CLERMONT COUNTY, OHIO: Three young brothers, who were killed by their father Chad Doerman, often played together in the very yard in which they were shot dead. Described as 'loveable' by those who knew them, the Doerman boys, who were three, four, and seven, were found dead on June 15. Their 32-year-old father had allegedly lined them up in the yard of their home in Monroe Township and shot them execution-style, prosecutors said.
The deputies responded to Doerman’s house after receiving two 911 calls, one was apparently from the mother and another from a passing motorist who said a girl was running down the street saying her father was killing people. Upon their arrival, the deputies found three boys outside the home with gunshot wounds. Despite trying their best, they were unable save their lives and the three boys died at the scene. The victim's mother, who was not identified, was also found injured outside the home. She was immediately rushed to a nearby hospital to receive medication for a gunshot wound that she suffered while shielding her sons.
'I would see them playing'
The little brothers, who remain unnamed, always encouraged each other when they struggled to hit the ball during their frequent baseball games, says Kristen Bennett, president of the New Richmond Youth Sports Association of New Richmond. “I would see them at the ballpark. They were always playing with each other,” she told People, adding “They got along so well. They were always encouraging each other.” According to Bennett, the eldest brother, seven, was learning how to play baseball while the middle brother, four, was just beginning T-ball.
She also remembered how the older brother would try to make the middle brother feel better if he didn’t hit the ball. “'That’s no problem,’ I heard him say to him, ’I struck out too,’” she recalled. Their 3-year-old brother was too young to play baseball, but Bennett say “he loved wearing the oldest brother’s jersey.” The boys didn't only play at the field as Bennett says she remembers seeing heartwarming scenes when she would drive past their home. "I would see them playing outside in the yard," she remembered. As Chad waits for his next court appearance, the entire community is mourning the death of three little boys.
Mother and sister 'heartbroken and devastated'
Bennett later revealed that the boys’ mother and their 14-year-old sister “are doing as well as can be expected.” She added, “They are both heartbroken and devastated. They are just trying to get through each day.” Meanwhile, Chad is facing three charges of aggravated murder for killing his sons. Following the arrest, he allegedly told police that he had been planning the heinous crime for months. He is now being held on $20M bond. Clermont County's chief prosecutor of Municipal Court, David Gast said in a statement that "The trauma this man has inflicted on his family, community, law enforcement, first responders, and all the rest of us is unspeakable. There has been a full admission in this case, the case is still new. We're still discovering facts. The evil horror of what we know is impossible to process."
