richard Peterson, and Jay Hastings, a doorman at The Dakota who heard Lennon’s last words before he was shot outside of the infamous building, also speculate what compelled Chapman to kill.

More from IndieWire

Lennon and wife Yoko Ono’s shared confidante Elliot Mintz is further interviewed as the docuseries questions whether Chapman had religious motives or was part of a larger conspiracy to kill celebrities.

Per the series tagline, “Murder Without a Trial” reexamines the “murder of an icon that never went to trial.” Emmy winner Kiefer Sutherland narrates the three-part docuseries that includes previously unseen crime scene photos that led to the conviction of Chapman, who confessed to murdering Lennon.

The production was granted extensive Freedom of Information Act requests from the New York City Police Department, the Board of Parole, and the District Attorney’s office.

The series is produced for Apple TV+ by the BAFTA and Emmy Award winning team at 72 Films, directed by Nick Holt and Rob Coldstream, with executive producers David Glover, Mark Raphael, and Rob Coldstream, alongside producers Simon Bunney and Louis Lee Ray.

“Murder Without a Trial” is the second nonfiction project spotlighting Lennon’s legacy to be released in 2023. The documentary film “The Lost Weekend” debuted in April 2023 and charted the affair with Lennon’s former Apple Records employee May Pang. Lennon’s wife Ono allegedly asked Pang to begin an extramarital relationship with the rocker while their marriage was floundering. Pang and Lennon split after nearly two years together, with Ono returning to her marriage in February 1975; Lennon was killed in 1980. The film featured interviews with Pang and Ono and Lennon’s son Julian Lennon.

“John Lennon: Murder Without a Trial” premieres December 6 on Apple TV+. Check out the trailer below.

Best of IndieWire

Sign up for Indiewire's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.