Left inset: Cecil Mains (Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department). Right inset: Jeri Mains (GoFundMe). Background: The Indiana home where Jeri Mains was allegedly shot and killed by her husband in front of their four children (WTHR).
In a tragic incident in Indiana, a mother was fatally shot by her husband in front of their children, just days after she sought a protective order against him. Law enforcement and witnesses report that the mother, Jeri Mains, had expelled her husband, Cecil Mains, from their home due to infidelity and allegations of abuse.
Cecil Mains, aged 46, now faces formal murder charges following the alleged shooting of his 44-year-old wife with a .380 handgun. The bullets struck Jeri in the heart, liver, and spine, as detailed in a probable cause affidavit accessed by Law&Crime. The tragic event was witnessed by the couple’s four children, ages 19, 16, 14, and 10, all of whom called the police amidst the chaos.
The heartbreaking cries of the youngest child can be heard on the 911 call, where the 10-year-old pleaded, “My dad is shooting my mom!” The child, clearly in distress, added, “I’m hiding. My mom has a restraining order against him. … I can’t live without her.”
According to the affidavit, the 14-year-old was the first to dial 911, soon followed by the older siblings, the 19-year-old and the 16-year-old. The emergency calls were filled with “a lot of commotion in the background,” indicating the scene’s turmoil.
The 19-year-old’s call provided further insight into the chaotic and terrifying moments, stating, “My dad just shot my mom. He shot her in the house and in the driveway!”
“My dad just shot my mom,” the 19-year-old said. “He shot her in the house and in the driveway!”
According to court documents, Jeri Mains filed for a protective order against her husband on Christmas Day, just three days before the shooting. Since the order was filed on a holiday, a judge was unable to sign off on it due to the court offices being closed, according to local ABC affiliate WRTV and The Indianapolis Star.
The court petition reportedly shows that Jeri Mains described herself as a victim of domestic violence, with Cecil Mains allegedly assaulting her with kitchen tongs on Christmas Eve, causing a laceration and bruising. Court officials confirmed the existence of the petition to Law&Crime when reached for comment Tuesday, but noted that the document was “confidential.”
The probable cause affidavit says police spoke to Jeri Mains’ brother and were told that she “caught Cecil cheating on her” and “had Cecil move out of their residence,” though it’s unclear when exactly. “He began living with his brother,” the affidavit says.
Jeri Mains’ brother told investigators that she had talked about Cecil Mains “being physically abusive toward her,” including incidents that she reported in her protection order filing from last year.
According to the IndyStar, Jeri Mains’ petition stated that Cecil Mains punched a computer during a fight on Dec. 10, which sent a cup of hot chocolate flying all over her. Cecil Mains allegedly punched his wife in the face during a fight in November, causing her nose to bleed and face to bruise, the newspaper reports. Cecil Mains also allegedly punched out the driver’s side window of her truck at the beginning of 2025 and threatened to murder their four kids and pets on numerous occasions.
“[The 14-year-old child] stated in a previous disturbance she heard her father say he was going to kill them,” the affidavit says.
On Christmas Eve, Cecil Mains met Jeri Mains in a court parking lot after she informed him that she wanted to file for divorce, according to the petition. Jeri Mains said she recorded a conversation with her husband in which he threatened to kill himself in front of her and their kids.
The IndyStar reports that a Marion County judge was unable to see Jeri Mains’ protective order petition because his office was closed from Dec. 24-28.
Police say Cecil Mains shot and killed Jeri Mains in front of their children and then left her body in the driveway before fleeing in his Toyota Tundra. He was arrested the following day after authorities spotted his vehicle and pulled him over.
“These kids have … endured more than any child should,” a GoFundMe description says about the family. “All their lives have changed.”
Cecil Mains is being held without bond at the Marion County Jail and is scheduled to appear in court on Feb. 10 for an attorney conference.
