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

[acutename]

Winnebago County Sheriff's Office -- Inmate Details

His mug shot

does not look bright eyed and bushy tailed

 

[acutename]

Hopefully, the gun was still in his car. If not the gun, then maybe he forgot to take all of his ammo inside his residence.

maybe there was DNA... not sure how his would be on file

 

[Speculaytor]

I have a feeling, MOO, that the police have a lot more than just the car and video. If they had a baby monitor on, an Alexa type device, or possibly their home security system could have easily picked up what occurred as in gun shots, or people talking. This is why they may have known the kids slept through the event too.

I would imagine that someone harboring jealousy and hate for years would want to tell that person how they hated them, and how they had ruined their lives BEFORE they killed them. IMOO, I am thinking he wanted to confront them, make sure they knew it was him.

 

[warp3dwing]

We know the time of murder I think. Do we know the time the killer got to the property? That would give us an idea of how long it took for him to gain entrance to the home.

I think getting around the lock would have taken some time.
Could he have entered the home another way?
Or did he tamper with the locks the day before?

The report posted earlier listed 3:52 am as the 'offense time' of the murder, not necessarily the time he entered the property. There might have been 15-20 minutes of other activities. Maybe someone here can say for sure what 'offense time' officially means in this case.

I believe the public CCTV video was at 3:30 am with the suspect walking toward the Tepes' place about one minute away.

I feel like he got in quickly. I'm completely guessing, but I think he had the code. No reports of a struggle downstairs where the doors and alarm panels are; Tepes gunned down on the top floor.

If the alarm was armed, the suspect would have had to disarm it, also with a code. We know it didn't go off. If he broke in through the basement egress window, there's a sensor right in that room. If he didn't have the code, he'd have to run upstairs, wake both Tepes, force them down the stairs at gunpoint to disarm the alarm before it phoned home, then march them back up the stairs before murdering them.

 

[acutename]

I’m curious to know the motive as well, because I also thought why now? What suddenly triggered this…
Moo

wonder if he had been bothering her... or watching her marriage video every night

 

[warp3dwing]

I have a feeling, MOO, that the police have a lot more than just the car and video. If they had a baby monitor on, an Alexa type device, or possibly their home security system could have easily picked up what occurred as in gun shots, or people talking. This is why they may have known the kids slept through the event too.

I wonder if the police security cam picked up gunshots. Even if it wasn't pointed toward them, a mic would've picked it up, maybe even some flashing through the curtains reflected on cars and windows.

 

[warp3dwing]

The Dispatch article is paywalled for me, but I see posters saying it’s very informative about the ex.

I have a silly thought which I know is dumb, because these two things are very different, but I’ll say it anyway.

He’s a vascular surgeon. A surgeon’s hands are his or her livelihood.

Maybe, being expert with his hands, the steadiness required, and the absolute attention to the tiniest movements, he can feel his way through picking a lock?

Again, I know it’s two different things, but I was wondering.

I had the same thought! If anyone could learn lockpicking quickly, it'd be a surgeon.

But how about home alarm system "picking"?

 

[acutename]

Something has triggered him 5 years after the divorce. Probably something to do with the court records deactivation.

Please note that in court docketing systems, the term “custody” does not automatically refer to child custody. It can instead denote the court’s jurisdictional control over a case.

Maybe he always planned on doing this, as spite or revenge is best served cold?

maybe he never found anyone else...

 

[Moonchime]

ISTR that he was the first person they looked at, especially when it was revealed that their divorce case was reopened last year.

I have a feeling that his second wife feels a lot safer, now that he's behind bars. Does anyone know if they had any children?

They had no children either.

 

[Voidz]

The Dispatch article is paywalled for me, but I see posters saying it’s very informative about the ex.

I have a silly thought which I know is dumb, because these two things are very different, but I’ll say it anyway.

He’s a vascular surgeon. A surgeon’s hands are his or her livelihood.

Maybe, being expert with his hands, the steadiness required, and the absolute attention to the tiniest movements, he can feel his way through picking a lock?

Again, I know it’s two different things, but I was wondering.

1000%
Source: locksmith

 

[acutename]

It was probably a slow build… his resentment grew and grew. He felt wronged by her. He is not mentally well, clearly.

him and the Brown Uni killer....

 

[Voidz]

maybe he never found anyone else...

If it’s just about yearning for the good old days, why would he not do this earlier? After wedding? After baby #1? Why wait until 7 years later. It will be something to do with alimony or retirement funds which is why we saw movement with the divorce court file.

 

[acutename]

If it has something to do with the divorce court record being reopened:

Even if the divorce was finalized, one party may claim the other:

• Failed to pay spousal support (alimony)
• Did not comply with property division
• Hid assets that were later discovered

Courts can reopen or modify cases if one of the parties believes:

• Assets or debts were concealed
• Income was intentionally misreported
• Documents were falsified

Many jurisdictions allow reopening for fraud, even years later, once it’s discovered.
Even without kids:

• A change in financial circumstances (retirement, disability, job loss)
• Remarriage or cohabitation of the ex-spouse
• Discovery that support should have ended earlier

He may be seeking to reduce, end, or recover support payments.

These are very common delayed issues:

Retirement accounts weren’t divided correctly (I have a weird feeling about this one)

• A QDRO (Qualified Domestic Relations Order) was never entered
• One spouse retired and benefits triggered division clauses

These often surface years later when benefits become payable.

If the husband believes the ex-spouse:

• Ignored court orders
• Refused to transfer property or titles
• Violated settlement terms

Courts reopen cases to enforce compliance, not to relitigate the divorce.

Source: computer robot

yes but all things being equal, he had more $ than her all along...they were young/married a short time- doubt she got alimony. IMO

 

[Speculaytor]

The report posted earlier listed 3:52 am as the 'offense time' of the murder, not necessarily the time he entered the property. There might have been 15-20 minutes of other activities. Maybe someone here can say for sure what 'offense time' officially means in this case.

I believe the public CCTV video was at 3:30 am with the suspect walking toward the Tepes' place about one minute away.

I feel like he got in quickly. I'm completely guessing, but I think he had the code. No reports of a struggle downstairs where the doors and alarm panels are; Tepes gunned down on the top floor.

If the alarm was armed, the suspect would have had to disarm it, also with a code. We know it didn't go off. If he broke in through the basement egress window, there's a sensor right in that room. If he didn't have the code, he'd have to run upstairs, wake both Tepes, force them down the stairs at gunpoint to disarm the alarm before it phoned home, then march them back up the stairs before murdering them.

I thought the public CCTV video was at 2 am? Can anyone clarify that? I think the door code automatically un-arms the system when entered correctly and door opened. He would have had to have known the code. They did have mutual friends, if he visited for the holidays, could he have heard it or seen it written somewhere. I do not think for one minute anyone else was involved or would have helped by giving him the code. What if Monique let him in for some reason, maybe he was crying, cold, acting drunk? I think that is so highly unlikely, but the lack of forced entry. Did they often leave their backdoor unlocked and that was shared knowledge? I find that hard to believe also, they had an alarm system.

 

[OhioGuy]

I wonder if the police security cam picked up gunshots. Even if it wasn't pointed toward them, a mic would've picked it up, maybe even some flashing through the curtains reflected on cars and windows.

Columbus utilizes ShotSpotter in certain areas; this close to downtown I’m sure they have it. Whether it would pick up gunshots from inside a residence, I’m not sure.

 

[realhumanbeing]

I'm sorry to say this but if he really wanted to hurt Monique he would have killed her children. I'm grateful he didn't. So what's going on here? IMO

Could be a handful of things, I suppose. His internalized hurt and justification only ran as deep as M & S (e.g. the children took no actions to cause his suffering)? He considered that he'd spend the rest of his life behind bars and knew the ramifications of being a "child killer"? He viewed that the ultimate pain he could inflict on M & S is them knowing that they will miss out on watching their children grow up? He gets to continuously relish in sadistic pleasure believing that he has continued "control" over the lives of the children (as an extension of M & S), having rendered them parentless? Or simply too cautious to enter the room where the children were due to possible baby monitor/surveillance evidence? All just speculation and MOO.

 

[acutename]

How would he have even known what kind of lock they had that he'd be confident he could get in undetected?

could have been there before spying... and he is smart- could have studied up on locks. he some how did not disturb the dog (gave it meat? a drug?)... also he could have been drunk when he decided to do this...

 

[Voidz]

yes but all things being equal, he had more $ than her all along...they were young/married a short time- doubt she got alimony. IMO

Possibly QDRO / retirement

Or he’s just causing drama to make her life hell

 

[warp3dwing]

Columbus utilizes ShotSpotter in certain areas; this close to downtown I’m sure they have it. Whether it would pick up gunshots from inside a residence, I’m not sure.

Absolutely. Those reports are often available on apps like Citizen. Probably spots fireworks 95% of the time, but in this case, it might be useful.

 

[OhioGuy]

could have been there before spying... and he is smart- could have studied up on locks. he some how did not disturb the dog (gave it meat? a drug?)... also he could have been drunk when he decided to do this...

I thought upthread someone mentioned the dog was about ten and I think the brother in law even said the dog was in the room with the kids. My thoughts are 1) it’s possible the dog doesn’t hear well at this point, my dog was that way 2) when my kids were those ages we had white noise machines. Their rooms were pretty damn loud with the intent of drowning out the noise of mom and dad moving about the house after bedtime.