ALBANY, N.Y. — John Lennon’s killer will remain behind bars after being denied parole for the ninth time.

The New York state Board of Parole on Monday announced that it has again denied parole to Mark David Chapman, who on Dec. 8, 1980, shot and killed the former Beatle outside his luxury Manhattan apartment.

The 61-year-old Chapman pleaded guilty and is serving a sentence of 20-years to life in Wende Correctional Facility in western New York.

In a description of its decision, the parole board noted that Chapman has since described the murder as “selfish and evil.” The board concluded that the factors supporting Chapman’s parole were outweighed by the premediated and “celebrity-seeking” nature of the crime.

Chapman was notified of the board’s decision last week. He was last denied parole in 2014, and will be eligible to seek parole again in 2018.

The Associated Press