Chad Doerman: Father accused of executing sons could face death penalty

Cameron Knight and Cheryl Vari, Cincinnati Enquirer

June 23, 2023 at 8:49 AM·3 min read

Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty in their case against Chad Doerman, the Clermont County father accused of killing his three sons.

"My goal is to have this man executed for slaughtering these three boys,” Clermont County Prosecutor Mark Tekulve told the media after Friday's hearing.

Doerman appeared before Judge Victor Haddad in Clermont County Common Pleas Court on a 21-count indictment. He faces multiple murder, kidnapping and felonious assault charges.

Doerman appeared in Clermont County Common Pleas Court on Friday morning in shackles and dressed in orange jail clothing. He responded to the judge's questions about his age and the charges but was otherwise silent.

Prosecutors said Doerman, 32, confessed to shooting and killing his sons, Clayton Doerman, 7, Hunter Doerman, 4, and Chase Doerman, 3, at their Monroe Township home on June 15. Court documents state he planned the killings for months.

Chad Doerman, 32, is brought into Clermont County Common Pleas Court in Batavia Friday, June 23.

An attorney for Doerman entered a plea of not guilty on all charges.

Clermont County Prosecutor Mark Tekulve revealed more details about the accusations against Doerman on Friday in court.

Tekulve said Doerman killed his 4-year-old son Hunter first, shooting him twice in the head inside their Laurel Lindale Road home.

The prosecutor said 7-year-old Clayton fled and was “gunned down from behind” as he ran through a field near the home. Tekulve said Doerman then went up to the fallen boy and shot him in the head.

Then Doerman ripped 3-year-old Chase from his mother's arms and “put a bullet in his head,” Tekulve said.

The 34-year-old woman, the boy's mother, whom authorities have not named, was shot in the hand.

Tekulve said this is the first death-penalty-eligible case in Clermont County in about 30 years.

Doerman was being held in the Clermont County Jail on a bond of $20 million, but on Friday, Judge Victor Haddad ordered him held without bail. Doerman's lawyers did not object.

Officials have not released a motive for the killings.

Doerman's next hearing in the case is set for 11 a.m. July 5 before Judge Richard Ferenc.

Funerals set for the boys

A remembrance of the three boys, 3, 4 and 7, killed in Clermont County last week is scheduled for Sunday.

Funeral services will be held Monday for Clayton, Hunter and Chase at First Baptist Church of Glen Este, 1032 Old State Route 74 in Batavia, according to their obituary.

A visitation will take place from 4-8 p.m. at the church, with a celebration of life directly following.

The boys are remembered for their unconditional love for others and their big hearts, according to the obituary on the Geo. H. Rohde & Son Funeral Home website. They loved to fish, play outside and laugh.

A baseball cap with the number #99 sits at the pitcher’s mound at the NRYSA Baseball/Softball Complex behind Monroe Elementary, Friday, June 23, 2023, where Clayton Doerman played ball on the New Richmond Riverbats team. Dwayne Kuhn, his coach, called Clayton a feisty little lefty who just had this smile. Clayton’s younger brother Hunter, 4, was just starting to play ball and the youngest, Chase, 3, just wanted to be with his brothers, Kuhn said. The three brothers were shot to death June 15 at their home in Monroe Township. Their father, Chad Doerman, 32, was arraigned in Clermont County Common Pleas courthouse, Friday, June 23 2023. He was indicted on 21 felonies with no bond. He entered a plea of not guilty.

The boys all played baseball and the New Richmond Youth Sports Association is hosting a memorial for them at the ballfields at 2117 Laurel Lindale Road at 6 p.m. Sunday.

Local churches will provide food. The organization is asking people to bring memories of the Doerman boys along with a lawn chair. The public will be able to write messages that will be delivered to the family. The event will also serve as a way to thank law enforcement and first responders.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Chad Doerman: Father accused of killing sons could face death penalty

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Funerals set for the boys

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