Ohio | Doerman brother slayings: Where the case stands one year later

MONROE TOWNSHIP, Ohio — One year ago, three young brothers were shot and killed outside their home in New Richmond, Ohio.

Their father has been charged in their deaths. Chad Doerman was arrested last June after investigators said he shot and killed his three sons, 3-year-old Chase, 4-year-old Hunter and 7-year-old Clayton.

As the one-year mark passes, the case is still being played out in court. Here's everything we know about the investigation and where the case stands one year later.

What happened

It all started June 15 around 4 p.m. in the 1900 block of Laurel Lindale Road when police responded to a report of a shooting.

Deputies on scene found four people shot outside a home on Laurel Lindale Road. The first crews on scene attempted lifesaving measures on the three young boys but were unsuccessful. The sheriff's office said all three boys died from their injuries while on scene. According to the Bill of Particulars court document:

Chad Doerman came home "early from work" on Thursday, June 15, and had his wife and their three boys join him in the master bedroom of their home on Laurel Lindale Road for a nap.

At some point, Doerman got up and retrieved a Marlin Model HC .22 rifle from a gun safe next to the bed. He then shot one of his sons twice. Doerman's wife tried to help her son, who'd been shot, and yelled at her other two sons to run.

The boys' older sister, who had been watching TV in the Doerman's family room, went to the bedroom and "witnessed the shooting." She then ran after one of her fleeing brothers and screamed at "him to keep running."

The girl watched her stepfather, Chad Doerman, chase the boy and shoot him in the head at close range. She then ran back toward her family's home and picked up her brother, Chase. They ran toward the road, but were quickly confronted by Chad Doerman, who pointed a gun at his step-daughter and demanded she put his youngest son down.

Chad Doerman then tried but failed to shoot his son, Chase, in the head. It appeared he was out of ammunition. Chase Doerman ran to his mother, who was still rendering aid. He, too, ended up being shot and killed.

After their daughter ran to get help, Chad Doerman and his wife fought, with her trying to protect her sons. Doerman bit his wife and then, when she put her hand over the gun's barrel, shot her "through the thumb." Chad Doerman then "sat on the side stoop of the residence and calmly watched REDACTED undertake futile life-saving measures on her three children."

Amendments made to the document that were filed in April revealed that prior to laying down in the bedroom, Doerman obtained a bible and was walking around the house with it, mumbling, "Chad knows what's right."

Court proceedings

One week after the shootings, Doerman appeared in Clermont County court for his arraignment, pleading not guilty. Doerman was indicted on 21 counts: nine counts of aggravated murder, eight counts of kidnapping, and four counts of felonious assault.

Last September, an initial trial date was set for July 8-Aug. 2, 2024. That date has since been pushed back until 2025. In February, Doerman's attorneys filed a motion to get their client's statements thrown out at trial and filed an 18-page motion to suppress some of Doerman's statements to deputies and health care professionals.

A judge listened to testimony from several Clermont County Sheriff's deputies, some of whom were the first to interact with Doerman on that day. The deputies were questioned about what they said to and asked Doerman and how he responded.

Several weeks later, Judge Richard Ferenc in Clermont County released his ruling, saying Doerman's Miranda Rights were violated in two instances. In their motion to suppress, defense attorneys claimed Doerman "invoked his right to counsel at least twice" during his interrogation, which lasted more than three hours. They wrote, "Detectives ignored Mr. Doerman's request and continued to question him as if he didn't ask for an attorney."

Ferenc ruled that Doerman's rights were violated during the Custodial Interrogation, saying all statements obtained during this time will be suppressed at trial. Ferenc also ruled that detectives failed to fully and properly advise Doerman of his Miranda Rights prior to beginning his initial Interrogation, and all statements obtained from Doerman during that time will be suppressed.

The judge also sided with the prosecution in four key areas, ruling that several of the defense's claims were meritless. In late March, Doerman entered a plea of not guilty and not guilty by reason of insanity. In response to Doerman's plea, the state requested a second evaluation of Doerman's mental condition on the day of the shooting. In May, Doerman's attorneys filed a motion requesting the court exclude the death penalty "due to serious mental illness." Judge Ferenc set an Aug. 5 date for a death penalty eligibility hearing.

Remembering the Doerman boys

Immediately after their deaths, community members began remembering and honoring the three Doerman brothers, Chase, Hunter and Clayton. The boys' aunt said that they're beautiful and deserve to be proudly displayed. They loved fiercely and with their entire hearts, and they need to be seen for the blessings they were and the happy lives they lived, family members said.

Several GoFundMe accounts were set to up to help the family, while the New Richmond Youth Sports Association was also among the organizations collecting donations.

Hunter's former baseball coach, Brandon Allen, started the hashtag #PlayCatch for the Doerman Boys, encouraging parents to play ball with their kids. Last month, family members of the three young boys officially opened the newly designated C.H.C. Memorial Field at New Richmond Youth Sports Association in their honor. Clayton, Hunter and Chase's former baseball jerseys are displayed on the centerfield fence below the American flag and will watch over generations of young athletes for years to come.

What happens next?

Doerman's next court hearing will happen Aug. 5 for the death penalty eligibility hearing.

Ferenc also appointed a psychologist, Dr. Carla Dryer, to complete an evaluation for the state by July 3.

The original trial set for July 8 has been continued, and the defense has given the court until Jan. 31, 2025, to address a new trial date.

Source: wlwt.com, Staff, June 14, 2024

_____________________________________________________________________

Twitter/X | Facebook | Telegram | Contact Us

"One is absolutely sickened, not by the crimes that the wicked have committed,
but by the punishments that the good have inflicted."

— Oscar Wilde

William Thompson Faces Execution in Florida Amid Dementia, Terminal Illness Concerns

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed an execution warrant for 74-year-old prisoner William “Bill” Thompson less than 24 hours after he was released from the hospital to the hospice wing of the prison. After his attorneys raised serious concerns about his mental competency and deteriorating physical health, Gov. DeSantis agreed to temporarily stay the execution so Mr. Thompson’s competency can be evaluated on October 1. If he is found competent, his execution remains scheduled for October 13.

Texas executes Ker’Sean Ramey

Texas executes man for a triple killing, days after other man convicted in case was put to death A man was executed Wednesday evening in Texas for a triple killing committed during an attempted robbery at a rural home, 1 week after the other man convicted in the case was put to death. Ker’Sean Ramey, 41, was pronounced dead at 6:34 p.m. CDT following a lethal injection at the state penitentiary in Huntsville. He was the 6th person executed this year in Texas, with 3 more lethal injections scheduled in the state over the next 2 months.

Texas House chairman wants child rapists eligible for death penalty

AUSTIN (Nexstar) — Under current Supreme Court precedent, states cannot execute someone for raping a child if the victim survives. That’s not stopping State Rep. Jeff Leach, R-McKinney. “We’re going to have a debate in this building behind me about the death penalty being on the table for any Texan who rapes a child,” Leach, the chair of the Texas House Committee on Judiciary & Civil Jurisprudence, said. Leach made the comments while hosting a news conference supporting his client, abuse survivor Cindy Clemishire.

Israel | Ben Gvir discusses death penalty for Neveh Tzuf terrorist hours before Yom Kippur

National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir raised the possibility of applying the death penalty to the Neveh Tzuf terrorist during a security meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Two hours before the start of Yom Kippur on Sunday, National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir raised the possibility of applying the death penalty to the terrorist responsible for the attack in Neveh Tzuf during a security meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Netanyahu had reportedly convened the meeting in response to the security situation in the West Bank following the Sunday terror attack.

Tennessee Supreme Court denies stay for death row inmate Christa Pike

(TNND) — As Tennessee prepares for a Sept. 30 execution, the Tennessee Supreme Court has denied death row inmate Christa Gail Pike’s request to stop it. The court rejected Pike’s challenge to the state’s lethal-injection protocol, finding that her thrombocytosis diagnosis, a condition involving elevated blood platelets, did not show the execution would violate the Eighth Amendment ban on cruel and unusual punishment.

Texas set to execute second man convicted in 2005 South Texas triple murder

Ker’Sean Olajuwa Ramey is scheduled to die Wednesday, one week after the state executed his co-defendant for the same killings. Texas is scheduled to execute a man on Wednesday for the 2005 shooting deaths of three people during a botched robbery in a small South Texas town, just one week after the state put his co-defendant to death for the same crime. Ker’Sean Olajuwa Ramey, 41, is scheduled to die by lethal injection Wednesday evening at the state penitentiary in Huntsville.

Philippines | President Marcos Grants Absolute Pardon to Mary Jane Veloso

President Marcos Confirms Decision to Grant Absolute Pardon to Mary Jane Veloso President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has signed an absolute pardon for Mary Jane Veloso after more than a decade. On Friday (September 25, 2026), the President confirmed the decision during a visit to Guiuan, Eastern Samar. According to him, the pardon was officially signed the previous day, marking a major development in the case.

Florida | Tomasz Kosowski found guilty of murder after representing himself in death penalty case

Tomasz Kosowski sat each day alone at the defense table, wearing orange jail garb and rubber sandals with socks. In a rare and largely unprecedented move for a death penalty case, Kosowski represented himself, waiving his right to a jury trial and allowing a judge in Pinellas County, Florida, to decide his fate. Prosecutors presented the state’s case over six days, laying out for the judge how the former plastic surgeon accosted Steven Cozzi in the bathroom of his law office on a Tuesday morning, and Cozzi was never seen again.

Singapore | Ministry of Home Affairs refutes claims that death penalty was discussed during visit by Israel's security ministry

The Ministry of Home Affairs says discussions with the Israeli government involved the sharing of best practices in emergency response, crime prevention, and forensics. Issues relating to the death penalty “were never part of the meeting and were not discussed." SINGAPORE: The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on Friday (Sep 11) refuted claims by an Israeli media outlet that the death penalty was discussed during a visit by an Israeli delegation in May. The Haaretz newspaper reported on Sep 7 that a delegation comprising representatives from the Israel Prison Service and National Security Ministry made a “secret visit” to Singapore that month.

Tennessee | Christa Pike Requests Clemency Ahead of September 30 Execution Date; Experts’ Amicus Brief Points to ‘Substantial Risk’ of Re-traumatization

Lawyers for Christa Pike, the only woman on Tennessee’s death row, filed a 226-page clemency petition with Governor Bill Lee, asking him to commute her death sentence to life in prison without the possibility of parole ahead of her September 30 execution date. Ms. Pike’s clemency petition outlines the case her team has built over decades of appeals: her actions at 18 years old cannot be separated from a childhood marked by repeated rape, sexual abuse, and neglect that went unaddressed by the adults and state systems meant to protect her. Once incarcerated, Ms. Pike was diagnosed with bipolar disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder.

Death Penalty News

Search This Blog