ARREST MADE - EX-HUSBAND OH - Spencer and Monique Tepe found shot to death at home 2 children unharmed, Columbus, 30 December 2025

[ShadyLady]

We don't, but to me this looks like a calculated hit. ETA: I don't mean some hired thing.

The timing was such that the victims would be in bed.
This person somehow had a way to enter the house.
The murders were carried out with just three gunshots.
This person appears to have taken measures to conceal their identity.

With so little information at this time, do we know they were in bed? The person that called LE said he could see body? Were they downstairs? Was the master bedroom upstairs?

I still get the feeling that the woman that called 911 in April, and the murders between 2-5am are somewhat related. Were the Tepes entertaining on week days? I imagine their phones will have plenty of evidence.

 

[ttjo]

I don't think it has been confirmed the friend looked in the window. I think the 911 call where he said "I can't go any closer" meant he couldn't bear to get closer, as it's too traumatic, scary, etc. and he had to back away. Zero chance you could see through a window upstairs to see blood and the cops said they were found upstairs. So, friend must have gotten in the house someway somehow and went upstairs to find them. Maybe the back door was unlocked since this is where the perp likely came in/out.

He also probably said "There's a body" because he wasn't going to get close enough to find out who's body it was. Maybe ST was laying face down or something.

So back to square one ,
see what I mean, nothing is definite.

 

[Cassie P]

What if someone owed a large sum to ST?

Interesting idea. So in this theory ST has loaned a large sum to someone who decided to kill him to erase the debt?

But did ST have large sums of cash to lend? He is at the beginning of his career. Didn't put down much money on the house if I recall correctly. And wedding expenses, had to furnish the new house. Has a wife and two young children to support.

But going with your theory, what is ST going to do to the person who owes him money? By all accounts ST is a nice guy. And he has a professional license to protect, he cannot violate community standards or the law.

Seems like there would be no need to kill ST. And why kill the wife, the mother of two young children.

 

[303gmf]

The poster referred to Covid as a possible reason.
There were regulations still in effect in their location on Jan.30, 2021 but it appears that home gatherings weren't being restricted.

Many people kept social distancing practices in their lives in spite of regulations lifted. Medical professionals especially

 

[ShadyLady]

“The woman, who cried throughout the call, continually told the dispatcher she was “OK” and “just emotional,” through sniffles.

“Well, can I ask what had you called 911 in the first place?” the operator questioned.

“Because me and my man got into it, but I’m OK, I promise,” she responded.

“Did anything ever get physical?” the operator asked, to which the woman replied “No” and clarified that nobody had hit each other.”

So if BIL decides to tell everyone this is not his wife’s sister Monique, who is this? Who is the woman and who is her man?

"me and my man", I find this odd. The choice of words.

 

[Deepinthought52]

Good questions.
Also people wondered why he worked so far from home. He may have had a non compete with a radius restriction at his prior job.
JMO

It looked as though he went school at ohio state. Maybe they had friends/connections with and near the school and were planning on, at some point staying in the house until kids got to be school age or when he was for sure staying in one office so they could plant themselves in a more permanent home? Jmo

 

[Cassie P]

Many people kept social distancing practices in their lives in spite of regulations lifted. Medical professionals especially

I think the dental profession was particularly concerned about Covid due to the close face to face proximity in dental practice.

 

[Aimee_1963]

This was my first thought. However, I don't believe Monique would have been the one to go open the door, and since we know the police have said the incident happened on the second floor, and Spencer is by the bed, I am not sure this is what happened. However, if they accidentally left the back door open and he came in? I do think it is very possible it was a local, coming in with gun to get them to give him jewelry, cash, medicine cabinet narcotics. I also think it could be a jealous, resentful person who knew them.

Do we know if the back yard is fence enclosed? Like they could let the dog out back to potty and they accidentally forgot to lock the door? I've done this before with our dog. Also- fence doesn't mean security. I live in Chicago and 2 men hopped our 6' tall fence and broke into our garage. We saw it happen.

 

[Izzylizzy]

The door banging on December 19th down the street is interesting.

Hopefully LE can pull neighboring Ring footage to see if that description matches their POI.

There's nothing in the article or from LE that an officer was sent to the woman's house or to comb the neighborhood.
Just that the person left.

 

[Serononin]

I keep thinking that Spencer was the target only, but maybe Monique witnessed what happened and had to be taken too. Maybe a debt? Love interest in Monique (known by her or not). I have nothing to prove anything about my theory. MOO

I guess it's also possible that, if they were both initially shot while lying in bed, Monique was killed unintentionally by a bullet that missed Spencer

 

[Charlot123]

Interesting idea. So in this theory ST has loaned a large sum to someone who decided to kill him to erase the debt?

But did ST have large sums of cash to lend? He is at the beginning of his career. Didn't put down much money on the house if I recall correctly. And wedding expenses, had to furnish the new house. Has a wife and two young children to support.

But going with your theory, what is ST going to do to the person who owes him money? By all accounts ST is a nice guy. And he has a professional license to protect, he cannot violate community standards or the law.

Seems like there would be no need to kill ST. And why kill the wife, the mother of two young children.

With the loans: either it was formalized as the loan, with percentage paid, who inherits the loan, etc, and then killing achieves nothing. Or, it was a loan guaranteed by someone’s honest word, and then the person could say, I have no money. Also, even the best of people sometimes do not loan money if the projects sounds idiotic.

We had a doctor who committed suicide, remember? Dr. Forsyth or such. He was having a crypto business. His case was ruled a suicide. (But nothing would surprise me as crypto trade is a murky risky business.) But there is no evidence that Spencer was involved in something like it.

Could he periodically be into helping some poorer people and then refused but people felt he owed them? Never underestimate jealousy and assumptions that “dentists are rich”.

 

[Msl1966]

What is someone was staying the night, such as a female friend who needed to get away from a boyfriend…or maybe the woman who made the previous 911 call about problems with her man. MT and ST are sound asleep, but the female let’s someone in, such as a boyfriend/ex-boyfriend wanting to talk. Something then goes terribly wrong. (I’m trying to make this a post, not a reply to a post, but I’m not sure I’m doing it right.)

 

[ShadyLady]

This is one of the reasons people are calling into question the BIL. It was the BIL who publicly undermined the police’s statement that the person in the alley is the POI, suggesting it could just be someone walking home from the bar.

Personally, I don’t believe that the BIL had that intention, but that is what has fueled some of the speculation in this thread.

Or could it be that BIL already suspects he knows what happened? And holding opinions to himself?

 

[Marah]

What is someone was staying the night, such as a female friend who needed to get away from a boyfriend…or maybe the woman who made the previous 911 call about problems with her man. MT and ST are sound asleep, but the female let’s someone in, such as a boyfriend/ex-boyfriend wanting to talk. Something then goes terribly wrong. (I’m trying to make this a post, not a reply to a post, but I’m not sure I’m doing it right.)

Wouldn't they know if a female was staying there? I am assuming they have access to their phones. All of that info would be in texts etc.

 

[osu]

Do you have a link to confirm that both kids were at daycare 8 hours every day? I have not seen that information in MSM ... or anywhere for that matter. Everything I have read and heard is that Monique was a SAHM and was thriving in that role. Thanks in advance.

This early article from the Dispatch on December 31 quotes a neighbor saying that he would often see Monique leaving (for work) every morning when he was also leaving.

“Ethan Garcia, 25, lives across the street from with his girlfriend and also said that he didn't know the couple very well. He said he would often see Monique leaving for work about the same time that he was leaving every morning. Garcia said the shooting concerned him and that the neighborhood was otherwise fairly quiet.”

https://www.dispatch.com/story/news...t-spencer-tepe-wife-monique-ohio/87971162007/

 

[maamager]

dbm

 

[Aquabot13]

Have the police made a statement about whether there's a danger to the public?

I know they probably know much more than us and don't want to show their cards too early, but I wonder if the lack of "lock your doors, stay alert" etc. tips off the direction they're going in, especially in terms of a targeted vs random attack.

As an aside, I was thinking about how creepy it is that the murderer is still on the loose and then realized that there must be a LOT of murderers on the loose that we don't even know about. Scary!

MOO

 

[ShadyLady]

Woman called 911 from Spencer, Monique Tepe’s home months before murder

The records showed the woman told the dispatcher, “Me and my man got into it.”

www.newsnationnow.com

How did the 911 call get released to the public? Did LE have to approve the release? If so, I think LE wants that person identified.

And have they released any information related to robbery?

 

[maamager]

Have the police made a statement about whether there's a danger to the public?

I know they probably know much more than us and don't want to show their cards too early, but I wonder if the lack of "lock your doors, stay alert" etc. tips off the direction they're going in, especially in terms of a targeted vs random attack.

As an aside, I was thinking about how creepy it is that the murderer is still on the loose and then realized that there must be a LOT of murderers on the loose that we don't even know about. Scary!

MOO

No, all CPD has said is that they believe it was targeted.

 

[dotr]

Jan 7, 2026
''Could the Murder Room Method of investigation solve the case of Spencer and Monique Tepe? The Ohio dentist and his wife were found shot to death in their bedroom on December 30th, 2025. Forensic Criminologist, Dr. Laura Pettler believes the case could have been solved by now using a six-step process she calls the Murder Room Method. Investigative Reporter Anne Emerson walks us through those steps as Dr. Pettler explains why she believes this was an “emotional execution.”

Spencer and Monique Tepe — 6 Steps Investigators Can Take To Solve The Case

Could the Murder Room Method of investigation solve the case of Spencer and Monique Tepe?

wcyb.com

January 8, 2026
"Forensic Criminologist, Dr. Laura Pettler believes the case could have been solved by now using a six-step process she calls the Murder Room Method. Investigative Reporter Anne Emerson walks us through those steps as Dr. Pettler explains why she believes this was an “emotional execution.”