An Indiana man will spend decades behind bars for shooting his wife dead in front of their children, just days after she filed for a protective order accusing him of abuse.
Cecil Mains, 47, of Indianapolis, received a sentence Monday of 45 years in prison and five years on probation for killing his wife, Jeri Mains, 44, in December 2025. The court also barred him from contacting the couple’s children for the length of his sentence.
“After age 18, protected persons can petition the court to lift no contact orders,” according to the court minutes for Monday’s sentencing hearing.
Cecil Mains pleaded guilty to murder on Aug. 26. A probable cause affidavit obtained by Law&Crime says he shot Jeri Mains with a .380 handgun, hitting her in the heart, liver and spine. All four of the couple’s children, who were 19, 16, 14 and 10, watched the murder unfold and called police.
“My dad is shooting my mom!” the 10-year-old told a 911 dispatcher, according to the affidavit.
“I’m hiding,” the child said. “My mom has a restraining order against him. … I can’t live without her.”
Police say the 14-year-old called 911 first, and the 19-year-old and the 16-year-old followed. The affidavit notes that “a lot of commotion in the background” could be heard during the calls.
“My dad just shot my mom,” the 19-year-old said. “He shot her in the house and in the driveway!”
Court records show Jeri Mains filed for a protective order against her husband on Christmas Day, three days before the shooting. Because she filed on a holiday and the court offices were closed, no judge could sign off on the order, local ABC affiliate WRTV and The Indianapolis Star reported.
In her petition, Jeri Mains described herself as a victim of domestic violence. She alleged that Cecil Mains attacked her with kitchen tongs on Christmas Eve, leaving her with a laceration and bruising. Court officials confirmed to Law&Crime last week that the petition exists, but they noted the document was “confidential.”
According to the probable cause affidavit, police spoke with Jeri Mains’ brother, who said she “caught Cecil cheating on her” and “had Cecil move out of their residence,” though it’s unclear when. “He began living with his brother,” the affidavit says.
Her brother also told investigators that she had spoken about Cecil Mains “being physically abusive toward her,” including the incidents she described in her December 2025 protection order filing.
The IndyStar reports that, according to Jeri Mains’ petition, Cecil Mains punched a computer during a fight on Dec. 10, spilling a cup of hot chocolate on her. The paper also reports that he allegedly punched his wife in the face during a November fight, giving her a bloody nose and a bruised face. The petition further alleges that he punched out the driver’s side window of her truck at the beginning of 2025 and repeatedly threatened to murder their four kids and pets.
“[The 14-year-old child] stated in a previous disturbance she heard her father say he was going to kill them,” the affidavit says.
The petition says Cecil Mains met Jeri Mains in a court parking lot on Christmas Eve after she told him she wanted a divorce. She said she recorded a conversation in which her husband threatened to kill himself in front of her and their kids.
The IndyStar reported that a Marion County judge could not review Jeri Mains’ petition because his office was closed from Dec. 24-28.
Police say Cecil Mains shot and killed Jeri Mains in front of their children, left her body in the driveway, and fled in his Toyota Tundra. Authorities spotted his vehicle the next day, pulled him over, and arrested him.
“These kids have … endured more than any child should,” a GoFundMe description says about the family. “All their lives have changed.”
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