Mom of 4's plea for protection sits at closed courthouse for days before she's shot dead by abusive husband in front of their kids: Docs

An Indiana parent who was repeatedly attacked and terrorized by her husband successful beforehand of the couple's children filed for a protective bid against the antheral connected Christmas Day, and was dormant 3 days later, according to constabulary and tribunal documents. Since the bid was filed connected a holiday, a justice was incapable to motion disconnected connected it owed to the tribunal offices being closed.

The couple's 10-year-old girl reportedly called 911 to study Jeri Mains' decease connected Sunday afternoon, with the kid telling dispatchers that her father, Cecil Mains, 46, "had a weapon and helium changeable their parent … past fled the country successful a grey Toyota Tundra," according to a probable origin affidavit obtained by section ABC affiliate WRTV.

A tribunal petition obtained by WRTV and The Indianapolis Star shows that Jeri Mains filed for a protective bid against Cecil Mains connected Christmas morning, successful which she described herself arsenic a unfortunate of home violence. The petition reportedly accused Cecil of assaulting her with room tongs, causing a laceration and bruising connected Christmas Eve.

Court officials confirmed the beingness of the petition to Law&Crime erstwhile reached for remark Tuesday, but noted that the papers was "confidential."

According to the IndyStar, Jeri Mains' petition stated that Cecil Mains punched a machine during a combat connected Dec. 10, which sent a cupful of blistery cocoa flying each implicit her. Cecil Mains allegedly punched his woman successful the look during a combat successful November, causing her chemoreceptor to bleed and look to bruise, the paper reports. Cecil Mains besides allegedly punched retired the driver's broadside model of her motortruck astatine the opening of the twelvemonth and threatened to termination their 4 kids and pets connected galore occasions.

On Christmas Eve, Cecil Mains met Jeri Mains successful a tribunal parking batch aft she informed him that she wanted to record for divorce, according to the petition. Jeri Mains said she recorded a speech with her hubby successful which helium threatened to termination himself successful beforehand of her and their kids.

The IndyStar reports that a Marion County justice was incapable to spot Jeri Mains' protective bid petition due to the fact that his bureau was closed from Dec. 24-28.

Police accidental Cecil Mains shot and killed Jeri Mains successful beforehand of their 4 children, past near her assemblage successful the driveway earlier fleeing successful his Tundra. He was arrested the pursuing time aft authorities spotted his conveyance and pulled him over.

"These kids person … endured much than immoderate kid should," a GoFundMe statement says astir the family. The fundraiser describes however Jeri Mains was "tragically taken," leaving down a 19-year-old, 17-year-old, 14-year-old and 10-year-old.

"All their lives person changed," the statement says.

Cecil Mains is being held without enslaved astatine the Marion County Jail connected a preliminary complaint of murder.