BATAVIA, Ohio (Scripps News Cincinnati) — Chad Doerman pleaded not guilty in court Friday to the 21 charges against him after confessing to executing his three boys — Clayton, Hunter and Chase — with a rifle.
Editor’s note: The following story contains details that readers may find upsetting.
The judge ordered Doerman to be held without bail while awaiting a pretrial hearing on July 5.
Chad Doerman appears in court June 23, 2023. (Scripps News Cincinnati/Blake Sheely)
RELATED: Chad Doerman indicted on 21 counts after confessing to executing sons
In court Friday, the prosecution revealed additional details that took place at his home on Laurel Lindale Road in Monroe Township in the afternoon of June 15.
Clermont County Prosecutor Mark Tekulve said Doerman’s massacre started inside the home where he shot his 4-year-old son in the head twice. He then walked outside and shot the 7-year-old as the boy tried to run away, according to Tekulve. The boy was injured after being shot from behind. Tekulve said Doerman then walked up to him and shot him twice in the head from a short distance. Doerman then ripped the 3-year-old from his mother’s arms and shot him in the head, according to Tekulve.
After court Friday Tekulve said his goal is to “have this man (Doerman) executed.”
“I can only imagine the terror these little boys felt and experienced as their father, their protector was murdering them,” said Tekulve. “Unfortunately, their mother saw this. You can imagine the immense trauma and terror that she experienced and we will do the utmost in my office to see this defendant never sees the light of day again.”
Doerman was initially charged with three counts of aggravated murder last week after confessing to the killings.
Seven days after the shooting, a Clermont County Grand Jury returned a 21-count indictment against Doerman including nine counts of aggravated murder, eight counts of kidnapping and four counts of felonious assault.
Each murder count carries the death penalty.
In court, the judge asked Doerman if he understood all the charges against him. He calmly answered “yes your honor.”
Bennett said legally speaking, a person can commit aggravated murder in multiple ways against the same victim and each one is a different charge potentially leading to a conviction.
“In the act of kidnapping a person, you killed someone, and then you kidnapped a person to kill them, and then that person is under 13. That’s three ways you can get to aggravated murder,” he said.
Three different charges of aggravated murder for each of the three children added up to nine charges, though Bennett said Doerman could only be sentenced for one per child.
This story was originally published by Scripps News Cincinnati, an E.W. Scripps Company.
