Despite my own complicated feelings on The Beatles’ John Lennon, his murder is something that has captivated the masses. Now, we have Apple TV+’s John Lennon: Murder Without a Trial to shine a light on his death.
What is fascinating about the case, outside of the Lennon of it all, is that it was a closed courtroom. Mark David Chapman, who shot Lennon, was deemed competent enough to stand trial and has been denied parole multiple times for the crime (he is still alive to this day), but what makes this documentary series so interesting to me is that it is told from the perspective of people who were there.
As someone who lives in the city, I’m very familiar with going to Strawberry Fields in Central Park and seeing the Dakota, where Lennon was killed—seeing fans of the Beatles and Lennon pay their respects to him and the music he gave to the world—but many of us don’t know the full story of why Chapman did what he did outside of the stories we heard of him being a fan of Lennon (or more true that he was jealous of the Beatles and their lifestyle).
This trailer promises a story more true to what actually happened in the death of John Lennon.
A look at what happened at the Dakota
With interviews from people who were working at the Dakota, those who spoke with Chapman, and more, the trailer for John Lennon: Murder Without a Trial gives us a glimpse into those who were there on the night that Lennon was shot. Many of us (myself included) grew up hearing stories of where people were when they heard about his death and what they knew about it, but not many spoke about the night of the shooting.
This docuseries is promising to shine a light on those who were there and give insight into Lennon’s final moments and what Chapman did, narrated by Kiefer Sutherland.
When does the docuseries come out?
In time for the 43rd anniversary of Lennon’s passing, the series is set to begin airing on December 6, just 2 days before the anniversary. Lennon was shot on December 8, and it is a somber time for the Dakota in New York City, with fans of the Beatles normally going to visit the area and bringing mementos of the singer and songwriter there.
Paired with the release of the docuseries, it is going to be an interesting time for fans of the artist.
What does this hope to prove?
The series is described as follows in the press release: “John Lennon: Murder Without A Trial is a deeply researched examination of John Lennon’s 1980 murder, which shocked and saddened the world. 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; and the series includes exclusive interviews including Richard Peterson, a taxi driver who was witness to the shooting; Jay Hastings, a doorman at The Dakota who heard Lennon’s last words; David Suggs, Mark David Chapman’s defense lawyer; Elliot Mintz, a confidant to Lennon and Yoko Ono; and Dr Naomi Goldstein, the psychiatrist who first assessed Chapman.”
John Lennon: Murder Without a Trial airs on Apple TV+ on December 6.
(featured image: Apple TV+)
