'My dad is shooting my mom!': Man blew wife away in front of their kids with .380 as payback for making him live with brother, now he's headed to prison

An Indiana antheral is headed to situation for decades aft shooting his woman dead successful beforehand of their children, conscionable days aft she filed for a protective bid against him, accusing him of abuse.

Cecil Mains, 47, of Indianapolis, was sentenced Monday to 45 years successful situation and 5 years connected probation for sidesplitting his wife, Jeri Mains, 44, successful December 2025. Court records amusement that helium was ordered to person nary interaction with the couple's children for the duration of his sentence.

"After property 18, protected persons tin petition the tribunal to assistance nary interaction orders," according to the tribunal minutes for Monday's sentencing hearing.

Cecil Mains, who pleaded blameworthy to execution connected Aug. 26, changeable Jeri Mains with a .380 handgun, striking her successful the heart, liver and spine, according to a probable origin affidavit obtained by Law&Crime. All 4 of the couple's children called constabulary aft witnessing the execution unfold. They were 19, 16, 14 and 10.

"My dada is shooting my mom!" the 10-year-old told a 911 dispatcher, according to the affidavit.

"I'm hiding," the kid said. "My ma has a restraining bid against him. … I can't unrecorded without her."

Police accidental the 14-year-old was the archetypal to telephone 911, followed by the 19-year-old and the 16-year-old. There was "a batch of commotion successful the background" erstwhile the calls were placed, according to the affidavit.

"My dada conscionable changeable my mom," the 19-year-old said. "He changeable her successful the location and successful the driveway!"

According to tribunal records, Jeri Mains filed for a protective bid against her hubby connected Christmas Day, conscionable 3 days earlier the shooting. Since the bid was filed connected a holiday, a justice was incapable to motion disconnected connected it owed to the tribunal offices being closed, section ABC affiliate WRTV and The Indianapolis Star reported.

The tribunal petition shows that Jeri Mains described herself arsenic a unfortunate of home violence, with Cecil Mains allegedly assaulting her with room tongs connected Christmas Eve, causing a laceration and bruising. Court officials confirmed the beingness of the petition to Law&Crime erstwhile reached for remark past week, but noted that the papers was "confidential."

The probable origin affidavit says constabulary spoke to Jeri Mains' member and were told that she "caught Cecil cheating connected her" and "had Cecil determination retired of their residence," though it's unclear when. "He began surviving with his brother," the affidavit says.

Jeri Mains' member told investigators that she had talked astir Cecil Mains "being physically abusive toward her," including incidents that she reported successful her extortion bid filing from December 2025.

According to the IndyStar, Jeri Mains' petition stated that Cecil Mains punched a machine during a combat connected Dec. 10, sending a cupful of blistery cocoa spilling onto 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 his wife's motortruck astatine the opening of 2025 and threatened to execution their 4 kids and pets connected galore occasions.

"[The 14-year-old child] stated successful a erstwhile disturbance she heard her begetter accidental helium was going to termination them," the affidavit says.

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 reported 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 children and past near her assemblage successful the driveway earlier fleeing successful his Toyota 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. "All their lives person changed."