Chad Doerman, the Clermont County man who was accused of fatally shooting his three young sons, has pleaded guilty to three counts of aggravated murder and two counts of felonious assault, The Cincinnati Enquirer reported. The tragic incident, which took place in June 2023 in Monroe Township, ended with Doerman being sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole, as well as a minimum of 16 years for the assaults.

At the plea hearing, Judge Richard Ferenc informed Doerman that it is "unmistakably clear that you will spend the rest of your life in prison," as per The Cincinnati Enquirer. The charges stem from the horrifying day when Doerman began to pace around his house with a Bible and, shortly after, retrieved a .22 caliber Marlin rifle and fatally shot Clayton, 7, Hunter, 4, and 3-year-old Chase, in an event that shocked and saddened the community.

The decision to strike a plea agreement, which removed the possibility of the death penalty, was influenced by discussions with Laura Doerman, the victims' mother. In a statement read in court, Laura expressed her agreement with the resolution of the case, indicating that it brings some form of closure. No punishment will ever bring my boys back. "Having a guarantee that he will spend the rest of his life behind bars is what is best for my family," Laura stated through a victim advocate, an emotional sentiment shared by WLWT.

The consequence of Chad Doerman's actions was further highlighted by the victim impact statement from Laura’s daughter and Doerman’s stepdaughter, who said, "you [Doerman] took their lives." Despite the unimaginable events she witnessed, she stated that while she could never hate Doerman she will never forgive him for what he did, FOX19 detailed.

Laura Doerman also requested that the public remember her sons for who they were before the tragedy. "Remember them as the three little boys who loved fishing, go-carting, and swimming. Remember them as the little boys who were always at the baseball fields or running around outside. Remember them as the boys who love to have fun and were inseparable from one another. Their lives are not only about what happened to them- they are so much more than that," Laura's statement read, as reported by WLWT.