Court docs reveal new details leading up to the deaths of 3 Clermont County boys

BATAVIA, Ohio (WXIX) - Amended court documents in the Chad Doerman case shed new light on the moments leading up to the deaths of his three sons in Clermont County.

On June 15, 2023, Doerman, 32, arrived home from work earlier than normal.

“The defendant obtained a bible and was walking around the house with it. While walking with the bible, the defendant was mumbling, ‘Chad knows what’s right,’” the addition to the bill of particulars read.

Doerman allegedly walked toward the master bedroom in his home and began to get into his gun safe.

When the boys’ mother saw what Doerman was doing, she told him that “he was scaring her, that she did not like what he was doing, and that she would call his parents,” according to the documents.

In response, Doerman allegedly said he was “just kidding,” and was “playing around” and went back to the master bedroom to lie down.

“Due to his behavior [the mother] did not want him to be alone, so she and their [son] went into the bedroom with him,” the amended bill of particulars said.

Warning: Some may find the following details disturbing

“After he initially laid down, the defendant got out of bed, got into the gun safe, removing a Marlin Model .22 rifle and a loaded magazine. The defendant then shot his son twice,” according to the documents.

“Immediately, [the mother] called 911 and began to render aid. An open 911 call captured [the mother] screaming for her other children to run.

“It also captured her attempts to protect her children. At some point in during a struggle over the gun, [the mother] was shot in the hand. She also suffered other various injuries during the struggle with the defendant over the firearm,” the amended bill of particulars said.

The court documents say Doerman’s stepdaughter ran with the two other boys and one of them went the wrong way out of the house towards a field.

She ran after the boy and screamed at him to keep running. The documents say she saw Doerman chasing her.

“[The boy] was struck by gunfire, knocking him to the ground. [The daughter] watched as the defendant then approached. The defendant then turned and looked back at [the boy] before he fired one round” at close range.

The daughter then went back into the house and picked up the third boy.

“As she attempted to flee the residence, the defendant must have heard [the boy] crying and began to go after them. [The boy] ran with [the daughter] towards the firehouse, but as she approached the road, the defendant caught up to her, raised the rifle, pointing the firearm at her,” court documents say.

Doerman allegedly demanded that his stepdaughter put the boy down. She begged him not to shoot her and let the boy go.

“Once she put the child down, she witnessed the defendant attempt to shoot [the boy], however, the gun misfired and [the boy] fled to his mother who was in the side yard attempting to render aid,” according to the amended bill of particulars.

The daughter then ran toward the Monroe Township Fire Department.

“[She] was stopped by a passerby and advised that her father was ‘killing everyone’”, the documents say.

Doerman then went back and shot the boy in the head, the documents said.

He eventually laid the three boys next to each other.

The amended bill of particulars says Doerman made statements to law enforcement while at the scene and at the jail, “including, but not limited to, ‘I did it. Take me to jail.’”

The documents say Doerman also told multiple individuals that he had not been sleeping.

In March 2024, Doerman pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity after he was indicted on 21 counts, including nine counts of aggravated murder, according to court records.

After Doerman entered his plea, Chief Asst. Prosecuting Attorney Lara Allen filed a request for a second mental health evaluation on June 15, 2024 - exactly one year after his sons Clayton, 7, Hunter, 4, and 3-year-old Chase were found dead in the backyard of their home.

The state wants the evaluation done at Central Clinic Behavioral Health, the court filings show.

Doerman’s trial is scheduled to start in July.

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