It was the pop culture assassination that changed the world and today the case takes a new turn, as John Lennon's killer Mark Chapman is once again attempting parole.
In the wake of his plea, a new revelation has arisen stating that Chapman had revealed the plans to murder Lennon to his wife, Gloria Hiroko Chapman, before pulling the trigger.
In an exclusive interview with The Mirror, 67-year-old Gloria claimed Chapman had opened up to her and explained that he intended on murdering the Beatle two months before he shot dead the singer/songwriter on his New York doorstep.
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She went on to explain that he didn't carry it out at the time because of his love for her, and that he disposed of the intended murder weapon. Yet weeks later when the news of the assassination hit the headlines, Gloria knew he was to blame.
She said: "I knew it was Mark. How did I know? Two months earlier, Mark had travelled to New York.
"He came home scared, telling me that to make a name for himself he had planned to kill Lennon. But he said my love had saved him.
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"The only reason I was OK with Mark making another trip was because I had believed him when he said he needed to grow up as an adult and husband, and needed time to think about his life.
"He wanted me to sacrifice being alone for a short time so that we could have a long, happy marriage together. He said he threw the gun into the ocean, and I believed him. But he had lied to me."
Gloria was just as shocked as the rest of the world when news reports came flooding in over the death of Lennon.
"My life changed dramatically that night," she added. "I was now Mrs Mark David Chapman, the wife of a murderer and not just any murderer, but one whose victim was known and loved by millions around the world."
Despite the heinous nature of the crime and the fact that she claims she was violently abused during their one year of marriage, Gloria has stayed devoted to her husband, even revealing that they've had sex in prison and spend most of the 44 hours they get together each year eating pizzas and watching Wheel of Fortune on TV.
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Now nearly forty years after Chapman was charged with 20 years to life for the murder of Lennon, Gloria is hoping he will make it out of prison as he faces a parole hearing for the 10th time. "It didn't matter how long Mark was in prison. I would wait for him," she said.
On the other side of the coin, Lennon's wife Yoko Ono expressed her fear of Chapman and his potential release prison.
During his 8th parole hearing, she told The Daily Beast: "It's very, very difficult for me to think about Chapman... Especially because he doesn't seem to think that was a bad thing to do. One thing I think is that he did it once, he could do it again, to somebody else... it could be me, it could be Sean, it could be anybody, so there is that concern."Featured Image Credit: PATopics: release date 2017, Murder, Prison