NEW RICHMOND, Ohio — The area around the New Richmond Youth Sports ball field has changed significantly in the year since Chad Doerman shot and killed his three boys at his home down the road in June 2023.
League President Kristin Bennett said the days immediately following the tragic loss of those boys — two of which played for the NRYS — were a scramble to mobilize support for Doerman's now ex-wife and stepdaughter who witnessed the killings.
"The community was just reeling with everything going on," Bennett said.
The field has since been dedicated to the boys with all three having a jersey retired in their honor — Hunter's number 7, Clayton's number 99, and Chase's No. 1 fan jersey, too young at age 3 to play, hanging in the outfield.
"We always just ask everybody to go out and play ball," Bennet said. "Use the hashtag 'Play catch for the Doerman boys' because our goal is to always remember who they were."
In court Friday, Doerman's stepdaughter told him in a statement read by Lara Baron-Allen, Clermont County's chief felony prosecutor, that softball was not the same and never would be since the killing.
"Chad, when you go to bed every single night I want you to know that when you took those boy's lives away, you took mine, and you took my mom's," the statement read.
As tears ran down Doerman's face, her statement ended with her saying she would never forgive him for what he did, but she appreciated the life he gave her before what happened on June 15, 2023.
"I will never hate you," she said.
Friday's plea eliminated the chance for Doerman to face the death penalty and the need for further court hearings.
In a joint statement to the press, the family indicated they accepted it.
Bennett said they would continue to work to help the survivors and honor the Doerman boys — and that begins with accepting the family's decision.
"If it's justice for them, it's justice for us," she said. "They're the victims here. They're the ones that mattered."
Bennett said the banners honoring the Doerman boys had been removed after the season to protect them from the elements and would be rehung ahead of next season.
She said NRYS would continue to improve the ball field including a new scoreboard scheduled to be installed in September.
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