Wife of John Lennon killer Mark David Chapman spotted with wedding ring before 45th anniversary of assassination
Buffalo, New York – A story of unexpected devotion
In a quiet suburb near Buffalo, 75‑year‑old Gloria Chapman was spotted proudly showcasing her wedding band outside her house just days before the 45th anniversary of the day John Lennon was shot. It was the first time anyone had seen her in a photograph in more than ten years.
Gloria, who was married to Mark David Chapman – the man who killed Paul McCartney‑born Lennon – moved from tropical Honolulu to the snowy plains of western New York in 2019 so she could be near his prison, Wende Correctional Institution. A few years earlier the killer was transferred to Dutchess County, but she chose the Buffalo area for a higher degree of proximity to her husband’s confinement.
The pair met in 1978 when Gloria, then a 26‑year‑old travel agent in Hawaii, helped Chapman plan a brief trip to Asia. Their relationship ran deeper when they both turned to faith; the two have remained devout for decades. Last week, Gloria was seen clearing a layer of snow from her car before heading to a nearby Sunday service that lasted nearly three hours.
Their marriage lasted just 16 months, a brief but intense period that ended when a 25‑year‑old Chapman walked into the Dakota apartment building outside which Lennon was standing in his limo with wife Yoko Ono. In that moment, the killer shot the legendary Beatle on December 8, 1980.
Gloria recalled that, in their apartment, she was watching the television show Little House on the Prairie when a news bulletin announced the fatal crime. She said, “I knew it was Mark. Even though they didn’t name him, it just had to be; he was the one."
Two months before the shooting, Chapman called Gloria from New York City, confessing that he wanted to kill Lennon and assuring her that "your love saved me." Those words still reverberate with her.
She has admitted that being the wife of a murderer, especially one who took a figure adored by millions, turned her life upside down. “My whole existence flipped,” she told the Daily Mail in an earlier interview. Gloria also shared that Chapman remains a Beatles fan and that she hopes Lennon has forgiven him beyond this life.
Despite the horror, Gloria has stood by Mark for nearly half a century, even speaking about their rare conjugal visits. “Our love has grown,” she says, “he reminds me that love and intimacy come first.” The couple was allowed to kiss once a year, and although the 44‑hour stays in the small trailer were limited, they would sometimes sit outside and watch inmates play baseball through a fence gap.
When approached by a reporter last week about the couple’s recent intimacy, Gloria simply declined, saying, “No. Thank you. Goodbye,” and left it at that.
In recent months, Mark has spent a lot of his time speaking with Gloria from the Green Haven Correctional Facility via tablet. He also studies the Bible and plays volleyball with inmates during his parole board meeting in late August. He has repeatedly said that his motive for the kill was “to be somebody," a statement he made during his 14th unsucessful parole attempt, echoing his earlier claims that the motive was tied to Lennon’s fame.
Mark David Chapman is currently serving a life sentence and is eligible for parole in February 2027.
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