Crime Fix with Angenette Levy - Ohio Dad’s Chilling Words About God After Murdering 3 Sons

Episode Date: August 21, 2026

Chad Doerman is serving three life sentences without the possibility of parole for the horrific murders of his three young sons: Clayton, 7, Hunter, 4, and Chase, 3. Doerman came home early from work on June 15, 2023, and was acting strangely. He shot the boys as his wife, and their older half-sister, tried to stop him. Now, two years after he pleaded guilty, Doerman's interview with detectives has been released. A judge suppressed it after finding detectives violated his rights. Law&Crime's Angenette Levy goes through what it reveals in this episode of Crime Fix — a daily show covering the biggest stories in crime.Host:Angenette Levy  https://twitter.com/Angenette5CRIME FIX PRODUCTION:Head of Social Media, YouTube - Bobby SzokeSocial Media Management - Vanessa BeinVideo Editing - Van DinhGuest Booking - Alyssa Fisher & Diane KayeSTAY UP-TO-DATE WITH THE LAW&CRIME NETWORK:Watch Law&Crime Network on YouTubeTV: https://bit.ly/3td2e3yWhere To Watch Law&Crime Network: https://bit.ly/3akxLK5Sign Up For Law&Crime's Daily Newsletter: https://bit.ly/LawandCrimeNewsletterRead Fascinating Articles From Law&Crime Network: https://bit.ly/3td2IqoLAW&CRIME NETWORK SOCIAL MEDIA:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lawandcrime/Twitter: https://twitter.com/LawCrimeNetworkFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/lawandcrimeTwitch: https://www.twitch.tv/lawandcrimenetworkTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@lawandcrimeSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

I had horrible thoughts. I was living in the Bible. Chad Dorman, the man who murdered his three young sons in front of his wife, grilled about why he did it. Of it hell. Chad, follow me. Why would you be in the hell? Because it's the end of the world. I'll go through the interview the jury would never have seen.

I'm Anjanette Levy, and this is crime fix. Chad Dorman was a father. than anyone, he should have protected his three beautiful sons from danger. Instead, one day in June of 23, he came home early from work. He played with the three boys, Clayton, Hunter, and Chase. He ate lunch, and he talked about how it would be his last good meal. He told those boys, they were the best boys ever, and then he did the unthinkable. Chad Dorman hunted down the three beautiful little boys like they were prey in front of his wife and stepdaughter, the mother and half-sister of the boys. Clayton, Hunter, and Chase were children who loved their family, baseball, and fishing.

And now we are hearing in Chad Dorman's own words what he told detectives that day about scripture and why he says he murdered his own children and how he claims he asked for help. It was June 15th, 2023. Sounds like the mail still on the porch. There are multiple hours. John Readers. It's one and I do clear. Claremont County deputy, Seth Sparks,

raced to the dormant home. The scene he and other deputies found was something out of a nightmare. What about? 3-7. Here's me. Please, we've been told. He's not following to me.

He's not going to claim. He's not going to shoot a shoot-off. I'm trying to. I ain't going to hurt you. I ain't going to hurt nobody. You got anything on you? No, I ain't got nothing, man. Phone, that's it.

That's a little, this is a little. Shut up. You got my right to remain solid. This scene is absolutely horrific. Laura Dorman, the mother of Clayton, Hunter, and Chase, is desperately trying to save her beautiful boys. Deputy Sparks also tries to save one of them. Oh.

No, I got three. The boys cannot be saved. I'm not breathing. No pulse. No pulse. Traditional medic. There's also airtight. Dorman's teenage stepdaughter, who he coached in softball, tried with her mother to save her brothers.

Deputies walked her to an ambulance to make sure that she wasn't hurt physically. As this was going on, people who were in the area started to tell deputies what they saw. Who are you? Do you live here? No, we were trying to go. We pulled up when all this was going down and then we went to go turn around. Okay. And he said, you see something? I said, I saw a guy running.

They got him. They've got him there. You didn't see anything prior to me too or not. He told me just to stay. No, just hang tired, okay? At one point, Deputy Rudd's body camera picks up Chad Dorman talking to himself in the back of the cruiser. It's difficult to hear. But Dorman sounds like he is talking to God.

Mike, the only, they just pulled in to turn around because the cars were blocking. The only thing they saw was the dude running back toward the house. These two ladies here. They just pulled up, went to turn around to go the other way. Stay sitting right here. I don't care. I love that woman. Now do it.

Eventually, Deputy Rudd begins the trip to the sheriff's office, but they make a stop because Dorman, is doing something in the back seat. I had it twice about with him. I just want to wrap it around his neck. Sit back. I can't hurt so bad. I can't sit back.

That afternoon. Detective Ross, June 15th, 2023 at 5.51 p.m. Claremont County Sheriff's detectives prepare to interview Chad Dorman. What will this man who murdered his three sons in cold blood have to say about what he did? I'll see him that chair.

Thank you, sir. If you don't mind, just wait a couple minutes. I'd like to talk to you, but there's a couple things I've got to do first, and then if that's okay? That's fine. All right. Chad Dorman sits, and he waits, and he stares. The detectives leave him sitting for a good 20 minutes, and Chad Dorman squirms a little. Despite the fact that he has just shot his three sons to death, he shows no emotion.

And then Dorman waits again. The detectives return. If you either contact the problem when you're done, you want me. Mike Ross. I got you right. Let me get this. I want to stand up. I'm going to put these in the front, okay? So it's more comfortable. I want to make sure it's not too tight on you. All right. I don't know if I'm able to hit this button. These cuffs are pretty old. There you go. I just want to make sure they don't get tighter on you. Get you drink water there. Like I was saying, I'm Mike Ross. This is Mike rain. We've met before, but you probably don't remember. In fact, in 2015, I came out to your house when you were on Virginia Drive. when you lived on Virginia. Do you remember that? Here.

Okay. I want to talk to you about what happened today, but I got to read this to you real quick, all right? And I read this to everybody, all right? It says you have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can be used against you in court, you have the right to talk to the lawyer for advice before I ask you any questions, and if you cannot afford a lawyer, one will be appointed. Yep.

You understand? Oh, good. Do you, by chance to remember me at all? Hayes. Okay. Back when you lived on Virginia, did you, was that your house or did you live with somebody? You said, have you ever been married before? Have you ever been married previous?

Is there anything I can do to make you more comfortable? Are you hungry? Or do you need any, like, do you take any prescription medications that I can get for you? Do you feel okay now? God. Why don't we do this? Why don't you just tell me what's going on, what happened today? Anything say?

I don't really do. And that's okay. Maybe we can work through this. Maybe we can help you remember. Alright? I have no clue. What am I doing in here? Well, that's what we're trying to figure out. When's the last time you slept? Monday. Do you know what day it is today? Thursday? Friday?

No, you're right. It's Thursday. Do you know what the date is? It's alright. I had to look myself. Today's the 15th. Why don't you take a drink of water? Maybe that'll help you. Maybe you're just a little dehydrated. You said you haven't slept since Monday. Are you tired now?

Mm-hmm. All right. A little bit. Not really. When's the last time you ate any food? Today. Breakfast, lunch? Mm-hmm.

Do you remember what you ate? I didn't eat me. What happened? Did something make you upset? I wasn't upset. What? Were you feeling betrayed? No.

Never. Happy? Was there's a weight on your back about something recently? What happened today? We were living in hell, like the world hell. In the Bible, you shoot the first, second, third, first your rifle, that is the first one. You didn't what?

What? You didn't first? No, I didn't get it. You didn't get to finish your life? I don't know. Why is that? Because I'm only who I am. Mm-hmm.

You say that, do you mean you just kind of lost your way? I'll be for a lawyer. I rather don't know. I give me a couple days and let me talk to a lawyer so that way I can get nice, good answers. Do you have a lawyer? We have family lawyers. Who's that? Is there somebody I can call?

Keith Dorman. Is he related to you? Yes. Who's Keith to you? My dad. And then Ruby Franklin. She's in CIA. Car.

Is she a lawyer? Huh? Is Ruby a lawyer? She's in the CIA. All right. I heard you say that. I didn't know if maybe she was a CIA. CIA attorney or, but you said your dad is a lawyer?

We have a family lawyer. But you don't know who that is? The judge will later throw out much of Chad Dorman's statement. His father is not a lawyer. I don't think I've ever met you either. We've met. I remember you. You were the nice guy that lives on Virginia Drive.

Do you like a drink of water? Tell her about Virginia Drive. I know. Talk to you there. You had left your door open and you were worried about someone having a key to it and I checked it for you. Who would have had the key? I think you just left it open. I don't think anyone had a key. Oh, you didn't check it.

Did you lock it home up? Well, you were there. We talked. I mean, we didn't have to lock it up. You were at home. Let's step out for a minute, okay? All right. You okay? Chad, do you need anything? I'm sure don't want something to eat. Cuffs feel a little better.

I thought I was in hell. Straight hell. The answers Dorman gives are clearly not what the detective expected to hear. I couldn't tell you my kid's ages either. I just know. You would have asked me, if you would have asked me 15 minutes ago inside that cop car, I could not have told you. If you would have asked me a week ago, I would not have told you. Or ages? I wouldn't have told you. I probably wouldn't have. I wouldn't. I wouldn't. he'll be talking last week.

Yeah. What changed? Mm-hmm. Just feel like talking now. Mm-hmm. Where do you work at? Kills. Insulation.

Is that a union job? Mm-hmm. How long do you work there? A long time? A year? A long time? Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.

Do you work today? Mm-hmm. Do you remember having to come home because you forgot some tools? Tape. Tape? Like the silver duct tape? Or what kind of tape we're talking about? No tape.

Did you get it? Mm-hmm. And did you go back to work after you got the tape? Mm-hmm. And then what happened? Where were you working at today? Like on-site? Orthepenics.

Where? Orthopedics. Oh, okay. And where's that at? And Amelia? And Anderson? And then at some point, did you decide that you wanted to go home and take a nap? Or did you finish out your work day? Did you come home again early? Let me ask you this. Did anybody at work irritate you today? Your boss, a coworker. Ken, I need you to stay with me. It's important. You good? Chat. I need you to stay with me. This is important. All right? I'd like to know what happened. Some things happen today, and I'd like you to tell me what happened. Have you been arguing lately at all? Now, don't tell me no, because I argue with my wife all the time.

Marriage is not easy. I don't know to argue. Can you kind of turn around and walk away? Well, I guess I don't argue with my wife either. She's always right, because when I try and argue, it just makes it worse. But I know that marriage is difficult, and if you're not, arguments from time to time, then it's not, you know, you're not having a meaningful marriage. So what we're arguing about or what we said about?

Do you remember asking you today if everything was okay with you? My thoughts and crazy thoughts and how I need to go to the doctors. And I scheduled appointment at the little clinic to go there. And then I didn't go there. I went home. back to the doctors and looked at me and said, yeah, the hospital. And then take me, take me. I had horrible thoughts thinking I was living in the Bible.

I'm listening. Keep going. Tell me about those thoughts you were having. I got a, mm-hmm. The Bible is important to me. I'm curious of what kind of things you were thinking. Mm-hmm. Were you thinking about hurting yourself? No.

Were you thinking about hurting? Let them go to heaven. Because we're living in hell. Detective Ross presses Chad Dorman to get answers, some type of admission about why he killed his sons. Chad, this is important. Stay with me. Did you... Is that how you were gonna come to heaven? You shook your head now?

Well, then how? You're in heaven now? Yes. And how? To heaven. Why? Like an angel? Like an angel.

Is that what you think they deserve to be is in heaven? In a better place. Yes. And so your idea was to make you got there in a good way, in a kind way. I don't talk to. Detective Ross also wonders whether Chad Dorman could have been under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Chad, I'm going to ask you something and I don't want to offend you, all right, but I need to ask this. Have you been using drugs, street drugs?

No drugs ever. Meth? No. I've joked around about it, but never did meth, never did any type of speed, never did anything. All right. No ice? Nope. No.

No cope? No. No. No. No. Just drink alcohol? Yep. Well, beer.

I haven't had a beer in a while. Actually, I drink, no. I haven't had a beer in a while. What's a while to you? Like two days. usually I got up these drink three four six night you know you guys and I again I don't have to but like that's what I do you know I go on mow grass drink a cup of beers and there is anything wrong with that but again I don't I don't want to offend you

but do you have a drinking problem I mean I mow grass and drink but I'm just asking do you I don't think so I think like by the weekends I mean yeah you might drink seven eight you know but on weekdays you know I drink two or three you got work Yeah, and you've never had a DUI, so I don't think that you have a drinking problem. No, I have a DUI. All right, so, yeah, I'm a lot, I drink too. I get it. But you've never, you know, dabbled in any street drugs or anything like that, he said.

No. Do you take any prescription medications? Nope. Can you tell us a little bit about why you want to go to the little clinic? It was poisoning me for a while. When? Once again. He's putting shit in my food.

It was about I couldn't even eat because I would taste it. And it's bad. Do you think you did that today because you seem like you're in and out of it like... I don't know. Last night I couldn't sleep. I couldn't sleep. I didn't drink beer. Do you normally drink beer to help you relax and sleep?

Yeah. Sometimes, but I know. But I feel like for the last eight months, I feel off. Nine months off. off, real off. You seem a little off this afternoon. You feel like you're in and out of thinking things. Yep.

Yep. Your thoughts, do they bother you? Never listen to me. I kept up over and over. I said, I got bad thoughts. I got bad thoughts. Help me out. Take me to the doctor, you know?

Because I don't know. I don't know where I was going. I got to work to me. I didn't know. I'm going to work. I kept calling mom. I kept calling dad. I kept calling everybody. I know. My whole family to help me. Nobody would help me. What you? Nobody helped me at all. Just take me somewhere. We're going to get you some help, Chad. That's why we're here.

No, it's... That's why we're here. I've asked, and asked, and asked. I can't do everything. No, you can't. You can't do it all. I can't do it all. I can't do it all. Do you make the money for you? So you're working hard every day. You're making the money to pay the bills.

And you're just asking for some help and then you're not getting it. No. That'll make you mad. I do it all. I just do it. I don't care. I don't care. Who doesn't?

It just needs to do. All finished. Let's go. Is that why you were mad today? It wasn't bad. Because you couldn't get help. I'm not bad. Testing would later reveal that Chad Dorman did not have drugs in his system and the toxicology report also stated that ethyl alcohol was not detected despite Dorman buying a bud light on his way home that day.

And as you'll later see, Dorman's claim that his food was being poisoned will later unravel. That's what I want to ask you what happened today. I don't know. I wasn't there. Oh, what happened? Today what happened? You tell me. I don't know. Well, when you came home from work, did you go and get your Mossburg? What? When you came home from work today, did you go to your safe? Faulty.

Say what? Faulty. Yeah, earlier today you had to come home because you forgot tape. And then later today, did you get in your safe? Keep the gun in your safe, chance? Can't get to it. Yes? Photos from inside the master bedroom.

the gun safe. It's right next to the bed where Dorman was laying down with his wife and children when he suddenly jumped up, opened the safe, grabbed a rifle, and started shooting. Did either of those 22s have like a wooden stock? All of those are wooden stocks. Well, I have one that's black stock. It's all black. And it's more for defense. It's not for hunting. It's not like a nice, it's not like a nice rifle. Yours are all nice though, right? like wooden, nice, collector style. Do you remember getting any of those rifles today?

Did you have any need for them today? Is there any reason why you would have needed them today? And the reason I'm asking is because earlier you told Mike and I that you wanted to send heaven. And so that's why I'm asking, did you need that rifle to do that? Well, I don't, I'm confused. I don't know how you would say.

to heaven if you didn't use your rifle. How would you have done that? In this next exchange, the detectives tried to figure out why Dorman spared his wife and stepdaughter, but killed the boys. How come only were sent to heaven? Why were it not deserved to go to heaven? What's the Bible say about women going to heaven? It's good. Well, did they deserve to go to heaven because

they didn't go. Why didn't they get to go? Because, they don't know. Well, you got to help me understand it. Why did I get to go? You said that you were going, that you wanted to go to hell. I don't want to go to hell. I'm in hell. I'm sorry, I misunderstood you. But help me understand why didn't go to heaven.

Is it because they wouldn't help you? I didn't get to go to heaven. I don't either. I'm only repeating what you told me. You told me to heaven. And I'm trying to figure out why I didn't know. I wasn't there. You got to help me, Chad. I wasn't there. You were there. You were definitely there, Chad. I was there? Yes. You were home. I wasn't there. Chad, you were there?

I was working. You did work today, but you came home. Huh? I didn't go home. There ain't no way I went home. What time is it? It is now... What do we do it here? 7.10.

What do we do it here? It's 7.10 tonight. Chad, I want to know who shot... What are you talking about? And who shot... He's good looking. Who sent him to heaven? What are you talking about sending them to heaven?

Well, that's what you said. What? You told us you deserve to go to heaven. Yeah, all kids you get ahead. I agree. I agree too. Yeah. Okay, but you most deserve to go to? We're all got certain so everybody deserves to go. Yeah, you'll be saved. So did you help today to get there? What? Peace. Is that your house? Yeah. Do you remember chasing through your yard? What? Do you remember chasing way through the yard through the field there. A neighbor told us that you were chasing through this field.

That's why I printed that picture out. I wanted you to show me where you were chasing. What are you talking about? What are you talking about? A neighbor told us that you were chasing one of the fields through the field. And you had a rifle. I'm here every shit. So what happened?

Hello. Have you ever had these thoughts before? No. Never. I've been having crazy. Like, thinking, like, watching people's hands flick and the whole entire world just moving so fast. Can't keep up? It was just driving insane. I keep telling everybody, like, I'm going nuts.

And they're like, go get home. No, well, no, you go get, like, anxiety message or whatever for a message or whatever's wrong with you. I'll talk to you. I'm done talking to you. But the talking continued, and Detective Ross pressed Chad Dorman for more answers. Have you ever had thoughts? I'm dead. I'm dead, ain't I? You're not in hell.

You're not dead, Chad. You're not in hell. You're talking to me and Mike. I'm just going to do this until the fire comes up and doesn't be burning. Inside this room? Do you ever have thoughts of hurting other people? that's something that you were going to talk to the doctor about? Yeah, no. Never?

I would never hurt anybody, no. Unless you heard me, but I would never hurt anybody, like shoot anybody or anything like that. I'll get knuckles and knuckles with you all day. Well, you've been in some fights with your brother, right? I fight with my brothers. Oh, yeah, we've got fist fights. All the time, probably.

Yeah. You too? Yep. But you've never had any thoughts to hurt yourself? Yeah. What about other people? No. Even a fleeting thought, not something that you acted on, but just something that popped in your head and popped out

No I got a cigarette Can I smoke a cigarette? I have some cigarettes, but I can't give them to you just yet. We need to talk a little bit more before I give you a cigarette All right I don't you smoke Well, it's up to you if you want one. I'll give one to you here in a little bit, but not yet. We need to talk a little bit more I need to find out what happened I I need to know we got to heaven.

I have no clue. I have no clue. Is this your honor? Do you ever drink this? That's yours. You can have it. Did you fire your gun today? I need to step outside.

You getting hot? I'm getting fancy. Just confined to space. Did you, did you fire your gun today? No? No. Did you fire any fireworks today? Yeah.

Yeah. It's getting around that time of year where people put off fireworks. You said, no. What if I told you that you did fire your gun today, would you believe me? Maybe. What if you said you fired your gun today? Would you be lying? I don't know. Yes, and then.

What do you lie about? Uh-uh. Tells me that you fired a weapon today? This is the second time that Chad Dorman has brought up a lawyer, but the questioning continued. Who else's DNA would be on that gun besides you? I don't think so anybody's. I've cleaned that gun before. So you are the only one that has access to the safe to get the gun and your DNA is going to be on that gun

Who do you think shot that gun? I don't know It wasn't the... No, definitely not. Where shot? Dude. If you are the only one with access to the gun and your DNA is the only DNA on the gun...

Hold on, hold on, hold on. Everything's like we're playing. Everything is we play it. Okay. Let's start with this. Like, if I had hell? No. This is hell.

We're having a conversation. This is hell, right here. No. Follow me on this, Chad. I'm in hell. Chad, follow me. Why would you be in hell? Because it's the end of the world.

Why? I mean, what's... What do you mean? Why are you in hell? Why do you think you're in hell? All right. What's going on? All right, follow me, Chad. Oh, I want to take a break.

At home, I told you I have a safe in my house, and I have a rifle. If I told you that nobody else had access to that safe, and only my DNA was on that rifle, who do you think shot that rifle? Make yourself a detective. You are a detective, and you want to know who shot my rifle, and you know that. I'm the only one that has access to it and only my DNA who do you think shot my rifle what's that mean chat I'm a driver what's that mean I need you said that earlier you told Mike and I that you were concerned that somebody was poisoning

you and we'd like to check that now if you're okay with it okay the best way to check that is you can find one of those pouncy stuff yep and you can hair follow you test me and everything Okay. First, we're going to try a urine test because that can check for some things, and then we might need to do a blood test later for other chemicals that might poison you. So let's do that, and then we'll get the dip. I think Sean's here. We're going to go out this way. As detectives tried to get Chad Dorman to admit what he did,

other detectives have already interviewed Dorman's wife, Laura, and his stepdaughter about the sheer terror and horror that he put them through hours earlier. Laura Dorman told detectives that Chad came home from work early that day. It was unexpected. He ate and made a remark that it would be his last good meal. At one point, Chad got a Bible, and he started walking around the house with it and mumbled. Chad knows what's right. Chad then went to the gun safe in the bedroom.

His wife told him that he was scaring her and that she didn't like what he was doing and she planned to call his parents. Dorman then said he was just playing around. Dorman's wife was so concerned that she and one of their sons stayed in the bedroom with him because she didn't want him to be alone. And then Chad pulled a rifle from the gun safe and shot Hunter.

Laura Dorman and her daughter tried to save those boys, but Chad Dorman chased them down. Laura Dorman was shot in the thumb while trying to save her sons. The detectives have had enough but Dorman's denials and talk of being poisoned and living in hell, so they try a different approach.

How could you haven't slept for a few days? I don't know. What kind of stress are you under? I mean, is it stress? I don't know. I don't think it's stress. I don't know what it is. Have you had trouble sleeping in the past?

Never. When did this start? Probably like a while ago. Okay. You just started having trouble sleeping through the night? Just being out. No, it's sleeping. It's just like I'm sleeping all the time.

What do you do like when you can't sleep? Do you, do you, do you, do you got a hobby that you do? Do you go out of the garage? You go outside? Do you do something to keep yourself occupied? Yeah, like, well, that's just me occupied, but I'll play, I'll play. So let's say through the night when everybody's asleep. Oh, I just lay a bed.

You just lay there? Do you watch TV? Try to. Yeah. But I don't, like, I can't. And then what, the alarm goes off and you start the day again? No, no. The alarm don't even go off.

I turn it off before the longer we ever goes off. Then you take shower, eat breakfast and go, or what? Uh, no, sometimes take shower. Yeah. So then last night when you came home, we still under the same stress last night? So today's Thursday, be Wednesday night. Oh, I didn't have this, I don't think I had a stress.

I don't know. Do you just lay in bed that night? Last night? Yeah. I don't know. Yeah, yeah, yeah. When all the, when all the bed, do you Good night.

Oh, yeah, we pray. Yeah. Pray God. Do everything? Do you remember going to the room last night? No. Sometimes. Yeah, usually out.

Yeah, he's usually out. Out with friends? No, like out the sleeping. Okay. In bed. And you said, you said, remember, I'll always love you. God was kind of odd. Not that you said,

You said you just the way you said it. You said you've been acting weird for a few days, just off. Didn't know what was going on. Yeah. I've been asking everybody for help. Asking people for help? Yeah. Do you have insurance, correct?

Health insurance? Yeah. Why didn't you go get help? Why does somebody else have to do it for you? I mean, you're the provider of the house, right? You go to work, you do everything. if you needed help, why wouldn't you go to the doctor? I don't know.

I don't either. I have no clue. I was always told me never get a doctor. Why? I don't know. You should tell me when you guys the doctor sick? Yeah? Yep.

So then when you got home today after you went back and put the tape on, or was he was home? Yeah. What was said? Do you guys talk or anything? Yeah. I don't think so. It's kind of really turn away and then.

Would you do to go to bed or try and lay down or what? That's how to lay down, I think. Yeah. So then they left probably, right? They left the house for a little bit. They did? Chad, you know everything happened. Listen to me.

Dude. Listen, no. Listen, listen. I've sat out here and watched. And every time he shows you a picture you flip it over, You know what happened tonight? I don't put my picture. I have f***ing over.

What? Help me understand what set you off tonight to make you just do the things that you've done. Help me understand. I can't help you if I don't know what the problem is. I don't know, dude. I have no clue. But something has had to have happened to be building this up for days or whatever, how long you've been feeling like this and not sleeping.

Well, something, something has triggered or something. something has set you off, something traumatic has happened. No, nothing's traumatic has happened. So have you struggled with mental illness? I don't know. Your whole life, you don't know? I don't know. But you can tell me what you did this morning when you went to work,

but you can't tell me anything that's happened prior in your life. No, I can't. You can, you just don't want to. No, I can't. I just, I need you to help me understand why you did this today. What has been going on causing you not to sleep to make your think that you're acting off, to make everybody think that you're not acting the same? What has happened?

I mean, how long have you been at your job? A couple years. Do you have any trouble at work? Yeah. Your boss doesn't have any trouble? Do a good job? Yeah, all the time. Knock everything out, get it done.

I've been able to leave early and get paid for eight hours. It's not like it. He takes care. I mean, that's, I can work three or four hours and work six hours or eight hours. He'll pay me for whatever. It don't matter because I always get everything done. As long as you get your job done, he's good with it. Detective Ross decides it's time to turn up the heat on Chad Dorman,

and he confronts him telling him his wife witnessed everything. If witnessed it, right, and trying to stop you from shooting, all you shoot, there is no doubt that you shot. What kind of man do you? want to be, Chad. Do you want to be a monster that just kill the ones? Oh, never, no, no. Or are you, did you just have a breakdown? A breakdown? No. No. Which is it, Chad? I don't want to be that kind of man. Are you a monster? I'm not a monster. Or are you, Chad, who just had a breakdown and made some

mistakes today, some bad mistakes, but we all make mistakes. I'm not a monster. So which one are you? Tell me. I'm not a monster. I don't think you are either. I think you had a mental breakdown today, but I also think you know what happened and you're scared to tell me. I'm not scared. I'm not scared of anything. I haven't lied to you. Don't lie to you. Don't lie to me. I'm not. I've been nothing but kind to you. I know, and I respect you, sir. But there's no doubt in our mind that you should. But we want to know why, what happened. I don't know.

And I need you to be honest with me and tell me. I don't know why. I don't know what happened. I don't know anything. It wasn't. If it saw it. The firemen and the medics sold it also. I don't even see me doing that.

I can't even tell you that I did that. Let's put that aside because you did. All right. You should. Now. The question is, what kind of man are you? Are you the kind of man that made a mistake and had a mental breakdown? And if that's you, then you need to, we need to talk about it.

I don't think I haven't been a breakdown, dude. Then you did it on purpose. Then you shot. I'm not a monster. If you didn't have a metal breakdown, then you're a monster. You had a shoot. Even if I had a metal breakdown, I still wouldn't do that. You stood over time.

What? The fireman sold that. The medics. I just want to understand what was going to what happened. Dude, I don't know. It was not me. It was you. It was you. You shot these... You're a monster.

I'm not a monster! I'm not a monster! What? I thought that I believed that you weren't, but I'm starting... You won't talk to me about it. You say you can't remember. That's... You remember something.

Dude, I didn't do it. You gotta remember getting the gun out of the safe. I didn't get the gun out of the safe. You're not... You're the only one with access to the safe. How the, you're not the one that got the gun out of the safe? I did. You said your own words, your DNA is the only DNA on that gun, other than these three

you're scared. We're not here to talk about it if you did it. We're here to talk about why. I don't know. We know you did it, but we have witnesses, independent witnesses. I don't know. But I don't know why. I want to understand.

I don't. I really don't. I want to understand too. I want to understand too. But something has happened that led up to this. Nothing. I have no clue, dude. So earlier in your interview,

you said that you had been having some bad thoughts and that you wanted help. What were those bad thoughts? I was in hell. I was in hell. Chad Dorman admits that the thought of killing his children had been on his mind for more than six months. When did it come upon you that this is what you were going to do? Probably last night because you were telling you.

No, not last night. Well, then why were you acting differently? Yeah, it was kind of lay there. I mean, would that be there? No, no, it wasn't last night. When he knows you well, last night something was going to happen. Would it have been in the past? Is this why you can't sleep?

Because you knew you had to do it. Yeah. And I was sick to my stomach. Seek to my stomach forever. See, Chad, now I believe that. Now we're talking. Now we're having a conversation. You're letting us understand what you were thinking.

It's all due to that Bible, and I trusted God. Where's that Bible now? I didn't read the Bible. Well, I never read the Bible. I got told the story. I had been in the church. What church? I don't know what church I went to.

How long ago was it? Three years. But I think my dad also told me the story. Did you take any notes anywhere? No. Have you wrote any of this down anywhere? No. I believe so.

Just keep it inside of you thinking about it? Yeah. You were so... You were torn. Did you ever... There's out of older signs all over the... all over the place. People were walking like zombies.

It's going to be a nightmare down here. It's going to be a pass. And I'm not going to have my family anywhere near or. Did you ever tell you that this was going to happen? I don't do. Or you're about your feelings about it. No. I don't think so.

Because you should never put that on. Never. That's a heavy burden, Chad. It's a heavy burden. I tried and I didn't succeed. Do you remember trying to stop you from shooting your... Yeah, that's why you got to first. Tell me about what happened.

Why? I'm gonna stop. You didn't stop. You didn't really, I was done. I didn't really put up that much of a fight. Away from me? No, that was it, that, that would... What, hell?

It wasn't intended for ever? The hell. Okay. How come you didn't sit down in the yard and you were standing on the porch? So I thought I did it in the wrong order. What is the order that you did? I don't know. But somebody's got to get it right.

Somebody has to get it right, dude. When you say you didn't do it in the right order, you mean, first you shot, you say you did it in the wrong order. You should have shot first. Is that what you're saying? Yes. Okay. goes on to tell detectives that when he was younger, his father told him about scripture that discussed

giving up your firstborn son, and he'd forgotten about it until he and his wife started attending church around October 22 months earlier. And then if you have more than you got no bit in order, then you can't, you can't just have two, like, you got, if you just have one, it's easy. It's supposed to be easy. if you have more than what it's harder because you love you've got to beat it and when you went to church you remember all those things yeah and do you think that that was sometime in late 22 Tibb? Oh, it'll be something like that.

Or was it this year in 2023? It wasn't, I don't think it was toward 23. Was this but that day, that day, 2020. Earlier when we talked, you said something about pumpkins. Was it around that time? It was October. I think he was going church in October. Yep, yep, we went church in October.

Okay. Check, can I ask you, you remember these scriptures, and you remember somebody, somebody, your dad telling you these scriptures. Mm-hmm. At some point, did you ever think about talking to a pastor about it? Yeah, honestly. Just to get clarification?

I didn't think, I didn't think anything was wrong about it. You know, because it's come from my dad. Right. So it's right. You said in the Bible, this, this, this, and he told me it. Yeah. So. Anything dad says is, I'm the same way.

It's gold. Yep. No question. Yep. I understand that. I mean, if my dad tells me something, I believe what he says. Exactly. One hundred percent. I appreciate you telling us and explaining this to us. I have an understanding of why you were thinking like this now.

Does that make sense? I mean, you're explaining this to us in these thoughts. That's something that I needed to hear to know what you were thinking, and to know what you were struggling with. And, you know, this is heavy on you, and it's something that you couldn't sleep because you knew that day was coming and it was building. And that's why you couldn't work today. You knew it had to be done, and you came home.

The interview ends with Chad Dorman admitting his food was not being poisoned. This is hard. I'm sure. I was here. Hell's coming. There's out-of-order signs everywhere. There's everything. All the signs are there.

I've tried to look past it. Every time I look up, I see it all. So I look down, because I know the sides. And then I look up and I see every bit of the signs. And I know what I had to do, because I was told up from a little boy. You're going to have to do this. This is on you. Well, I appreciate it.

you being honest with me. I was honest with you and you were honest with me. Do you still think you've been poisoned? It loves me very much. It loves me and everything. Chad Dorman's parents lived in Florida, but they traveled to Ohio after their son murdered their grandsons. And detectives spoke with them about how Chad's behavior was odd in the months before that day in June of 2023. From last October, they came down for Halloween. And he was just talking, just the way he was acting and depressed. Yeah, like a nervous breakdown-type deal. Saying, you know, love me and just off the ball.

Just staring at me. They're sharing at me. Paranoid. We're really paranoid. But now that it started earlier in the year, but we, didn't know about it's not something that he's ever acted like before no i mean i i know i've been coming and gone this past year intermittently and we've been telling me we told him and up to it we said you need to get some help you're going to have a nervous breakdown dormant's father denied telling him

about scripture that discussed killing your son dormant's mother explained that he was under an incredible amount of stress for when he works one full-time job sometimes too he does it all there it's a grocery store, he comes home, he cooks down, I have to work it all day, he takes baseball, he does, he takes, he's constantly with the, and he says they fight all the time. Okay. All the time, the neighbors even said they hurt him fighting all the time for our house. So this past weekend, he, uh, he took the out and spent the whole weekend Saturday with them all day, Saturday outrunning.

The best time, they'd love being with her against him. That Sunday, he was with him and did stuff. And then he went to work Monday, and it seemed to start. They had been fighting him at weekend, because he said, why should I sit here? I'm just taking me to have fun. I don't know what to sit here and find him. And then during the week, he started, he told me, he called me pretty often. I was the last one to talk to him.

He called me, said, I just left work. He said, I don't know what's wrong with me. He said, I felt like I was going to die or something's wrong with me. He said, I had to go home. I told him. I loved him. And I don't know what was wrong with me. And he was saying all this crazy stuff that I couldn't grip.

And then he calmed down after he told him that. And he went back to work. But he still wasn't that good. He called me that night. He didn't sound good. They were still arguing. Yesterday was the worst day. And he called me.

He said he went to work. And he got there. everybody was working and he was working. He said, but every time they moved their hands and their arms, it was like they were coming out. They were coming after it. And that's another thing. He used to think people were coming after it.

And still he said, I left work, Mom. I said, Chad, will you leave and go to the ER? Something's wrong because he kept said, he said, I feel like I died. When I had that car wreck, I felt like I should be dead. Chad Dorman was booked on aggravated murder charges for the deaths of seven-year-old Clayton, four-year-old Hunter and three-year-old Chase, three adorable boys who looked to their father to protect them. The prosecutor announced he would pursue the death penalty, but then,

shortly before trial, a deal was struck. Dorman would plead guilty to three counts of aggravated murder in exchange for the death penalty being removed as a punishment. Dorman had planned a mental health defense. Experts found he had been in some state of psychosis around the time of the murders. An assistant prosecutor read a statement on behalf of Dorman's stepdaughter. 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. Softball to me isn't the same anymore because that was our sport, and that was the boys' sport. You made me an amazing ball player, 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 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 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. 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 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 a statement from Laura Dorman, the mother of Clayton, Hunter, and Chase, who desperately tried to save her boys.

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 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 here, there are 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 asked 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. 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 rear view mirror, this also includes our family home

that holds so many memories that I cannot let go of. 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. In a statement, Laura Dorman wrote, Remember them as three little boys who loved fishing, go-carting, and swore. 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 inseparable from one another.

Their lives are not about what happened to them. They are so much more than that. Chad Dorman was sentenced to three life sentences without parole. He's been transferred to a prison outside of Ohio for his own protection. This is one of the most horrific cases that I've ever covered in all of my years covering crime. And I hope those little boys are resting in peace and that their mother and their sister can somehow move forward. And that's it for this episode of Crime Fix. I'm Janette Levy. Thanks so much for being with me. I'll see you back here next time.