Ohio Judge Strikes Down Dad’s Confession To Killing 3 Sons

An Ohio man confessed to the police that he killed his three sons, but that confession has been rendered inadmissible in court after a judge ruled that his constitutional rights were violated during his arrest.

Judge says Ohio dad's confession to killing 3 young sons cannot be used in court https://t.co/KazrKa1CCD

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Chad Doerman, 33, is charged with the murder of his three sons, 3-year-old Chase, 4-year-old Hunter and 7-year-old Clayton. He was arrested last June after allegedly killing his sons with a rifle. He reportedly confessed to the killing of his sons, one of whom he killed in his bedroom. According to police, he chased the other two around their home and yard before he eventually shot them several times, causing their deaths.

While he confessed to the crime, Clermont County Common Pleas Judge Richard Ferenc ruled last week that detectives violated Doerman’s Miranda rights in failing to “properly and fully advise Doerman of them prior to initiating the Custodial Interrogation.”

Consequently, Ferenc ruled that “all statements obtained from Doerman during the Custodial Interrogation shall be suppressed and the State shall not adduce any of these statements in their case-in-chief.”

“The Defendant’s Miranda rights were violated when the Custodial Interrogation continued after the Defendant had unequivocally and unambiguously invoked his right to counsel,” the judge added in his ruling.

Doerman was arrested on June 15 after police found him sitting outside his home in Monroe Township where they were called to. Per court documents, he had been watching his sons’ mother attempting life-saving aid to one of the boys who was shot in the yard. The woman had reportedly been shot in the hand.

While officers arrested him, Doerman confessed to shooting and killing his sons, according to court documents, which read, “The defendant made multiple statements to law enforcement, such as ‘I did it. Take me to jail.’, ‘I shouldn’t have done that. I shouldn’t have shot [redacted] and them.’ The defendant also gave a statement during an audio and video recorded interview, during which he admitted to having been thinking about shooting his sons since October.”

He was then charged with aggravated murder, felonious assault and kidnapping. He, however, pleaded not guilty to the killings on June 23.

He is currently being held at the Clermont County jail with bond set at $20 million ahead of his trial which is expected to begin in July.