Crime Fix with Angenette Levy - Ohio Dad Admits To Executing Three Young Sons, Learns Punishment

Starting point is 00:00:00 Wondery Plus subscribers can binge all episodes of this law and crimes series ad-free right now. Join Wondery Plus in the Wondery app, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify. As to count one, aggravated murder in violation of 290301A, an unclassified felony. How do you plead? Guilty. Count two, aggravated murder in violation of 290301A, an unclassified felony. How do you plead? Guilty. Chad Dorman, the man who hunted down his three young sons on a summer day and shot them to death, pleads guilty.

Starting point is 00:00:37 He will die in prison. The nightmare of attending court proceedings for the boy's family is over. Welcome to Crime Fix. I'm Anjanette Levy. Chad Dorman will spend the rest of his life in prison. He has now admitted, after nearly 14 months, that he came home from work early on June 15th of last year and shot his three little boys. Clayton was just seven years old, Hunter was four, and Chase was three. Clayton and Hunter played baseball in Claremont County, Ohio, east of Cincinnati. The boys' obituaries said that Chase one day wanted to play baseball just like his big brothers. Most little boys worshiped their fathers, and the Dorman boys

Starting point is 00:01:15 were probably no different. But on that sunny summer day last summer, Chad Dorman committed the ultimate act of betrayal. He came home early from work, grabbed a Bible, and walked around the house mumbling, Chad knows what's right. He was scaring his then-wife as he tried to get into the gun safe in their bedroom. Dorman, according to court records, told her he was kidding. She was worried, so she and one of the boys laid down in bed with him. And then Dorman started shooting. Dorman's wife tried to save her boys, then Dorman started shooting. Dorman's wife tried to save her boys, as did her older daughter, Dorman's stepdaughter. Dorman's now ex-wife grabbed

Starting point is 00:01:51 the barrel of the gun, and he shot her through the thumb. She tried to get one of her boys to run, but the boy could not get away fast enough. Clayton Chase and Hunter's mom and sister could not stop the slaughter. My daughter, she ran over to the fire department. Sit down. It's my stepdaughter. Put him in the cage. Dorman was taken away by sheriff's deputies. Can you get the wallet out of my back pocket?

Starting point is 00:02:14 Shut up, dude. You had the right to remain silent. There was little question that Dorman had committed these crimes, but he was innocent until proven guilty, as anyone else charged with a crime would be. Claremont County Prosecutor Mark Tocalvi announced his intent to seek the death penalty. My goal was to have this man executed for slaughtering these three little boys. But then Dorman's statement to law enforcement was suppressed because he had asked for a lawyer and a detective continued to question him anyway. After that ruling from the judge, Dorman changed his plea to not guilty by reason of mental disease

Starting point is 00:02:49 or defect. He had essentially said he pulled the trigger, but didn't know what he was doing was wrong at the time because of mental illness. And we're here this afternoon because I have been advised that a plea agreement has been reached in this matter. That brings us to today and Dorman pleading guilty to the aggravated murder of his three little boys. As to count one, aggravated murder in violation of 290301A, an unclassified felony. How do you plead? Guilty. Count two, aggravated murder in violation of 290301A, an unclassified felony. How do you plead? Guilty. Count three, aggravated murder in violation of 290301A, an unclassified felony. How do you plead? Guilty. Prosecutor Mark Ticholvi outlined what Dorman did on June 15th of last year. The defendant did purposely and with prior

Starting point is 00:03:45 calculation and design caused the death of his three children, Clayton Dorman, age seven, Hunter Dorman, age four, and Chase Dorman, age three. On that date, Judge, June 15th, 2023, the defendant returned home early from work and had his family, including his wife, Laura Dorman, with him. All three of the boys joined him in the master bedroom for a nap. At some point after lying down with the four of them, the defendant got out of bed, opened the gun safe that was next to the bed, removed a Marlin Model HC-22 rifle from the gun safe and loaded the magazine. The defendant shot his son Hunter Dorman twice while in the bedroom.

Starting point is 00:04:36 His wife Laura began to render aid to Hunter and yelled for the other children to run. Laura's 14-year-old daughter Alexis, who had been watching television in the family room, made her way to the master bedroom and witnessed the killing of Hunter. Alexis immediately began to run and indicated that Chasen had fled out the back door, Clayton had fled out the back door, and that Chad Dorman was following Clayton. She ran to help to try to protect Clayton had fled out the back door and that Chad Dorman was following Clayton. She ran to help to try to protect Clayton. So Colvey then described what happened outside of the home.

Starting point is 00:05:13 The three of them go out the back door, Clayton's first, then there's the defendant, and then Alexis. Alexis witnesses the defendant chase after Clayton, raise his rifle, fired numerous shots at Clayton as he fled, and saw Clayton fall in the field after he was struck by the gunfire. Alexis then watched as the defendant approached Clayton while he's injured, lying on the ground defenseless, and saw the defendant put a bullet in Clayton's head, killing him. Sokalvi said Laura Dorman then tried to save her baby, three-year-old Chase. Laura and the defendant struggled over the weapon. Laura was bitten as she tried to protect Chase from the defendant. The defendant bit her. She put her thumb over the end of the barrel in an effort to stop the bullet. She was shot in the thumb. Ultimately, she had to drop Chase. During this point in time, the defendant was able to reload the firearm and pointed the gun at Chase's head and executed him, one round to his skull.

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Starting point is 00:07:42 Then Dorman's stepdaughter, Alexis Skeen, came into the courtroom. The judge ordered that she and her mother not be shown on camera. Alexis stared at Dorman as the prosecutor, Laura Barone-Allen, read her statement. Ever since what you've done, my life has been something I would never wish upon any family. It is the most heartbreaking and emotional thing anyone could go through. Chad, I miss you and I miss the boys dearly and nothing will ever be the same again because of you. Whenever something exciting happens, I always just want to tell you, because I know you would be so proud of me.

Starting point is 00:08:29 Softball to me isn't the same anymore, because that was our sport. That was the boys sport. You made me an amazing ballplayer. And whenever I play softball, there isn't one game where I don't think about you. And whenever I get a good hit or I learn a new pitch, I always wish I could tell you, because I know you would be so proud of me. And when good things like that happen, it sucks to look on the sideline and not see you be there and for the boys not to be cheering me on like they always did. And Chad, I still work very hard on my grades and I was on the honor roll this past year and I know for a fact if you were there to see it you would be so happy for me because my

Starting point is 00:09:31 grades have always been so important to me another thing that has impacted me was every single holiday waking up on Christmas isn't the same anymore I don't WAKING UP ON CHRISTMAS ISN'T THE SAME ANYMORE. I DON'T GET EXCITED. I DON'T EVEN LOOK FORWARD TO HAVING PRESENTS BECAUSE IT'S NOT THE SAME. I DON'T GET TO WAKE UP EARLY AND WAKE THE BOYS UP. I DON'T GET TO HIDE THE ELF. I DON'T GET TO DO ANY OF THE FUN STUFF ANYMORE BECAUSE THEY'RE GONE AND YOU TOOK THEIR LIVES. I don't get to hide the elf. I don't get to do any of the fun stuff anymore because they're gone and you took their lives.

Starting point is 00:10:10 And Chad, when you go to bed every single night, I want you to know that when you took those three boys' lives away, you took mine and you took my mom's. Chad, I don't think you understand how hard it is to wake up every day and to see my friends and people around me have siblings and to hear them talk about what they did with their siblings that day or how much they enjoy having a brother.

Starting point is 00:10:40 Because deep down, that hurts me so badly and so emotionally. Because it hurts to know I will never get to experience another day with my three brothers. Or to make any memories anymore. Because their innocent lives were taken away so quickly and horribly by their own father. The prosecutor then read the statement of Laura Dorman, Chad Dorman's now ex-wife, the mother of Clayton, Hunter, and Chase, who desperately tried to save her boys' lives. My life was changed forever. My life was ripped away from me and destroyed. Since that day, I have spent every day grieving the loss of my three sweet, so very little sons. I grieve the loss of Clayton, Hunter, and Chase every single day, and I grieve the life

Starting point is 00:11:34 that they did not get to live. I no longer get to raise them and watch them grow. I miss each one of them so very much. I miss their laughter, silliness, love, and joy for life. Where there used to be so much laughter, happiness, noise of rowdy little boys, there is now silence and emptiness. I would do anything to push them on the swing, cover them up one more time and hear their little ways of saying I love you. All of it gone when I should have had so much more life left to live with them. I ask myself how a mother is supposed to carry on a life as a mom with one child left here on earth and three gone forever.

Starting point is 00:12:35 I struggle every day with the will to get up or give up. Life for me is the true pain and suffering. I will never agree to think that any form of punishment could amount to the form of torture and suffering I have to endure each day, such as seeing children and seeing siblings together as I watch Alexis be without her brothers, and seeing families together as I no longer have mine. Having to live a life where I'm visiting the same places I once was with Clayton, Hunter, and Chase all together. Traveling in the car and no longer seeing them in the rearview mirror. This also includes our family home that holds so many memories that I cannot let go of.

Starting point is 00:13:37 But now it's just a devastating to face again, so empty and quiet. I was injured that day fighting with every ounce of my body to just make it stop. I struggle every day knowing I was not successful in doing so and now I have to live with this and wonder what more I could have done to save them. Laura Dorman has asked that the media not contact her or her family. She wants people to talk about her three boys for who they were before they were murdered. In a statement, she wrote, remember them as three little boys who loved fishing, go-karting, 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 loved to have fun and were Dorman's lawyer then spoke on his behalf.

Starting point is 00:14:44 Chad would never have done that, except that he was delusional and he was in psychosis when this happened. All three psychologists basically dialed him in. Dr. Dreyer acknowledged it. They don't agree on whether it qualifies as long enough for serious mental illness or whether he had some appreciation of the legal awfulness of what he did. But the fact is, he loved those boys more than anything. And he was ill. He was sick. Profoundly sick at the time.

Starting point is 00:15:18 There's nothing more he can say at this point except that he's sorry about that. He did it. He acknowledges that. He's taken responsibility for it. He can't bring those boys back who'd do anything to do it. I think he would wish that he stayed at the little clinic for a little longer than he did.

Starting point is 00:15:35 I think he'd wish that, in hindsight, he signs there before this happened. Try to power through it. He wouldn't do that again. Until it was too late, he couldn't. It was out of control. Anything further on that? Mr. Dorman, is there anything you want to say on your own behalf before I impose sentence? No? Mr. Dorman, that's

Starting point is 00:16:03 count one. I'll impose a prison sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole. No fine will be imposed. As to count two, it'll be a life prison term without the chance of parole. And count three, it'll be life in prison without the possibility of parole. These three counts and these three sentences will be served consecutively with one another. Prosecutor Ticalvi explained why he agreed to this plea deal after being so adamant early on that he would seek the death penalty against Dorman. The defense approached us Wednesday or Tuesday morning and inquired about life without parole we brought in Laura the next morning Wednesday morning and had a very lengthy discussion with her I

Starting point is 00:16:54 cannot state to any level of significance the inordinate trauma that she has experienced we have met with her six or eight times and it is it is painful to her it is difficult for my assistant prosecutors difficult for hardened seasoned law enforcement and the my position became fairly clear to me throughout this process and most recently Wednesday when we discussed this plea offer with Laura. That doing anything further would be actually an act of cruelty towards her. We had prepared her to testify.

Starting point is 00:17:40 She was ready to testify next week. Alexis was ready to testify. But the trauma that these two experienced that day and continue to experience on a daily basis. My job, as I saw it this week, was to relieve them of that additional agony. So Colby and other people on the prosecution team plan to release more information about the investigation during a press conference on Monday to reveal what he says was going on behind the scenes at the time that the murders occurred. That's it for Crime Fix. I'm Anjanette Levy. Thanks so much for being with me. I'll see you back here next time.

Crime Fix with Angenette Levy - Ohio Dad Admits To Executing Three Young Sons, Learns Punishment

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