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…