On June 15, 2023, Chad Doerman, age 32, shot and killed his three young sons — Clayton (7), Hunter (4), and Chase (3) — at their home on Laurel Lindale Road in Monroe Township, Clermont County, Ohio. Doerman came home early from work and asked his wife and children to lie down for a nap in the master bedroom, where a gun safe held a .22 caliber rifle. After lying down, he retrieved the rifle and shot one son in the bedroom. When the mother yelled for the other boys to run, Doerman chased and shot a second son outside. The boys' older sister attempted to save the youngest by carrying him toward the road, but Doerman caught up and demanded she put the boy down. After a struggle with the mother — during which he bit her and shot her through the thumb — Doerman shot the third boy in the head. Nine total shots were fired. Doerman had reportedly been contemplating the murders since October 2022 and claimed he hadn't slept for three to four days prior. He was arrested at the scene and charged with 21 counts including nine counts of aggravated murder. He later pleaded not guilty and not guilty by reason of insanity.
Contexts/Conditions
Is there any mention of child drug ingestion or overdose?
Is there any mention of a drowning incident (either intentional or accidental)?
Is there any mention of a firearm incident?
The deaths resulted from a firearm incident. Document 1 identifies the weapon as a "Marlin Model HC .22 rifle" and states "nine total shots were fired." Document 2 reports "Three young boys were shot and killed" and describes the father using a rifle. All three documents consistently describe a shooting incident.
Is there any mention of inappropriate supervision (e.g., child wandered off and drowned)?
Is there any mention of inflicted injury? (e.g. slapped, punched, kicked, choked)
All three children were shot and killed by their father using a rifle. Document 1 states Doerman "shot one of his sons twice" and then pursued and shot the others. Document 2 quotes the prosecutor: "the father that stands before you lined up his three young boys and executed them in his own home with a rifle." Document 3 states: "Doerman shot one son while he slept, another while he was trying to run away and the youngest while he was laying on the ground after his mother and sister tried to save him."
Is there any mention of malnutrition, starvation, or dehydration?
Is there any mention of medical neglect?
Is there any mention of a motor vehicle crash or incident?
Is there any mention of a murder-suicide incident?
Is there any mention of outdoor elements (including hot car deaths)?
Is there any mention of prenatal substance exposure (including fetal alcohol syndrome or neonatal abstinence syndrome)?
Is there any mention of sexual abuse?
Is there any specific mention of shaken baby or abusive head trauma?
Is there any mention of prolonged abuse or torture (including restraints, captivity)?
Is there any mention of an unsafe sleeping environment?
Individuals Involved
Was an adoptive parent or guardian involved in the death?
Was a biological father involved in the death?
Chad Doerman is explicitly identified as the biological father of the three murdered boys across all documents. Document 1 states he "admitted to killing his three sons." Document 2 states "their father has been arrested and charged with aggravated murder" and identifies him as "the boy's father, Chad Doerman, 32." Document 3 states "Doerman's sons Clayton, 7, Hunter, 4, and Chase, 3, were shot and killed at their home by their father."
Was a biological mother involved in the death?
Was a day care worker, babysitter, or nanny involved in the death?
Was a female paramour or friend involved in the death (e.g., girlfriend, stepmother)?
Was a foster parent involved in the death?
Was a male paramour or friend involved in the death (e.g., boyfriend, stepfather)?
Was another adult relative involved in the death? (e.g., grandfather, aunt)
Was a sibling involved in the death?
Child Characteristics
Was the child adopted?
Was the child homeschooled (including "cyberschooling") or taken out of school?
Was the child in foster care at the time of the incident?
Was the child living with relatives at the time of the incident (but not parents)?
Is there any mention of a neurological developmental child disability? (e.g., autism, intellectual disability, nonverbal)
Is there any mention of a physical child disability? (e.g., feeding tube)
Is there any mention of prematurity or low birthweight?
Is there a history of child protection reports prior to death (for this child or siblings)?
Does the child have a history of foster care (but not in care at time of incident)?
Is there a history of a sibling death (separate incident from this death)?
Parent/Caregiver Factors
Was an adult charged or arrested for the child's death?
Document 2 states "their father has been arrested and charged with aggravated murder." Document 1 states Doerman "faces 21 separate charges connected to his alleged actions on June 15. He is charged with nine counts of aggravated murder, eight counts of kidnapping and four counts of felonious assault." He was taken into custody at the scene and formally charged.
Is domestic violence by the parent/caregiver referenced?
Document 1 quotes neighbor Richard Kincannon: "He was angry every day... There wasn't a day he didn't yell at his wife and kids out there" and "yelling all the time and treating (his wife) like s***." Additionally, during the fatal incident, Doerman "bit the woman in an attempt to wrestle her child from her arms" and shot the mother through her thumb. While the term "domestic violence" is not explicitly used, the described pattern of verbal abuse toward the wife and children, and the physical violence against the mother during the incident, constitute references to domestic violence.
Is there any mention that the death occurred in a temporary shelter or while homeless?
Is an intellectual disability of the parent/caregiver referenced?
Is the mental health of the parent/caregiver referenced?
Multiple references to the mental health of the perpetrator/caregiver are present. Document 3 reports that Doerman "pleaded not guilty and not guilty by reason of insanity" and that the state requested "a second evaluation to determine 32-year-old Chad Doerman's mental condition on June 15, 2023." Document 1 states he "admitted to having been thinking about shooting his sons since October" and that "the thoughts of having to kill his sons was so heavy on him that he hadn't slept for three or four days prior to murdering his three sons." His father Keith said "he's hollow inside" and "just snapped."
Is a history of arrests or criminal charges for the parent/caregiver referenced?
Is substance use by the parent/caregiver referenced?
Notable Details
Several notable details emerge from the documents. First, the defendant had been contemplating killing his sons since October 2022, approximately eight months before the June 2023 murders, indicating extensive premeditation. Document 1 states he "admitted to having been thinking about shooting his sons since October." Second, Doerman deliberately lured his family into the master bedroom under the guise of a nap, positioning them near the gun safe before attacking. Third, when the rifle appeared to run out of ammunition during the attack, Doerman physically pursued and fought to continue killing — biting the mother to wrestle the last surviving boy from her arms. Fourth, the $20 million cash bond set by Judge Nagel was described as the highest ever requested in Clermont County. Fifth, the boys' older sister (identified as Alexis in Document 2) heroically attempted to save her brothers, carrying one while fleeing and later expressing her desire to play in a baseball tournament in their memory. Document 3 reports that in March 2024, Doerman entered dual pleas of not guilty and not guilty by reason of insanity, and the state requested a second mental evaluation.
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