An Ohio mother killed her husband, a thrash metal singer, a 13-year-old son and a 74-year-old father before turning the gun on herself when police arrived to file eviction papers.
Theresa Cain also shot her 20-year-old daughter Samantha at her family’s home in Ohio Township on Feb. 27. Samantha survived, but remains seriously ill in the hospital.
The gruesome murder-suicide began when deputies from the Clermont County Sheriff’s Office arrived around 9:40 a.m. that morning to file the eviction papers.
Theresa greeted police on the patio and then hurried back inside, according to police Fox19. Deputies then heard a muffled voice shout “No, no, no, no” before several gunshots rang out.
The victims have since been identified as Theresa’s husband Steven Cain, 50, her son Ethan Cain, 13, and her father William Felton, 74.
Steven was a singer in a thrash metal band called Critical Khaos, and police say he was probably shot dead in a basement near the house about 30 minutes before they arrived.
Theresa Cain, pictured, carried out the gruesome murder-suicide after facing eviction papers
Steven Cain, 50, the lead singer of thrash metal band Critical Khaos, was found dead along with three other members of his family
13-year-old Ethan Cain was also killed in the horror shooting and his school described him as “a nice, polite young man”
The eviction that turned deadly was the culmination of a long financial struggle for the Ohio family, with the foreclosure of their home a likely motive for the tragic carnage.
Sheriff Steve Leahy said Theresa Cain was standing on the outdoor patio as sheriff’s deputies rolled up to the family home.
They said they had spoken to her the days before to discuss the impending eviction, and did not expect any problems because she was “cooperating.”
She asked for a few extra hours for the family to pack, but said they would leave at 10 a.m. on February 27.
But they claim she rushed in as soon as the deputies arrived, and after getting no answer 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 rapid” succession of gunfire, with Theresa shooting three of her family members before turning the gun on herself.
After deputies were able to safely enter the house, they found her dead upstairs, near her deceased 13-year-old son Ethan and 74-year-old father William, who lived in the house.
Officers then found her husband Steven, 50, on a couch downstairs, and the investigation concluded that Theresa shot him first.
Investigators believe she hid their incoming eviction from her family because despite cooperating with authorities during the foreclosure process, no items were packed when they searched the crime scene.
“You would think,” the sheriff said, “there are resources for someone like her, but I think she kept this a very good secret.
“Hopefully Samantha recovers and can help fill in some blanks.
“It’s tragic and unnecessary. What can we do to prevent this from happening again?’ Well, I’m just not so sure we can.
“When people are in crisis, it’s not as easy as just reaching out and saying, ‘I need help.’ They are spiraling. It all makes no sense.’
‘You can’t make sense of what we see here. Murder is a pointless thing, but then you throw in suicide and the murder of your family. It’s all very sad. This lady had been completely cooperative all along.”
The family’s 20-year-old daughter, Samantha, pictured was the only survivor of the massacre
Steven, left, was the first to be shot in the family tragedy, and his daughter Samantha, right, remains in critical condition
Steven has fronted the heavy metal band Critical Khaos since October 2022. He also wrote 13 books and worked as a safety and environmental manager for an R&D facility in Cincinnati.
The alleged killer’s husband, Steven, was the lead singer of the thrash metal band Critical Khaos.
According to the band’s website, they played groove/thrash metal, a form of heavy metal.
Steven joined the band in October 2022 and is originally from Augusta, Georgia, according to a Facebook post introducing himself to their fans.
In addition to fronting the heavy metal band, Cain wrote 13 books and served as a safety and environmental manager for an R&D facility in Cincinnati.
“I intend to stay true to the gruff growls and screams you have heard,” he said in the post. “I sometimes call myself the Savant Morose and the Messiah Wolf because of my personality and writings and my love of animals.”
In a statement following the murder-suicide, the band announced Cain’s passing “with a heavy heart” to their fans.
“Unfortunately, our singer is no longer with us. He got caught up in a murder and suicide (to be clear, he was shot and killed),’ the band said.
“We don’t want to speculate or say more. For the peace of the family and the band, we ask for the memory of a good man, good soul, excellent front man and most of all our band brother. It’s family we lost today.’
The shooting has shocked the Ohio Township community and neighbors have claimed there were “no telltale signs” that the tragedy was about to occur.
“Sometimes there are people who are struggling,” neighbor Alicia Humphrey told Fox19. ‘I guess we’ll never know. We can only pray for that family.’
Humphrey said she was not close to the family, but said they seemed to be a typical household.
Flowers and tributes have been laid outside the family home, while their daughter Samantha continues to fight for her life in hospital.
Sheriff’s deputies say they are praying she recovers enough to reveal details about what led to the murders.
In a press release, officials said they hope she can “provide vital information about this horrific incident that may help detectives answer questions about the motive, which is still under investigation.”
Samantha attended Northern Kentucky University and her 13-year-old brother Ethan was a student at New Richmond Middle School.
The teen superintendent Tracey Miller said: “Ethan was loved by students and staff alike, and his loss leaves a huge hole in the heart of our district and community.
“I think the hardest part is that we’ll always have that question: Could we have seen something? Is there anything we could have done to make a difference in that family’s life? And we’ll just never know.”
The school official said the 13-year-old was a “bit quiet but a nice, polite young man.” He was very conscientious.
“He just really wanted to get his assignments right and get them all done and he made sure they got done.
‘He won a piece of people’s hearts here in high school. There was no shortage of Ethan stories. You just talk and remember some of the better times, and how important it is to take care of your loved ones.”
a GoFundMe was set up to pay for Samantha’s medical care from her former sorority sisters, which at the time of writing exceeds $25,000.
“Samantha is currently in critical condition in the hospital and we would like to try and raise money for any expenses she might incur when she wakes up,” they said.
“We’re still not sure exactly what happened since Samantha hasn’t been conscious until now, but we’re just extremely grateful that the community is coming together and supporting her in this way.”
Steven Cain, pictured, was shot dead along with three other members of his family
The shooting has shocked the Ohio Township community, with neighbors claiming they appear to be a typical family. Pictured: Ethan Cain, 13, who died in the tragedy
Sheriff’s deputies said they quickly heard gunshots shortly after they arrived to evict the family
Detectives are also investigating whether Theresa had mental health problems before she shot her family
An investigation is ongoing as authorities investigate the shooting, which authorities say stemmed from the family’s financial turmoil.
Steven and Theresa Cain purchased the three-bedroom property in July 2015 for $212,000, according to auditors cited by Fox19. Freedom Mortgage Corporation of Indiana seized the home in May 2022.
The sheriff added that he has brought in counselors to help his staff process the situation due to the gruesome nature of the crime scene they found.
He added that detectives are investigating whether Theresa may have had mental health problems.
