UPDATE 8/2/2024 5:06 P.M. PST: Chad Doerman has not gotten away with his horrific crime. The man who killed his three sons in front of their mother, even shooting her in the hand as she tried to protect them, is going to prison.
There was worry, as reported below, early on in his prosecution that he could get off, despite confessing. However, his legal team withdrew their insanity defense, and on Friday he accepted a plea deal. He ended up pleading guilty to numerous counts, though fewer than he was initially charged with. He pleaded to three counts of aggravated murder and two of felonious assault — for the attacks on his wife and his stepdaughter.
In return, Doerman will not get the death penalty but instead faces life in prison. He actually was given three life sentences, plus 8 years minimum for the assault. But it all works out to the same thing — he’ll never get out from behind bars.
Doerman reportedly cried in court. Per Law&Crime‘s Angenette Levy, before the sentencing his wife Laura got a chance to speak, saying emotionally:
“On June 15, 2023 – my life was changed forever. It was ripped away and destroyed forever. I grieve the loss of Clayton, Hunter and Chase every day. I grieve the life they never got to live. I would do anything to push them on the swing. All of it gone when I should have had so much more life with them… I struggle every day with the decision to get up or give up… I replay the events of that day over and over… I have anger, frustration and so much sadness.”
Heartbreaking.
Prepare to get infuriated by this update in the case of the Ohio dad who is accused of killing his three sons, Perezcious readers.
As we previously reported, Chad Doerman was arrested in June 2023 after he allegedly shot his three sons — 7-year-old Clayton, 4-year-old Hunter, and 3-year-old Chase — execution-style with a rifle at the family home. The boys’ mother was also shot in the hand outside of the house while trying to protect them. The details of the murder are truly horrific.
What made it even more disturbing is when police arrived at the scene, they found Doerman sitting on the front stoop with the rifle right next to him, his sons’ dead bodies in front of him. What the f**k. See the shocking bodycam footage (below):
Following the arrest, police said Doerman admitted to planning the murders — and to lining up all three children to kill them with a rifle. He has since been indicted on 21 charges, including nine counts of aggravated murder. Despite the alleged confession, though, he pleaded not guilty. But this case seems pretty cut and dry, right? Between the bodycam footage and the confession, there was no chance that Doerman could get off. Well, there’s been a huge twist in the case that could change how the trial plays out!
According to People, Judge Richard Ferenc threw out his confession on Friday! Why? He determined Doerman’s rights were violated not once but twice after police failed to advise of his Miranda rights. Let’s rewind. As we mentioned, authorities claimed the suspect confessed to the brutal killings during interrogation. But back in January, Doerman’s attorneys filed a motion to suppress the confession, arguing the police did not fully inform him of his Miranda rights before interrogating him. You know, “you have the right to remain silent,” all that. They apparently continued to question him even after he asked for an attorney.
So late last week, the judge ruled the Clermont County Sheriff’s Office violated his rights. This means the prosecutors will NOT be able to use Doerman’s statements obtained by the police during the interrogation! Ferenc said:
“The Defendant’s Miranda rights were violated when the custodial interrogation continued after the defendant had unequivocally and unambiguously invoked his right to counsel when he told [the detective], ‘I’ll wait for a lawyer, I don’t know, give me a couple of days, I can talk to a lawyer and get nice good answers.’”
Wow…
With a crime as big as this, you would think that the cops would make sure to do everything by the book — like properly advising the suspect of his Miranda rights. Jeez. But no. And now there’s a chance this man could get away with it! Seriously, without the confession, what if there isn’t enough evidence to prove he committed the murders??
Doerman will still go to trial in July, per court records. We truly hope these three kids get justice for what happened to them. But everyone will have to wait to see how prosecutors will manage to get by without the confession. Reactions? Sound OFF in the comments below.
[Image via WCPO 9/Law&Crime Network/YouTube]