An Ohio man who claimed he was mentally ill when he killed his three sons last year is expected to plead guilty on Friday.
WLWT reported that Chad Doerman, 31, will plead guilty to aggravated murder and felonious assault. As part of a plea deal, prosecutors will drop nine aggravated specifications — meaning Doerman will not face the death penalty.
In changing his plea to guilty, Doerman will receive life in prison without parole. He was present in court for Friday’s plea hearing.
Doerman was to stand trial for fatally shooting his three sons, ages 3, 4, and 7, on June 15, 2023. Doerman allegedly carried out the execution-style murders in front of his wife and stepdaughter. He was also accused of planning his sons’ slayings for months before doing so.
Clermont County prosecutors alleged that Doerman got off work early and walked around the home with a Bible while mumbling, “Chad knows what’s right.”
The boys’ mother told Doerman that he was scaring her — to which Doerman responded that he was “just kidding” and “just playing” before going to the master bedroom to lie down, according to WXIX.
Prosecutors said the mother and one of the boys went into the bedroom with Doerman because they did not want him to be alone. Shortly after that, Doerman allegedly got out of bed, retrieved a rifle, and shot his 4-year-old son twice in the head.
After allegedly killing his two sons, Doerman then snatched his 3-year-old son from his mother’s arms and shot him in the head. Doerman reportedly shot his children’s mother in the hand during the triple murder.
At some point, the stepdaughter reportedly picked up one of the surviving boys and tried to flee to a nearby firehouse. Doerman allegedly chased down the stepdaughter and demanded she put the boy down, to which she obliged.
Doerman tried to shoot the boy, but the gun misfired and he fled, according to The Cincinnati Enquirer. Prosecutors claimed Doerman eventually caught up with the boy and killed him.
The stepdaughter reportedly fled the home on foot and found a neighbor who called the police. Before police responded to the scene, the boys’ mother told a 911 dispatcher her “babies had been shot.”
Responding police officers discovered the three boys dead in the yard, while Doerman was found sitting next to the rifle on the porch. Doerman is believed to have lined up his deceased sons in the yard before police arrived.
In late March, Doerman changed his plea to not guilty by reason of insanity. His plea came days after Judge Ferenc ruled that his interrogation video could not be shown at trial. He also ordered that statements taken before the initial questioning are inadmissible in court.
Ferenc determined that Doerman’s rights were violated when Detective Michael Ross failed to read his Miranda Rights verbatim. Police questioned Doerman for three hours after he invoked his right to counsel — which the judge found also violated his rights.
A motive remains undisclosed.
This is a developing story.
[Feature Photo: Chad Doerman/Facebook]
