Investigators believe Theresa Cain shot her family members, killing three of them, just minutes before deputies arrived to serve them with eviction papers as they were removed from their foreclosed home, Sheriff Steve Leahy said Thursday.
The horrific murder-suicide began when deputies from Clermont County Sheriff’s Office arrived to serve eviction papers at around 9:40am that morning.
Cain and her family’s $299,000 home had recently gone into foreclosure, and was bought for $230,000.
Theresa greeted the cops on the patio, before rushing back inside her home, according to Fox19. Deputies then heard a muffled voice cry out ‘No, no, no, no,’ before multiple gunshots rang out.
Those killed have since been identified as Theresa’s husband Steven Cain, 50, her son Ethan Cain, 13 and her father William Felton, 74.
Theresa also shot her 20 year-old daughter Samantha at her family’s home in Ohio Township on February 27. Samantha survived, but remains in critical condition in hospital.
Steven was a singer in a thrash metal band called Critical Khaos, and cops say he was likely shot dead in a basement at the home around 30 minutes before they arrived.
Sheriff Steve Leahy said Theresa Cain was standing on the outside patio when deputies rolled up to the family home.
They said they spoke with her in the days before to discuss the impending eviction, and didn’t expect any issues as she was ‘cooperative’.
She requested a few extra hours to for the family to pack up, but said they would leave by 10am February 27.Â
Theresa Cain had assured the sheriff’s office the family had a place to go.
But they claim that she quickly rushed inside as soon as the deputies arrived, and after they didn’t receive a response when they knocked on the door, the deputies said they heard a muffled ‘No, no, no, no.’
The sheriff said it was followed by a ‘very fast’ succession of gunshots, where Theresa shot dead three of her family members before turning the gun on herself.
After deputies were able to safely enter the home, they found her dead upstairs, nearby to her deceased 13-year-old son Ethan and 74-year-old father William, who lived in the home.
Officers then found her husband Steven, 50, on a downstairs couch, with the investigation concluding Theresa shot him first.Â
According to DailyMail, investigators believe she may have hidden their incoming eviction from her family, as despite cooperating with authorities during the foreclosure process, no items were packed when they searched the crime scene.
‘Hopefully, Samantha recovers and can help fill in some blanks.
‘It is tragic and unnecessary. What can we do to keep this from happening again?’ Well, I’m just not that sure that we can.
‘When people are in crisis, it’s not as easy as just reaching out and saying, “I need help.” They are spiraling. Nothing makes sense.’
‘What we see here, you can’t make sense of this. Murder is a senseless thing but then you throw in suicide and the homicide of your family. It’s all very sad. This lady had been totally cooperative the entire time.’
