‘The most heinous, monstrous crime;’ Clermont Co. father executed 3 sons, prosecutors say

MONROE TWP, CLERMONT COUNTY — A Clermont County man charged with shooting and killing his three sons Thursday afternoon made his first court appearance Friday.

A judge ordered Friday that Chad Doerman, 32, be held in jail on a $20 million cash bond, according to our news partners at WCPO in Cincinnati.

WCPO reports that while in court Friday, prosecutors said all three of the children were shot execution-style with a rifle and found lying in the yard of a home by first responders. Prosecutors said one of the boys was able to run into a nearby field, but Doerman chased him down and dragged him back to the yard before shooting him.

>> PREVIOUS COVERAGE: 3 boys dead, father charged with murder following Clermont County shooting

The boys were 3, 4, and 7 years old.

Doerman “confessed to planning and carrying out the deaths of the victims involved for several months,” according to court documents obtained by WCPO.

Doerman did not enter a plea while in court.

As previously reported, a 911 call reported the shooting to county dispatchers around 4:15 p.m. in Monroe Township. The call came from an unknown female screaming that her “babies had been shot,” according to the Clermont County Sheriff’s Office.

Minutes later, someone else called 911 and said a juvenile girl was running down the road, saying “her father was killing everyone.”

When deputies arrived on the scene, Doerman was allegedly sitting outside of a home and was taken into custody. The three boys were found in the yard and pronounced dead at the scene.

A 34-year-old woman, the boys’ mother, was also found outside the home with a gunshot wound to the hand. Medics transported her to UC Medical Center, according to WCPO.

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Prosecutors said in court Friday that this was “the most heinous, monstrous crime.”

“I can only imagine the terror these little boys felt and experienced as their father, their protector was murdering them,” Clermont County Prosecutor Mark Tekulve said. “Unfortunately, their mother saw this. You can imagine the immense trauma and terror that she experienced and we will do the utmost in my office to see this defendant never sees the light of day again.”

New Richmond Schools Superintendent Tracey Miller said that there will be a crisis team available at Monroe Elementary until 1 p.m. Friday.

“No matter how you may feel, we want you to know that you are never alone. There will always be someone willing to listen. Please don’t be afraid to reach out for help,” Miller said in a social media post.

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