Who Killed John Lennon?

by Fenton Bresler

Based on six years of extensive research into the background and motives of assassin Mark Chapman and the circumstances of the murder, the author contends that Chapman was part of a political plot

Genres: Music, Nonfiction, History, True Crime

Paperback

First published January 1, 1989

About the author

Fenton Bresler was a barrister, newspaper columnist, television pundit and author of many books, including biographies of the Belgian novelist Georges Simenon and the judge Lord Goddard. Bresler was educated at the local grammar school, the Sorbonne in Paris and King's College, London, before being called to the bar in 1951.

Reviews

[Pete daPixie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Around five years back I read a book called 'The Murder of John Lennon' by Fenton Bresler. I gave it two stars on GR's and wrote a very short review a couple of years after reading. I returned to the subject last year via internet podcasts. One of my hobbies is collecting books that cover the 'lone nut' killer, so I searched on Amazon for a copy of Bresler's book. 'Who Killed John Lennon' is the same book as 'The Murder of John Lennon', I think the latter title is the U.K. publication.
Firstly, a word on the author. Fenton Bresler was a British barrister with a criminal and civil legal practice. He was also a successful journalist and tv pundit. He published books on 'The Chinese Mafia' in 1981 and this book in 1989. He died in 2003.
As far as Lennon's killing is concerned, there was little, if any, investigation. The authorities in New York had a clear open and shut case. Any investigative journalists covering the story also seem to have concluded that Mark Chapman was a crazed fan or just another lone nut. Throughout the 1980's, Bresler was the only person to really dig into the facts and ask questions. The result is a detailed time line study of Chapman and Lennon that culminates in the assassination outside the Dakota Building in December 1980. Bresler uncovers previously unknown details of Chapman's stalking. Rather than some open and shut case, the British barrister probes the unresolved and disturbing details and asks logical questions that lead the reader into equally disturbing territory.
It was those internet podcasts that suggested a named CIA link that caused me to re-read Bresler's book. Doorman, Jose Perdomo, is mentioned in the book as being on the scene of the murder, but little else.
Below I have copied from Wikipedia on the 'Death of John Lennon'.

The Dakota's doorman, ex-CIA Agent Jose Sanjenis Perdomo, and a nearby cab driver saw Chapman standing in the shadows by the archway.

There are many profound similarities between Chapman and Sirhan that point to Operation Artichoke and MK/ULTRA. Further reading is available with 'John Lennon:Life,Times & Assassination by Phil Strongman published by Bluecoat Press.

[Cwn_annwn_13 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bresler explores whether or not the murder of John Lennon was not the act of a "lone nut" but that of a programmed mind controlled assassin. Although there's not enough evidence to prove it I have no problem believing that Chapman was programmed in some sort of mkultra cia mindwashing way. The problem I have with this book is that Bresler does not drive home the point strong enough and doesn't delve into, even in a theoretical way, about the obvious holes in and questions about Chapmans background. From mysterious figures visiting Chapman at random times, to his work for the YMCA, which is known to often be used as a front for the CIA, his stays in various mental hospitals, to him being globetrotted around the world to some very off the wall location by the Y when he was just a very average to mediocre college kid/dime a dozen employee. Theres just too much that doesn't add up to deny that theres more than meets the eye with Chapman.

Another person that there is more than meets the eye with is Lennon himself. There is even some feasable speculation that Lennon himself was under some sort of mind control and some people even claim that The Beatles didn't even write their own music. I mean The Beatles were the tools for some of the biggest cultural social engineering in the past 100 years. I find it hard to believe that The Beatles, even if they were unwitting tools, were not intentionally used by the power structure. Lennon of course was getting very political in his last years, and its known he was being monitored by the FBI so they certainly feared his influence.

[Donald · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was very disappointed in this book. As an afficionado of conspiracy theories, I was quite ready to believe that Mark David Chapman hadn't acted alone in shooting John Lennon. Alas, author Fenton Bresler doesn't prove anything in this book, which is also very poorly written. I still think there are unanswered questions surrounding Lennon's death, but you won't find them answered in "Who Killed John Lennon?"

[Sigrid Vernooij · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read and reread this book several times.
Unlike others here, that claim, the book is full of conspiracy theories, I don't agree to that at all.
The book is written in a non sensational way by a British lawyer. No nonsense facts, no conclusions, leaving it up to the reader to draw his own.
It is chilling, fascinating and it makes complete sense, where the murder never did and less the person who committed the crime.
It is so obvious, that America needed to get rid of a man, that was becoming way too powerful and influential to handle. Comparable with a Malcolm X before.
I recommend this book to every critical reader. The average patriarch American most likely won't be able to accept, the most likely conclusion here.

[Zachary Diamond · Rating 4 out of 5]

a thorough history of the John Lennon assassination and his killer, Mark David Chapman. while Bresler offers his own opinion as to what happened, he does an excellent job presenting the nitty gritty details in a neutral way, allowing us to come to our own conclusions

Bresler does a great job of dispelling some of the myths surrounding the Chapman case. ultimately, im left with more questions then answers. the whole assassination saga is rather odd and peculiar, and the book demonstrates there is definetly more to the story then whats officially on paper

but the book is weak in that Bresler has his suspisions about who is actually responsible for Lennon's murder, and he presents decent circumstantial evidence, but he is unable to back up his theories with anything concrete

i think the books biggest drawback is that it was published only 9 years after the Lennon assassination, so the author doesn't have the benefit of hindsight, and there's more information available now that Bresler did not have access to

Bresler believes that Chapman was a victim of the CIA's MKULTRA program, and was being mentally manipulated and programmed by some intelligence figure in the shaddows to kill John Lennon. i probably agree with this conclusion, given what we know about the CIA, and the fact that the FBI was survielling Lennon and trying to deport him from the country throughout the 70s. but Bresler does not prove this claim with anything concrete. Bresler did not know that Lennon's doorman, Jose Perdomo, was a Bay of Pigs veteran and CIA employee. that fact alone i think confirms his suspicions, but he doesn't know this

Bresler does make a good argument that there isn't a clear or compelling motive for why Chapman did the killing. it was odd that Chapman was traveling the world visiting various YMCAs, since the author presents evidence that US intelligence uses the internatonal YMCA network to further their espionage. that Chapman was in Lebanon during their Civil War and worked at a Vietnamese refugee camp in Atlanta following the end of the Vietnam war is extremely suspicious. Chapman was living in Hawaii and worked at a hospital- Bresler points out that Hawaii, the site of military bases, is filled with military/national security types and could have been manipulated by these forces at any given time

this book is probably a good introduction into the Lennon assassination but someone needs to update Bresler's work with a new book on the topic

[Robin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Přečteno v českém jazyce: https://www.databazeknih.cz/knihy/kdo...

[Lorie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting read. Makes you wonder how corrupt our government really is.

[Ronn · Rating 1 out of 5]

OK, Chapman was a Manchurian Candidate. He was the weapon, not the killer. There were people who wanted Lennon dead. This was a waste of time.

[Dayana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting read.

[Mick Meyers · Rating 3 out of 5]

A so so book,only a tenuous link to mind control more interested in debunking other authors books.kept with it but lost interest after the first hundred pages.

[Dan Wilson · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is the only book-length treatment of the intriguing theory that there was a conspiracy behind John Lennon's assassination. Fenton Bresler did meticulous research, and he documents it well, but he came up with next to nothing. I did not open the book with the expectation that Bresler would prove his theory to be correct beyond a shadow of a doubt, but I thought that he would at least make a good circumstantial case that the preponderance of the evidence leaned in that direction. Instead, he establishes no more than that the facts do not contradict his theory. Probably the most interesting insight he uncovers is the extent to which the New York Police Department was uninterested in any possibility of a wider conspiracy once they had a confessed killer in custody. He quotes ex-NYPD Lieutenant of Detectives Arthur O'Connor: "If there is a conspiracy, it would never have been investigated and no conspiracy was investigated to my knowledge, and it would have come to my attention if it had. You've got to understand the human element involved. You're so happy to 'ground' the case, you don't want to open Pandora's box because, you know, with investigations, one thing leads to another and another and another; and you have resources and manpower and money involved. And you have another human reaction--laziness! There *could* have been a conspiracy--but it was hallelujah! to get this one 'grounded.'...The case is grounded. A man acknowledges his guilt, he pleads guilty. That's it! If there is a conspiracy, I have no information of a conspiracy nor did I look for such information." (pp. 183-184)

[Danielle · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was somewhat of a slow read. Although pretty interesting, it failed to convince me of a conspiracy against John Lennon by the CIA. I admit that I did (and still do) believe that there is more to the story, however this book lacked any compelling evidence to support the author's theory of CIA involvement in John Lennon's murder. He asks some intriguing questions but does not follow them up with answers or back them up with clear evidence.
The most interesting parts of the book pertained to John himself and the atmosphere surrounding the period after his death. I hadn't been born yet when John died, but I was raised on the Beatles and John's solo work, so I have always felt affinity for the man and his work. It's still hard for me to believe that he's gone even though I wasn't alive during his time. He was always a part of my life.
I would not strongly suggest this book to anyone, but there is a little to be gained for fans of John, even if it is just to (re)read his words and hear from those who knew him describe the years before his death.

[Gwen · Rating 1 out of 5]

I was unable to finish reading this book, which is an indication of how bad the book really is. I ALWAYS finish books about the Beatles. The book was full of inaccuracies that could be verified, so why should I believe the parts of the book that couldn't be verified? There are many books on John Lennon and/or the Beatles that would be more worthy of your reading time.

[Maggieellis · Rating 1 out of 5]

One of the worst books I've come across, It's not often I don't carry on till the end of a book. However this one was so twisted in it's theories and evaluations of this crime,with no evidence to back up his beliefs, that I simply had to stop as it was annoying me too much...I read a lot of true crime novels and this is the pits

[Gregory · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'll save you the trouble: Reagan had Lennon whacked via the CIA.

[Lindsay · Rating 2 out of 5]

I like a good conspiracy theory, but I really don't buy this one...