John Lennon's harrowing final words revealed 43 years after he was shot

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By Kim Novak

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John Lennon's final words have been revealed in a new documentary taking a closer look at the late Beatles star's murder.

Lennon found fame as part of the Liverpool group of musicians, The Beatles, but his life was tragically cut short at the age of 40 after he was shot dead on December 8, 1980.

He had earlier signed an autograph for Mark David Chapman before heading out to a recording session, but the obsessed fan waited for him to return to the Dakota building where he lived in New York and fatally shot him.

Now, 43 years after his death, Lennon's final words have been revealed by one of the last people to see him alive.

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John Lennon found fame as part of The Beatles (l-r George Harrison, John Lennon, Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr, circa 1965). Credit: Bettmann / Contributor/getty Images

The new Apple TV+ documentary, John Lennon: Murder Without a Trial, narrated by Kiefer Sutherland, examines the tragic shooting as well as its aftermath, as well as the conspiracy theories that emerged following the star's death.

Jay Hastings, who worked the front desk of the Dakota building on the day of Lennon's death, also appears in the documentary series, in which he revealed the final words the iconic musician ever said.

Lennon had lived in the building with his wife, Yoko Ono, as well as their young son, Sean Ono Lennon, at the time of his murder.

Hastings recalled what happened in the moments following the shooting, as well as Lennon's last words, explaining: "He runs past me. He goes, 'I’m shot.'"

Describing the horrific scene, Hastings continued: "He had blood coming out of his mouth. He just collapsed on the floor.

"I half rolled him to his back and took his glasses off, put them on the desk. And Yoko was screaming, 'Get an ambulance, get an ambulance, get an ambulance.'"

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The star was tragically shot dead outside his apartment building in 1980. Credit: Vinnie Zuffante/Getty Images

Taxi driver Richard Peterson also described the moment Lennon was shot, after he witnessed it happen from his car, which was parked outside the Dakota building.

He revealed: "Lennon was walking in and this kid says, 'John Lennon'. He was a chunky guy. I’m looking at him through the front window of my cab.

"I’m looking at him shoot him. This guy just shot John Lennon. I thought they were making a movie, but I didn’t see no lights or cameras or anything so I realized, 'Hey, this ain’t no movie.'"

The mini-series will also feature audio from Chapman speaking to his lawyers while applying for parole after he pleaded guilty to second-degree murder on the eve of his trial and was sentenced to 20 years in prison.

Apple has promised the documentary will reveal "shocking details of Lennon's tragic murder", including interviews with Chapman's defense lawyers, psychiatrists, detectives, and prosecutors, as well as some of Lennon's closest friends.

Chapman, now 68, is currently being held at Green Haven Correctional Facility in New York and has repeatedly been denied parole, with his next chance to apply being February 2024.

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Mark David Chapman pleaded guilty to the horrific crime. Credit: Bureau of Prisons/Getty Images

When asked by his legal team why he shot Lennon, Chapman previously claimed it was to do with one particular Beatles song, saying: "'All You Need Is Love', have you ever heard that? Well, this is what I say to that: all you need is love and 250 million dollars. He was the biggest, phoniest b*****d that ever lived."

However, at his hearing in 2020, Chapman apologized to Lennon's widow, calling the shooting a "despicable" and "extremely selfish" act.

He added: "I’m sorry for the pain that I caused to her,” he said. “I think about it all of the time."

John Lennon: Murder Without A Trial will air on Apple TV+ from December 6.

Featured image credit: Gijsbert Hanekroot/Redferns