An Ohio woman and three family members are dead after a suspected murder-suicide. Police believe Theresa Cain shot her family members and then turned the gun on herself because of alleged financial difficulties. Theresa Cain and her family, husband 50-year-old Steven Cain, 13-year-old son Ethan Cain, and her 74-year-old father, William Felton, all died of apparent gunshot wounds. Theresa Cain's daughter, 20-year-old Samantha Cain, was critically injured and is in the critical care unit at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center. Police said it was an unnecessary tragedy.
The alleged murder-suicide occurred Monday, at a home in Clermont County, Ohio, according to Fox 19 Now. The Cain family was reportedly facing eviction from their home that day as part of a May 2022 foreclosure.
Police said Cain had been cooperative during the entire process and they did not expect any trouble when it was time for the family to vacate the property. When they arrived, Cain was on the patio. That was the last time deputies saw her alive.
Cain and her family reportedly had a history of financial troubles.
According to multiple news outlets, the Cains were in the midst of financial difficulties. The most recent was the foreclosure of a two-story, three-bedroom home built in 1990. Auditor's records show Steven and Theresa Cain bought the house in 2015 for $212,000, Fox 19 Now reported.
Freedom Mortgage Corporation of Indiana purchased the home last year at a sheriff's sale. The company hired a crew to remove the family's belongings on Monday.
Theresa Cain was alive when deputies arrived at her home.
Sheriff's deputies arrived at the Cains' home around 9:40 Monday morning. Theresa Cain had requested a few extra hours to finish packing the family's belongings. Deputies approved her request, as she assured them the family would be ready to leave by 10 a.m., Fox 19 reported. Cain also reportedly told deputies the family had a place to go once they left the home.
When deputies arrived, Cain was on her porch but quickly went inside. This alarmed the deputies, who went to the front and back doors, calling for someone to answer. They then heard several gunshots, which they believe may have occurred to keep deputies out of the house, Local 12 reported. When deputies safely entered the house, they found Theresa Cain dead of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound. Investigators believe her family members were dead before they arrived.
Theresa Cain may have been keeping the foreclosure a secret from her family.
When deputies entered the home after the shooting, the family hadn't packed anything and the house looked like they were living as usual. The sheriff's department wondered if Cain had kept the information about the foreclosure from her family, Local 12 reported.
"I think that this was a hidden secret from the family, that the foreclosure was coming," Clermont County Sheriff Steve Leahy said. "She had an elderly father who was 74 living with them. I don't think anyone had an idea. She certainly wasn't prepping for it. The house, nothing was boxed."
Investigators found the weapon used in the killings.
When deputies entered the home, they found a 38-caliber revolver. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives is investigating who the gun belongs to, according to Cincinatti.com. Investigators believe Cain shot her husband first and then the others. The sole survivor, Samantha Cain, was listed in critical but stable condition and is now in a coma. She, like the other family members, was shot in the head.
Leahy thinks that Samantha Cain can help investigators understand what happened but investigators have not yet interviewed her. "We hope Samantha recovers fully and can help fill in some of the gaps that we have," he said.
Family and friends are trying to wrap their heads around the tragic deaths of their loved ones.
Wanda Garrison is Steven Cain's sister and aunt to Samantha and Ethan Cain. She told Fox 19 Now that her heart is broken. She first heard her brother was dead and then panicked, thinking about the kids.
"We were very, very close together … very close," she said. "We spent a lot of time together."
Garrison is trying to get Steven and Ethan Cain back to Augusta, Georgia, where Steven is originally from, to bury them with family.
Steven Cain was a member of the rock band Critical Khaos. A former band member has helped coordinate a GoFundMe page for Steven and Ethan Cain to return their bodies to Augusta. It has raised more than half of its $5,000 goal thus far.
A friend also put together a GoFundMe to help Samantha Cain move forward. It has surpassed its original goal of $25,000. It is unknown if organizers will modify that goal.
"People have different breaking points, and what may be a stress or breaker for you, may not be for I," Leahy said, according to Local 12. "It's really sad that if a person that's experiencing problems, where they are contemplating this, that they don't have the ability to reach out get some assistance and help."
Note: If you or any of your loved ones are struggling with suicidal thoughts, you can always reach out to the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline by calling 988. They are available 24/7 by phone or online chat.
