Man accused of killing his 3 sons appears in court; defense wants statements thrown out
Chad Doerman is accused of killing his three sons and now wants the statements thrown out in the case.
By Web Staff
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CLERMONT COUNTY, Ohio (WLWT) — A Clermont County father accused of murdering his three young sons is appearing in court Wednesday.
Doerman is in court for a motion to suppress hearing. Doerman is accused of murdering his three young sons in Clermont County last year.
Doerman’s attorneys are fighting to get their client’s statements thrown out at trial and filed an 18-page motion to suppress some of Doerman’s statements to deputies and health care professionals.
On Wednesday, the judge listened to testimony from several Clermont County Sheriff’s deputies, some of whom were the first to interact with Doerman on that day. The deputies were questioned about what they said to and asked Doerman that day and how he responded.
Prosecutors say deputies did everything properly and Doerman’s rights were not violated.
The 32-year-old was arrested in June after investigators said he shot and killed his three sons, 3-year-old Chase, 4-year-old Hunter and 7-year-old Clayton.
Doerman’s defense team claims Clermont County sheriff’s deputies violated his rights in the hours and days following his arrest.
In their motion to suppress, they claim Doerman “invoked his right to counsel at least twice” during his interrogation, which lasted more than three hours. They wrote, “Detectives ignored Mr. Doerman’s request and continued to question him as if he didn’t ask for an attorney.”
While being interviewed, Doerman’s defense attorneys said he “appeared confused and distraught. He was in obvious distress and clearly, not right mentally.”
After being booked into the Clermont County jail, Doerman’s attorneys claim his right to privacy was violated.
When seen by health care workers, the defense says deputies “actively made themselves present” in Doerman’s jail cell for “privileged communications and recorded them.”
The following day, Doerman was arraigned in Clermont County Municipal Court.
Defense attorneys said his interactions that morning with a public defender “were not conducted in private” but in the presence of “five or six deputies and video recorded by the body-worn camera on one of the deputies” who turned the audio off.
The defense wrote, “Officers have continued to video-record Mr. Doerman throughout his incarceration. Some of these interactions have elicited statements from Mr. Doerman that may be incriminating.”
Doerman is scheduled to go on trial in July. WLWT will continue to update this story.
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