THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

October 5, 2004, 6:15 PM EDT

ATTICA, N.Y. -- John Lennon's killer will remain in prison for at
least two
more years after being denied parole Tuesday because of the "extreme
malicious intent" he showed in gunning down the former Beatle.

Mark David Chapman, 49, was notified of the decision late Tuesday
after
appearing before a three-member panel earlier in the day.

"During the interview your statement for motivation acknowledges the
attention you felt this murder would generate," the board wrote in its
single-page decision. "Although proven true, such rationale is
bizarre and
morally corrupt."

It was Chapman's third bid for freedom. He was denied parole in 2000
and
again in 2002, on what would have been Lennon's 62nd birthday.

The latest denial "is based on the extreme malicious intent you
exhibited
during the instant offense where you fired a handgun multiple times,
striking your victim -- John Lennon," the board wrote.

"Your course of conduct over a lengthy period of time shows a clear
lack of
respect for life and subjected the wife of the victim to monumental
suffering by her witnessing the crime," the decision said.

Chapman has been in prison more than 23 years for shooting the former
Beatle
outside Lennon's Manhattan apartment in 1980 as the musician returned
from a
recording session.

He became eligible for release after serving 20 years of a maximum
life
sentence.

In advance of Tuesday's hearing, a letter was sent to the parole
board on
behalf of Lennon's widow, Yoko Ono, requesting that Chapman remain
imprisoned, according to a source close to Ono, who spoke only on
condition
of anonymity.

In 2000, Ono said she opposed Chapman's release out of concern for the
safety of herself and her children.

The parole board told Chapman it considered his limited violence and
positive disciplinary record in making its decision, but determined
releasing him would undermine respect for the law.

Gov. George Pataki praised the decision.

"Chapman murdered John Lennon in cold blood and it is just that he
remain in
prison for this violent crime," the governor said.

For his own safety, Chapman lives in a housing unit separate from the
general population at the Attica Correctional Facility, about 30
miles east
of Buffalo, and works as a clerk, according to corrections officials.

His next appearance before the parole board will be in October 2006.