Chad Doerman, 33, pleaded guilty to three counts of aggravated murder and two counts of felonious assault for injuring his former wife and stepdaughter during the June 2023 incident.
Clermont County Judge Karen Kalifut handed down the sentence on Friday, August 2, ordering Doerman to serve three consecutive life terms for the deaths of 7-year-old Clayton Doerman, 4-year-old Hunter Doerman, and 3-year-old Chase Doerman. Additionally, he received an extra 16 years for the assaults on his ex-wife, Laura Doerman, and stepdaughter.
Prosecutor Mark Tekulve had initially planned to seek the death penalty for Doerman but decided on a life sentence instead, citing the ongoing trauma experienced by the surviving family members. “My job, as I saw it this week, was to relieve them of that additional agony,” Tekulve told reporters after the sentencing.
The murders took place on June 15, 2023, at the family’s home in Monroe Township, about 75 miles west of Columbus. According to prosecutors, Doerman admitted to planning the killings and even chasing down one of the boys in a field as he tried to flee.
Defense attorneys argued that Doerman was struggling with severe mental illness at the time of the crimes.
In a statement read aloud in court, Laura Doerman, the children’s mother and the ex-wife of the defendant, expressed her immense grief and devastation. “I would do anything to push them on the swing, cover them up one more time and hear their little ways of saying, ‘I love you,'” she said, weeping. “I have anger, frustration, and so much sadness. Grief will never go away because it is all the love that is left with no place to go.”
In a separate statement issued through prosecutors after the sentencing, Laura Doerman said she was “in full agreement” with the resolution of the case. “No punishment will ever bring my boys back,” she wrote. “Having a guarantee that he will spend the rest of his life behind bars is what is best for my family.”
Laura Doerman also thanked the prosecutors and first responders and asked for privacy as she and her family “grieve every day” for the boys. She requested that people remember the children as they were before the tragic events of that day.
Prosecutor Tekulve plans to reveal more details about the case at a news conference on Monday.
The murders shocked the local community and drew national attention. Neighbors and community members expressed their condolences and grief over the loss of the three young boys. “This is a devastating tragedy that no family should ever have to endure,” said local resident Alice Williamson. “My heart breaks for the Doerman family, and I hope they can find some measure of peace and healing in the years to come.”
