CLERMONT COUNTY, Ohio (TCN) — Newly released video and interview footage has shed light on what motivated a 35-year-old man to open fire on his three young sons in 2023.
On June 15, 2023, a woman called the Clermont County Sheriff’s Office and said, “My babies have been shot.” When deputies arrived at the home, they found three boys, ages 3, 4, and 7, unresponsive in the yard. Their father, Chad Doerman, had reportedly lined them up and shot them execution-style in the front yard. He was arrested and held on $20 million bond.
Doerman was indicted on nine counts of aggravated murder, eight counts of first-degree kidnapping, and four counts of felonious assault on June 22, 2023. He pleaded not guilty at his arraignment.
Prosecutors said Doerman had planned the killings for several months. He reportedly took the youngest son from his mother’s arms and fatally shot him. He then shot another one of his sons from behind after he ran away. The boys’ mother was reportedly shot in the hand while trying to protect her children. Doerman’s stepdaughter was unharmed in the attack.
In August 2024, Doerman pleaded guilty to three counts of aggravated murder and two counts of felonious assault. As part of his plea agreement, prosecutors said they would not pursue the death penalty. Doerman was handed three life sentences in prison without the possibility of parole.
A motive in the killing was never revealed. In August 2026, the Clermont County Sheriff’s Office released a video of Doerman speaking with detectives for more than three hours, WXIX reports.
In the video, Doerman stated that he decided to kill his children after attending a church service. Halfway through the detectives’ questioning, he asked if they were in hell and stated that it was the end of the world. He told detectives he had been asking for help due to the continued thoughts that he was in hell.
According to WXIX, Doerman told detectives, “I was scared because we are all in hell. This is the fiery gates of f–ing hell. And Jesus is coming. You don’t know who’s going to get stuck and who’s not.”
Doerman also told detectives there was a specific order in which he was supposed to shoot his family and said his father had read him a story from the Bible regarding making a sacrifice to God. He claimed the same passage of Scripture was read at the church service that inspired him to kill his children.
WKRC reports that during the conversation with detectives, Doerman said, “I would never shoot myself because if you shoot yourself, you go to hell.”
An obituary for the three brothers remembers them as boys who “loved unconditionally, sharing their big hearts with anyone who they could make laugh and give them love.”
According to the obituary, “Clayton, fondly known as Clayton Man, loved making Lego creations, riding his go kart, telling jokes, singing and laughing while loving his best dog pal, Gatlin. His love language was giving gifts whether it be finding, creating, or sharing treasures. He loved his family and often looked out for his brothers. Hunter, fondly known as Hunter Dog, loved going to the creek and catching frogs and his love of baseball extended beyond the ballfield to his bed, an attachment like an extra arm to connect him to his ball and glove as he slept. He loved calling his mom and sister, ‘Pretty Girls,’ and telling them he loved them every day.
“Chase, fondly known as Chasers, loved swinging on swings and couldn’t wait to be a baseball player like his brothers. He loved playing with Dinos and pretending to be a superhero. He was the best cuddler, wanting his Mama to stay close by to give her many hugs. He will forever be known as, ‘Mama’s Baby.’”
MORE:
