OH - Spencer and Monique Tepe found shot to death at home 2 children unharmed, Columbus, 30 December 2025 *ex-husband arrested*

[Voidz]

Does anyone think that the police dispatcher in these calls should lose their job? So rude and unprofessional. If the dispatcher did their job properly they would have found out that children where in the house and the Police would have taken the situation more seriously. Is there a way to make a complaint?

 

[Knox]

@Speculaytor​

Interesting stats, thanks for bringing forward. Only thing missing is how often a burglary results in murder if confronted, curious what that number is?​

 

[airportwoman]

Yeah, idk. Where I live in PA, any action in a case considered “family” involving the same parties will use the same docket number, but the suffix indicates the type of action. For example, 2026-00001-A would mean the first family action involving the two parties in 2026. “A” would mean protection from abuse. We also have “y” for alimony, “d” for divorce, “c” for custody, etc. But the Ohio docket lists all of the cases as “DR.” Domestic Relations. Where I live, “DR” cases are always child support cases and are not linked to family court actions. It’s a stumper, moo.

A very cursory check looks like "DR" simply means that it's a court action related in any way to a divorce in Ohio.

 

[Ms Scarlett]

Well, that is interesting. Was that in one of the articles? Just say yes and I will go search. If both doors were locked then ingress and egress had to be elsewhere OR someone took the time to close and lock a door or close a self locking door when they left. AND there couldn't have been a broken or open window where LE could see it or no warrant would have been needed.

Can you break into a door and still be able to close and lock it on the way out, leaving no idication that LE could see when knocking on the doors? Could LE have missed a broken or open window?

The time of death will be important, IMO.

I’m also wondering how easy or hard is it to open an electronic door lock when you don’t have the code? I’ve tried to google it and I see conflicting information. Some say they’re easy to break into and others say they aren’t. So, I’m wondering if anyone here has direct knowledge.
If it’s easy to open a door with an electronic lock, then there wouldn’t be any signs of a break in.

 

[ttjo]

DBM,
We just have to wait for more info. But unless the caller brought a ladder or drone with them , Im going to guess the caller saw them through a window that the first police officer had no reason ( no sense of urgency at that time) to look in.

 

[avalonisland]

Why rob a home with entire family at home? Makes no sense that one victim shot multiple times and other just once. Since no forced entry, sounds like to me that this was a personal and targeted killing. After ST's dental work day but before next work day on a week day...again, sounds like someone who new this couple on a personal level.

 

[Shamrockgirl]

Curious about the dog in this situation- was she/he crated? Did they know the perpetrator? The dog should have been enough of a deterrent to an alleged robber, so I’m thinking a familiar person entered the home?

 

[avalonisland]

There’s a Zillow link with photos of their house, inside and out.

https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/1411-N-4th-St-Columbus-OH-43201/2075977227_zpid/

Looks like Zillow listing removed all photos unfortunately

 

[Voidz]

I’m also wondering how easy or hard is it to open an electronic door lock when you don’t have the code? I’ve tried to google it and I see conflicting information. Some say they’re easy to break into and others say they aren’t. So, I’m wondering if anyone here has direct knowledge.
If it’s easy to open a door with an electronic lock, then there wouldn’t be any signs of a break in.

Source: I’m related to a locksmith.

The only brand I would trust is the Iseo, a European brand. Also the Schlage CO100 and the Kaba Eplex - however, these are commercial locks.

I just typed out how to bypass most electronic locks (in a way that would not show you have bypassed it and would give you unlimited access), but have deleted, as it’s not ethical to share. I’m sure the hacks can be found online.

I 100% recommended having a key lock above your electronic door lock for added security.

 

[Voidz]

Looks like Zillow listing removed all photos unfortunately

https://www.redfin.com/OH/Columbus/1411-N-4th-St-43201/home/75719986

 

[avalonisland]

https://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/1411-N-4th-St_Columbus_OH_43201_M39375-17937 If this is the house, I just don't see a robber wanting to rob it out of the blue. Close to other homes and nothing to entice a robber to commit a crime in my opinion. Plus, one child though young, could potentially be a reliable witness, yet still alive. I see this as targeted and personal. Multiple shots to ST- sounds like to silence him or kill him with intention. MT- just was there and maybe a threat. My heart goes out to the 2 children

 

[Voidz]

Was he a partner in the dental practice?

 

[avalonisland]

https://www.redfin.com/OH/Columbus/1411-N-4th-St-43201/home/75719986

A robber would not enter a home like this with occupants to commit a robbery. Well lit house and little side fencing and such close neighbors. Someone seemed to have a grudge against dentist that couldn't wait 24hours (as his day off would have been like 12/31 and like 1/1). His employees alerted welfare check. Had he been shot 24 hours later, employees would not have alerted police til like 1/2, not 12/30.

 

[Voidz]

Rear door also appears to have a digital lock?

The Yale on front door has a key override. Unfortunately, no audit trails on that particular lock. You cannot pick this Yale lock with a wire because it’s motor driven. But still easy to gain access.

I believe that if the door was not opened by the victims, access would have been through the back door which may have been left unlocked. Or someone had an override key or an access code.

Who would have had keys to this property? Maintenance people, cleaners, furniture stagers, people they trusted such as family.

I am also concerned about the basement windows being a point of entry. A lot of people apparently leave them unlocked as they view them as a fire escape/ emergency exit, not an entry point.

 

[Voidz]

Why were the shots not heard by the neighbours?

Built in 2020, this is a modern infill home which behaves differently on an acoustic level than older homes.

In a modern home with drywall and insulated wall cavities, much of the sound energy from a loud noise is absorbed rather than echoed, which significantly reduces how sharply it carries. Double-pane windows, tight framing, and a well-sealed building envelope further prevent sound from escaping, especially when windows and doors are closed. As a result, even a very loud noise inside the house can sound muffled, dull, or indistinct to someone outside. Many people expect a sharp, dramatic gunshot like you see in the cinema, but in reality, gunshots fired indoors often register to others as a heavy bang, something being dropped, construction noise, or distant fireworks rather than an unmistakable gunshot.

And I presume there would be a lot of fireworks on that date.

Also, gunshots fired in a basement or in the rear of a house with closed windows are much less likely to be heard outside because concrete foundation walls and surrounding earth absorb and contain sound. If only a few shots occur close together, the noise is brief and lacks a recognizable pattern, making it easy for anyone who hears it to dismiss as a single bang or ordinary household noise rather than something alarming.

 

[Voidz]

Sorry, one last point:

I made the locksmith assess the photos of the house.

It’s plausible that the balcony doors could appear locked after being closed. Apparently those types of doors use self-latching or multi-point locking mechanisms that re-engage when the door is shut or when the handle returns to a neutral position. As a result, someone exiting via the balcony could close the doors behind them, and the doors could later appear secured with no visible signs of forced entry or exit.

Hopefully the balcony doors are carefully examined because an exit may have occurred without obvious damage - the door can be closed behind someone and still look locked during later inspection, depending on the lock design and handle position.

And maybe they didn’t lock this door due to the balcony.

 

[nola1721]

Looks like Zillow listing removed all photos unfortunately

Redfin still has them listed:

https://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/1411-N-4th-St_Columbus_OH_43201_M39375-17937

 

[Sevenwilliams]

See, this detail is either reported incorrectly, or it really bothers me. Without being too forthcoming, those are a series of 4 of the same homes. Same layout. All of the bedrooms are on the top floor. Some have finished basements with bedrooms but would be terribly difficult to see into that room as the window is in a coved window well. So again, either something is sketchy with the friend who reported seeing him on the floor in the bedroom, or again, it was just reported incorrectly.

Source: Our friends are next door neighbors in one of the 4 home

The original run was dispatched at 9:10 as a 10-34 which is an unknown complaint. Most likely after the police left. Some of the friends must have made the choice to go into the residence and look around. The first officer stated he knocked on the front and the back and looked in the windows and saw nothing, but later stated after the officers came back that the back door was a 7a which means open door. This means that the back door was closed (for the first officer) but not locked( for the friends),that would explain how they saw the body on the floor. They went in looked around then retreated back out and called the police again.

 

[Lisbeth_S]

The original run was dispatched at 9:10 as a 10-34 which is an unknown complaint. Most likely after the police left. Some of the friends must have made the choice to go into the residence and look around. The first officer stated he knocked on the front and the back and looked in the windows and saw nothing, but later stated after the officers came back that the back door was a 7a which means open door. This means that the back door was closed (for the first officer) but not locked( for the friends),that would explain how they saw the body on the floor. They went in looked around then retreated back out and called the police again.

Where did you get this details?
It's exactly what I thought happened but was just my own speculation....would love to verify the facts.

 

[Sevenwilliams]

In the linked article that was previously posted, it doesn’t seem to say specifically that the caller said he saw the dentist’s body on the floor from within or outside of the home. I thought I read that there was no evidence of forced entry. If so, was the home unlocked OR did the caller (or the killer or someone else on scene) have a key or code and accessed the home and saw the body and fled outside?

No suspect as police investigate murder of dentist, wife in their Columbus home

Police said there were no obvious signs of forced entry, and no firearm was found at the scene.

abc6onyourside.com

The back door was closed but locked, the police only knocked but the friends most likely tried the door after the police left. Which is how they gained entry and saw a body in the upstairs bedroom. They then retreated and called the police.