Father Charged with Killing Sons Aged 3, 4 and 7; 'Hunted' Boy Who Fled as Mom Tried to 'Protect' Them

Chad Doerman of Monroe Township, Ohio was arrested on Thursday, June 15 after police responded to a pair of 911 calls to his home. One of them, according to the Clermont County Sheriff’s Office, was from a woman screaming that "her babies had been shot"; the second came from a driver who said a girl was running down the street saying "her father was killing everyone."

Three boys, Doerman's sons aged 3, 4 and 7, were unresponsive when deputies and EMS arrived. All three succumbed to gunshot wounds on the scene. The children's mother was also shot in the hand; learning the boys died while at the hospital being treated for her wound.

Doerman was charged with three counts of aggravated murder.

On Friday, Doerman appeared in court for a bond hearing. While the attorney representing him asked the judge for $75,000 bond, the Clermont County Prosecutor's Office pushed for $20 million -- reportedly the highest bond in county history -- and got their wish.

During the hearing, criminal division chief David Gast revealed additional details about the horrific crime, saying Doerman had given them a "full admission" of guilt.

"The trauma that this man has inflicted on his family, the community, law enforcement, first responders and the rest of us is unspeakable," he said to the judge, before revealing what allegedly went down the prior day.

"In an act of just incomprehensible cruelty, the father before you lined up his three young boys and he executed them in his own home with a rifle. They were ages 3, 4 and 7," said Gast. "In an act of desperation to save her children, the mother at some point grabbed the gun the father was wielding in an attempt to protect them."

He said one of the three boys "was able to flee" to a nearby field but, according to Doerman's own admission, the child's father "hunted that boy down, drug him back to the property and executed him in front of witnesses." Gast said the boys' mother was shot "in her attempt to protect her children."

"By his own admission, he has committed one of the most monstrous, craven, cowardly acts it will ever be our misfortune to see," said Gast, who said that by Doerman's admission he had "planned the events of this day" for some time. In a criminal complaint, detectives said the suspect told them he planned it for "several months" beforehand.

"This did not happen on a whim. He's confessed to what I believe is the worst crime -- at least I hope -- I'll see in my lifetime," added Gast, as Doerman could be seen tearing up and crying behind him while handcuffed.

Gast then said it could be traumatic responding to a scene like this, saying first responders "held these boys in their arms knowing there was nothing they could do to save them." He added that, in addition to Doerman's confession, they were able to corroborate details with witnesses who saw at least "part of what happened."

As for why they pushed for the massive bond, he said that in addition to the severity of the crime, the state believed he was a flight risk and couldn't "name a person who poses a greater threat to the community" if released. Gast concluded that "the facts of this case are hopefully like no other we will ever see" and said that he will ask for Doerman to be held without bond when the case is taken to a grand jury.

The judge accepted the $20 million request and set a preliminary hearing for June 26.