A sick, twisted mind once lived in Metro Decatur

Chapman as a teen

Mark David Chapman was born on May 10 [yesterday's date] in 1955 in Texas. Not long afterward, his family moved to the Metro Decatur area [not incorporated Decatur]. He attended Columbia High School [a DeKalb Co. school] and was active in the South DeKalb YMCA.

On December 8th, 1980, Chapman killed John Lennon, as we all know. Many have tried to explain why, and there are plenty of explanations you can google for, but trying to understand what motivates a disturbed mind is no trivial matter.

In preparing the the new movie and Chapman's killing of Lennon, called "Chapter 27," the actor Jared Leto said: "while in Decatur, Georgia I found someone who had a very similar accent. That proved invaluable." -- as mentioned in this March 2008 inDECATUR post. Watch the first 5 minutes of the film and the trailer. See if he sounds like anyone you know in Decatur.

An article in the Winter 2007 issue of Haunted Magazine speculates Chapman might have been driven by demons who lived in a Decatur house. According to the article, shortly after his incarceration at Attica Correctional Institute he called upon Jesus to rid him of the demons. If this was the reason, it's too bad he didn't call on Jesus for help BEFORE he did the ugly deed.

I'm not sure exactly where the Catholic Church stands on demon possession today, but the concept is mentioned in the Bible, and the church has been active in exorcising demons over the centuries. In a very general way, don't most of us believe all evil originated with the Devil?

The question this blogger wants answered: Where, exactly, was the house, and is it still there?