An Indiana mother who endured repeated abuse from her husband sought court protection on Christmas Day. Three days later, she was dead—shot by the same man in front of their children—according to police and court records. Because the filing was made on a holiday, a judge was unable to review or sign the request while court offices were closed.
The couple’s 10-year-old daughter reportedly called 911 on Sunday afternoon to report her mother’s death. The child told dispatchers that her father, 46-year-old Cecil Mains, “had a gun and he shot their mother … then fled the scene in a gray Toyota Tundra,” according to a probable cause affidavit obtained by local ABC affiliate WRTV.
Court documents reviewed by WRTV and The Indianapolis Star show that Jeri Mains filed for a protective order on Christmas morning, identifying herself as a victim of domestic violence. In the petition, she accused Cecil Mains of assaulting her with kitchen tongs on Christmas Eve, causing a cut and bruising.
Court officials confirmed the existence of the filing when contacted on Tuesday, noting that the document is confidential.
According to The Indianapolis Star, the petition detailed a pattern of escalating violence. Jeri Mains alleged that during an argument on Dec. 10, Cecil Mains punched a computer, sending a cup of hot chocolate splashing onto her. She also reported that in November he punched her in the face, leaving her nose bleeding and her face bruised. Earlier in the year, she said, he shattered the driver’s-side window of her truck and repeatedly threatened to kill their four children and pets.
On Christmas Eve, the petition states, Cecil Mains met Jeri Mains in a courthouse parking lot after she told him she intended to file for divorce. She said she recorded a conversation in which he threatened to kill himself in front of her and their children.
A Marion County judge was unable to review the protective order petition because the judge’s office was closed from Dec. 24 through Dec. 28, according to The Indianapolis Star.
Police say Cecil Mains shot and killed Jeri Mains in front of their four children, left her body in the driveway, and fled in his pickup truck. He was arrested the following day after officers located the vehicle and conducted a traffic stop.
“These kids have … endured more than any child should,” a GoFundMe description for the family states. The fundraiser says Jeri Mains was “tragically taken,” leaving behind four children—ages 19, 17, 14, and 10.
“All their lives have changed,” the description adds.
Cecil Mains is being held without bond at the Marion County Jail on a preliminary charge of murder.
