On June 15, 2023, a horrific incident occurred in Monroe Township, Clermont County, Ohio, when three young boys were shot and killed at their home. The victims were Clayton, Hunter, and Chase Doerman, ages seven, four, and three respectively.
Police arrested 32-year-old Chad Doerman, the father of the three victims, and charged him with murder, felonious assault, and kidnapping.
On August 2, 2024, Doerman pleaded guilty to three counts of aggravated murder and two counts of felonious assault as part of a plea agreement that allowed him to avoid the death penalty.
The Events of June 15, 2023
According to the bill of particulars, on June 15, 2023, Chad Doerman returned home early from work and requested his three sons, Clayton, Hunter, and Chase, and his wife, Laura, join him in the primary bedroom for a nap.
Chad Doerman | 911 Call | 'If you have to shoot him ,shoot him'
Sometime after they had lain down on the bed, Doerman opened his gun safe and retrieved a Marlin Model 70HC .22 rifle. Doerman shot Hunter twice, killing him.
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Laura began trying to help Hunter while telling the other two sons to run. The 14-year-old stepdaughter, Alexis, who had been watching television, had entered the bedroom and witnessed the first shots.
She ran after Clayton, telling him to keep running. Doerman chased him into a nearby field, shot him from behind, and then again point-blank in the head.
Alexis reentered the house, picked up Chase, and escaped to the road. Doerman followed her and aimed the rifle at her, telling her to put Chase down. He tried to fire but was out of ammunition. Chase ran to his mother, who was now outside in the yard trying to render aid to Clayton.
Doerman went inside and carried Hunter's body outside, laying him in the yard. He tried to wrestle Chase from Laura, reportedly biting her in the process. When she managed to grab the rifle, Doerman fired, shooting Laura in the thumb.
Upon their arrival, the police instructed Doerman to show his hands and walk towards them, but Doerman disobeyed and remained sitting.
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Three children were killed in the incident: Clayton, Hunter and Chase. Shortly after the shooting, a crisis team was stationed at Monroe Elementary School for those who needed aid.
He was charged with nine counts of aggravated murder, one for each gunshot that hit the deceased.
Statements and Court Records
An attorney for the prosecution read statements by both Doerman's wife and his stepdaughter.
Laura Doerman stated, "[Y]ou gave me an amazing life and I will forever be grateful for the memories and time you spent with me.... I don't think I will ever be able to hate you.... I will forever hold onto the memories I had with you and the boys because those are all happy memories and those were the best times...."
His stepdaughter said, "[Y]ou were the best dad I could have ever asked for.... I will never in a million years ever forgive you for what you have done and hope you pay for your actions like you deserve."
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Court records show Chad Doerman had one criminal offense from a domestic violence charge prior to the shootings, as well as some traffic violations.
Events Leading Up to the Killings
To understand what happened, prosecutors outlined Chad’s behavior in the five days leading up to the killings.
- June 10: It was a normal day. Chad and his sons had a “boys’ day” together while Laura and her daughter had a “girls’ day.” There was “no indication of any trouble,” Tekulve said.
- June 11: Chad takes the boys fishing. It is just another normal day. No reports of abnormal behavior however, during his interview with detectives, Chad gave conflicting statements about his sleep.
- June 12: Nothing seemed out of the ordinary according to his co-workers. Conflicting statements about his sleep were given to detectives.
- June 13: Chad had issues with his truck’s headlights, so he had to fix those himself. He apologized for anything that he had done to hurt her. His co-workers did not notice anything unusual about him. After work, he went to coach his son’s baseball game. Other parents said he seemed a little distracted but nothing strange. The boys ran up excitedly and greeted their father in the yard, while Laura prepared lunch. While she is in the kitchen, Chad tells her, “This will be my last good meal.” Tekulve says Laura believed he was contemplating suicide. Moments later, Chad called his dad. “Clayton is going to be the hardest one,” Doerman said over the phone, according to Tekulve. It was an unusual statement especially without context. Chad spent the rest of the day playing with the kids and doing yard work. He then started reading the Bible to Hunter.
The Shooting and 911 Calls
All of them are pleading for him to put the weapon down and reminded him that they all love him, Tekulve explained. When Laura tried to call 911, Chad grabbed her phone out of her hands and said, “It’s too late.” He lifted the rifle and pointed it at Hunter first, firing several times at the four-year-old, the prosecutor said.
Laura screamed at the kids to start running while she tried to help Hunter and called 911. In the background of the phone calls, Chad is heard screaming at Laura to get up - to stop trying to help Hunter. The other three children are heard screaming in the background as well.
Laura managed to move Hunter out of the house and into the field where she continued to yell for help. Clayton and Doerman’s stepdaughter ran outside while Chase was still in the house.
Tekulve says as Clayton escaped from the back door, Chad spotted him and shot his son. The 7-year-old fell to the ground. According to the prosecutor, Chad then walked up to his son “calmly” and shot him twice in the head.
The 14-year-old stepdaughter ran back into the house to save Chase, her 3-year-old brother. She took him with her as they headed toward the firehouse, but Chad caught up to them.
As he pointed the rifle at her, she is heard saying on Ring camera video, “Please don’t shoot me,” Tekulve said. Chad forced the 14-year-old to put Chase down.
As Chase ran toward the trash cans to hide from his father, Chad attempted to shoot him, but the magazine was empty. After he got the rifle reloaded, Laura placed her thumb over the barrel to save Chase. Tekulve says Chad fired the gun and then executed Chase right in front of her.
Five minutes after the initial 911 call, Laura calls again. “My children are shot, my children are not breathing, and no one is helping me,” she told the dispatcher. Tekulve said the first 911 call somehow got disconnected.
Once Clermont County sheriff’s deputies arrived at the scene, they spotted Chad and demanded that he put his hands up and walk slowly toward them. The officers wrestled Chad to the ground without incident and handcuffed him. “He took my life from me,” Laura screamed, and which was captured on the officer’s body cam video.
While on the ground, Chad told the officers that he was not going to hurt them while his three sons lay lifeless in the yard.
Deputies placed Chad in a cruiser, where he is heard on body cam video, “Tell them I did it. Take me to jail.”
Interviews and Conflicting Statements
When Chad arrived at the Clermont County Jail, two detectives, Mike Ross and Mike Green, asked him about the events that took place at his home on Laurel-Lindale Road. Tekulve says Chad acted like he had no idea that his children were dead. “It was like a game [to him,]” the prosecutor said.
The detectives asked who his kids were. He listed them in this order: Hunter, Clayton and Chase - the same order in which he killed them. Chad told the detectives that he had trouble sleeping leading up to the murders. He also told the detectives that he should have killed Laura first.
Legal Proceedings and Plea Agreement
In March, Chad pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity due to serious mental illness. Chief Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Lara Allen requested a psychiatric evaluation for Chad at the Central Clinic Behavioral Health Center.
Chad was not found to have any sort of serious mental illness that completely blocked his judgment between right and wrong, Allen said. While he may have exhibited some symptoms of mental illness, he knew what he did was wrong overall.
As part of a plea agreement, Chad will spend the rest of his life in jail without the possibility of parole, Clermont County Common Pleas Court Judge Richard Ferenc said. Originally, Chad faced nine counts of aggravated murder and other charges of kidnapping and felonious assault in a total 21-count indictment.
He pleaded guilty to three counts of aggravated murder and two counts of felonious assault.
The plea deal was agreed upon by the surviving victims. “The decision was made to prevent further harm to the family,” Tekulve explained. He says Laura and her daughter are “grievously injured.”
In a letter that was read in court, Laura had a message for those who may be struggling with their mental health or know someone who is. She encouraged others to call a crisis hotline, dial 988, or ask for help if someone is considering hurting themselves or others.
“Violence is never the answer,” she wrote.
While Chad admitted to the crimes and has been sentenced, one thing still remains a mystery: Why did he do it?
Prosecutors say they are still unsure.
Key Events in the Chad Doerman Case
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| June 15, 2023 | Chad Doerman murders his three sons: Clayton, Hunter, and Chase. |
| June 2023 | Chad Doerman is charged with nine counts of aggravated murder, kidnapping, and felonious assault. |
| August 2, 2024 | Chad Doerman pleads guilty to three counts of aggravated murder and two counts of felonious assault to avoid the death penalty. |
| August 2, 2024 | Chad Doerman is sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. |
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