John Lennon's killer has been denied parole for the eighth time.

Mark David Chapman, 59, who shot and killed the Beatles legend outside his Dakota Building home in New York in December, 1980, has lost his bid to walk free from prison.

A three-member board denied the parole request on Friday (22Aug14), following a hearing on Wednesday.

Chapman pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in 1981 and was sentenced to 20 years to life in prison.

Lennon's widow Yoko Ono wrote to officials when Chapman's parole application went back before the New York state's review board this week (beg18Aug14). In her letter she detailed her objections and urged the officials to keep Chapman behind bars.

He will now not be eligible for parole until 2016.