OH - Clermont County father lined up sons 3, 4, and 7, executed with rifle, mother injured trying to protect them, June 2023

[Cindizzi]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1820477481784340801

 

[Megnut]

Press conference, live

 

[Megnut]

Day of, on his way to work, he searches for the song, "Happy in Hell". Left work at 9:30 am.

 

[Megnut]

Defendant stopped at Kroger, went to the Supplements asked, then paused at The Little Clinic. Left.

His mother had suggested he get some help.

He didn't go into the clinic.

 

[Megnut]

Showing video of him at Kroger's.

LE says his mother didn't call Laura, didn't call 911, "did nothing".

Wearing the same clothes he wore when he murdered his children.

 

[Cindizzi]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1820509819607883777

 

[Megnut]

Earlier in this PC, LE walked through his activities in the days leading up to the crime.

Mostly normal behavior. Odd apology to his stepdaughter one morning, but work, nothing noted. Maybe trouble sleeping.

 

[Megnut]

He spent maybe a minute sbd a half at the clinic counter.... isn't helped, walks away.

Goes home, buys a beer (?) on the way.

 

[Megnut]

At lunch, he tells his wife, this will be my last good meal".

Calls his father, tells him, "Clayton will be the hardest one".

Doing yard work, playing with the kids.

Midafternoon starts reading the Bible with Hunter...

Starts mumbling...

Tells boys they did nothing wrong.

 

[Megnut]

About 4 o'clock, they all lay down to nap.

He jumps up, grabs the .22 from safe.

Laura was frightened he was going to kill himself.

Screaming, beg him not to kill himself, they love him.

She grabs the phone to call 911, he takes the phone from her and throws it, he shoots Hunter....

This is too graphic.... I'm going to pause....

LE plays 911 calls.

My God

 

[Megnut]

The 911 call is the most disturbing call I've ever heard.

I'm crying for all of them.

 

[Megnut]

They talk about the little girl's bravery, running after the defendant, to try to protect Clayton.

Neighbor's ring camera captures some of the chaos.

This is hard to listen to. The chaos, the horror.

Devastating details.

 

[Megnut]

MOO

And then he just sits on the front steps.

My heart goes out to the mother and daughter all over again.
The second 911 is just as painful.

How does a man go from playing with his children to terrorizing his whole family and executing his children?

Bowels of hell.

MOO

 

[Megnut]

Defendant is placed in the transport vehicle, says "Tell them I did it".

When questioned at the station, he acts like he doesn't know anything happened. But when he lists his sons, he says Clayton, Hunter and Chase.

Not their birth order. But the order he shot them.

Admitted to having trouble sleeping on account of knowing what he was going to do.

 

[Megnut]

He tells officers that Laura tried to stop him and that he should have killed her first.

 

[Megnut]

Now they're talking about a plea of not guilty by reason of insanity.

They describe the complicated technicalities of such a plea.

He was never diagnosed or treated for any mental illness.

Defense experts didn't agree, could have been a mood disorder, or anxiety or depression or perhaps none.

Ultimately determined he did know right and wrong at the time.

 

[Megnut]

Pretty thorough explanation for why NGRI didn't apply.

 

[Megnut]

Discussing the plea and sentencing, 3 LWOP. Plus other charges.

They worked with Laura, wanted to do the least harm.

Present a statement from her.

Wow, her thoughts are for others.

Lovely woman, unfathomable pain.

 

[lightofmine99]

Defense experts didn't agree, could have been a mood disorder, or anxiety or depression or perhaps none.

I'm sorry what? They didn't agree he didn't have a mental illness diagnosis? That can be easily proven and disproven. And if all they had was blaming this on "anxiety and depression" then that's why we're here today at this conference. MOO.

 

[Cindizzi]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1820522231648469214