By Jared Goffinet, Jessica Schmidt and Ken Brown
Published: Aug. 2, 2024 at 1:30 PM EDT|Updated: Aug. 2, 2024 at 3:24 PM EDT
Warning: Story and some videos contain details some may find disturbing.
BATAVIA, Ohio (WXIX) - Chad Doerman will not face the death penalty for the deaths of his three young sons, Clermont County Common Pleas Court Judge Richard Ferenc announced Friday.
Doerman, now 33, was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole after pleading guilty to three counts of aggravated murder for the killings of his sons - Clayton, 7; Hunter, 4, and Chase, 3 - execution-style at their Monroe Township home in June 2023.
Clermont County Prosecutor Mark Tekulve said emphatically, “He [Doerman] will die in prison.”
Doerman also pleaded guilty to two counts of felonious assault for injuries caused to his ex-wife and his former stepdaughter.
Originally, Doerman faced nine counts of aggravated murder and other charges of kidnapping and felonious assault in a total 21-count indictment.
Doerman’s defense attorney says Doerman had failed to address mental health issues. He says he knows there was a dispute over his mental health and acknowledges they are withdrawing the not guilty by insanity plea. @FOX19 https://t.co/KY4x91rnAx
— Jessica Schmidt (@JSchmidtTV) August 2, 2024
Chad Doerman complete coverage
The surprising plea agreement was agreed upon by the surviving victims in the case, the judge explained.
“My position became very clear to me throughout this process and most recently Wednesday when we discussed this plea offer with Laura that doing anything further would be actually an act of cruelty toward her,” Prosecutor Tekulve said outside of the courthouse Friday. “The trauma that these two have experienced that day and continue to experience, my job as I saw it this week is to relieve them of that additional agony and that is why we are here today.”
June 15, 2023
With Doerman showing no emotion, the prosecutor began to describe what transpired on June 15, 2023.
Four-year-old Hunter was inside the master bedroom with his mom, Doerman’s wife, when Doerman grabbed a gun and shot Hunter twice, the prosecutor described Friday.
Doerman’s teenage stepdaughter heard the gunshots and ran into the bedroom, where she witnessed Hunter’s death.
The teen took off running out of the home seeking help as Doerman chased after 7-year-old Clayton, the prosecutor explained.
Clayton was shot “numerous” times as Doerman’s stepdaughter saw what happened.
The stepdaughter ran back to the home and picked up three-year-old Chase to try and protect him, the prosecutor described.
Doerman saw the two and began chasing while threatening to shoot his stepdaughter if she did not drop Chase.
She put Chase down, and according to the prosecutor, Doerman aimed the gun at his 3-year-old son, and pulled the trigger, but the magazine was empty.
As his stepdaughter begged him not to shoot, Doerman’s wife and the boys’ mom came out of the house.
Three-year-old Chase ran to his mom, the prosecutor explained.
His wife tried to get the gun away from Doerman, but he bit her. The boys’ mom then put her thumb over the barrel of the gun.
Doerman, by this time, was able to reload the gun, fired, shooting his wife in the thumb. She dropped three-year-old Chase.
The father, who had just killed two of his sons, pointed the gun at Chase and “executed him,” the prosecutor said Friday.
Prosecutors say Doerman confessed to the killings and said he had been planning their murders. @FOX19 https://t.co/4CUiAjMSoS
— Jessica Schmidt (@JSchmidtTV) August 2, 2024
“You took their lives”
Doerman began to show some emotion Friday when his now-former stepdaughter’s victim impact statement was read by someone else to court.
In her statement, she said it is painful to see Doerman going to prison for the rest of his life because she never thought he would do this to his own children and family.
Holidays, without her three siblings, will never be the same, she said, adding that “you [Doerman] took their lives.”
While his stepdaughter said she could never hate Doerman, she will never forgive him for what he did.
Laura Doerman statement
Laura Doerman, the mother of Clayton, Hunter and Chase, had her statement read in court as Chad Doerman sat with his defense team.
The boys’ mom explained how Friday’s announcement would surprise some, but said, “the decision to end this criminal case with a plea and multiple life sentences brings some finality to the court case for my daughter and me.”
Read her full statement at the bottom of this story.
There is no punishment that will bring back Clayton, Hunter and Chase, she stated.
However, the guarantee that Chad Doerman will be in prison for the rest of his life is what is best for her family.
Laura Doerman ended her statement by asking the community, who showed unwavering support for the three boys after the tragedy, to remember them as loving brothers who enjoyed fishing, go-carting and swimming.
Chad Doerman declined to comment when given the chance.
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