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

[Cassie P]

How condescending, "all murders are important". Who would argue that?

It almost sounded like she was justifying why they have not held a press conference or have a suspect. There are a lot of other cases they are working on.

 

[PGHJW]

It’s a little strange the chief did a sit down interview instead of a press conference, while providing zero information. And she started that conversation by saying “all murders are important” — well yeah they are, but this is the only one in your city the whole country is paying attention to.

It just seems like she’s not meeting the moment or sensing the importance of this case.

To me it's moreso that they just aren't needing help and that's upsetting a lot of people for various reasons that don't pertain at all to two people being murdered.

 

[white rabbit]

(i'm having technical difficulties) - cassie p - totally agree with you that this was 'unprofessional'. but it was a hit. some local yokel was paid probably 5k, 10k, to get rid of the tepe's...question is, why. no dental patient hires an amateur because of a bad root canal. no neighborhood grifter would enter a home (knowing the code, IMO) to off parents of two sweet little children with no damage or toss of the house. no drug addict 'breaks' into a home unscathed and literally doesn't take so much as a bottle of aspirin.

LE, from almost day one, said nothing was missing. if the 'perp' had ransacked the jewelry drawers/medicine cabinets, they wouldn't have said that...OR, they would've said "this was a greed/drug-induced robbery and we have home surveillance to identify the suspect, there is no reason for the public to be on alert".

LE didn't say any of the latter...

 

[Speculaytor]

If they were as happy as they look in all of the photos and wedding video, they really had it all. They were a very good looking, all American couple, with 2 healthy children, a gorgeous house, with financial security and wealth. It isn't hard to imagine someone jealous and hating them for all of that, someone who knew them, or someone in the neighborhood.

 

[Janitor101]

I'm a champion of investigators who remain tight lipped during the course of a murder investigation. Any slipups or details released prematurely can become fodder for a future defense team during a trial.

"Loose lips sink ships"

 

[Speculaytor]

(i'm having technical difficulties) - cassie p - totally agree with you that this was 'unprofessional'. but it was a hit. some local yokel was paid probably 5k, 10k, to get rid of the tepe's...question is, why. no dental patient hires an amateur because of a bad root canal. no neighborhood grifter would enter a home (knowing the code, IMO) to off parents of two sweet little children with no damage or toss of the house. no drug addict 'breaks' into a home unscathed and literally doesn't take so much as a bottle of aspirin.

LE, from almost day one, said nothing was missing. if the 'perp' had ransacked the jewelry drawers/medicine cabinets, they wouldn't have said that...OR, they would've said "this was a greed/drug-induced robbery and we have home surveillance to identify the suspect, there is no reason for the public to be on alert".

LE didn't say any of the latter...

A perp with a gun can cause people to become very passive, and willing to follow directions. They would have asked for the jewelry, cash, medicine cabinet narcotics, with the gun, they wouldn't have ransacked. They had kids, they may have believed cooperation, give them everything they want and more, and they will leave. The reason I don't think this happened is the 911 caller who saw him by the bed. He first say's by the bed, but then clarifies and says off the bed. This stood out to me, and made me think there was evidence that he had fallen off the bed, I wasn't sure? This would not be the case if he had been up walking around the house getting valuables for the perp. I wish we knew where Monique was found.

 

[Cassie P]

(i'm having technical difficulties) - cassie p - totally agree with you that this was 'unprofessional'. but it was a hit. some local yokel was paid probably 5k, 10k, to get rid of the tepe's...question is, why. no dental patient hires an amateur because of a bad root canal. no neighborhood grifter would enter a home (knowing the code, IMO) to off parents of two sweet little children with no damage or toss of the house. no drug addict 'breaks' into a home unscathed and literally doesn't take so much as a bottle of aspirin.

LE, from almost day one, said nothing was missing. if the 'perp' had ransacked the jewelry drawers/medicine cabinets, they wouldn't have said that...OR, they would've said "this was a greed/drug-induced robbery and we have home surveillance to identify the suspect, there is no reason for the public to be on alert".

LE didn't say any of the latter...

Why do you think it was a hired hitman?

I think it is a big risk to hire a hitman on the cheap. If he is apprehended, he can identify who hired him. The killer would have no loyalty for a $5K job?

And this kind of hired professional made a number of mistakes.

 

[Speculaytor]

It almost sounded like she was justifying why they have not held a press conference or have a suspect. There are a lot of other cases they are working on.

She was saying, IMO, we care about ALL of our cases, even though the press and the public may only care about this one. It made me realize that they don't get asked for press conferences on their other cases, they are not used to this and are feeling the pressure, may start to resent it too. She said they solved 100 homicides last year (yikes), did we discuss one on here, did you hear of one? Imagine how the department may feel, all of the attention and media barrage, pressure for press conferences etc for this couple, yet not the others? I get it, but i also get why all of the attention.

 

[PGHJW]

If they were as happy as they look in all of the photos and wedding video, they really had it all. They were a very good looking, all American couple, with 2 healthy children, a gorgeous house, with financial security and wealth. It isn't hard to imagine someone jealous and hating them for all of that, someone who knew them, or someone in the neighborhood.

Objects on social media are not as happy as they appear.

 

[Izzylizzy]

So nothing new today except police released video of an officer doing a welfare check at the wrong house.

Whistling no less.
Sounded like a pretty happy cop, then.

 

[PGHJW]

I'm a champion of investigators who remain tight lipped during the course of a murder investigation. Any slipups or details released prematurely can become fodder for a future defense team during a trial.

"Loose lips sink ships"

We are the few and the proud among people who follow crime issues.

 

[Cassie P]

If they were as happy as they look in all of the photos and wedding video, they really had it all. They were a very good looking, all American couple, with 2 healthy children, a gorgeous house, with financial security and wealth. It isn't hard to imagine someone jealous and hating them for all of that, someone who knew them, or someone in the neighborhood.

Columbus Oh has many educated, sucessful professional couples like this. Wealthier and more flashy. Why target the Tepes.

 

[Izzylizzy]

Yes, but i wish she would have said that instead.

I wish she never did the sit-down or the standing one.

 

[Cassie P]

Yes, but i wish she would have said that instead.

It was a disappointing interview on many levels. Today the mayor of Columbus made a statement insisting the city was making every effort to solve the Tepe crime. They were taking it seriously, etc. It was clearly an effort to make up for the recent police lackluster comments.

 

[PGHJW]

It was a disappointing interview on many levels. Today the mayor of Columbus made a statement insisting the city was making every effort to solve the Tepe crime. They were taking it seriously, etc. It was clearly an effort to make up for the recent police lackluster comments.

Was it? Or was it just to say something as people bother them while they're doing important work?

 

[white rabbit]

ugh...sorry i can't [email protected] don't disagree but...it's 2-5am in the morning. they're most likely (IMO) asleep. 'he' (IMO) knows the code and knows 'his' mission is simply to kill the parents. IMO 'he' walked upstairs, shot them point blank, and exited the house with nary a care in mind.

i don't care if the parents' room was locked or not, if ST was on or off the bed, what time the 911 calls and the responders' stories jive/don't jive. they were killed in cold blood and 'he' walked down the alley behind the garages like nothing ever happened. that's a 'hit'. and nothing i've found in their finances (not to be posted, against sleuthing relatives) suggests any super-wealth or super-debt to say this was money-related...

and as i said in my first post on this thread in reaction to the perp caring about the children, well...'he' didn't care at all or 'he' wouldn't have shot their parents. hence a hired hit.

O/T...go ducks! our son goes to miami and if the U has any shot, please let oregon beat indiana!

 

[Izzylizzy]

Columbus Oh has many educated, sucessful professional couples like this. Wealthier and more flashy. Why target the Tepes.

Because it looks like the killer wasn't after material goods so that leaves the possibility of revenge.

 

[wibbleflea]

The murders seem personal and targeted, driven by rage or vengeance. A perceived injustice, perhaps.

But there’s no attempt at arson to destroy evidence. No attempt to stage the scene to make it look like a home invasion or a robbery gone wrong. No attempt to damage the outer doors to the building, to make it look like a forced entry. The children and dog weren’t killed. Casings weren’t collected. There may even be video evidence (almost definitely more than we’ve seen), if the POI shown is the killer.

It makes me wonder what the killer’s expectations were for the investigation and everything else after the shooting. Did he expect to get away with these murders? (I think he did.) If so, what’s the cover?

If this is someone close to the Tepes, what actions or assumptions made him think that the odds would be in his favour after the murders?

 

[Izzylizzy]

Was it? Or was it just to say something as people bother them while they're doing important work?

The Chief waited 8 days to say anything to the public.
That in itself had to cause great concern in the area and I say was a big mistake on her part.
There's a killer on the loose.

 

[Cassie P]

A perp with a gun can cause people to become very passive, and willing to follow directions. They would have asked for the jewelry, cash, medicine cabinet narcotics, with the gun, they wouldn't have ransacked. They had kids, they may have believed cooperation, give them everything they want and more, and they will leave. The reason I don't think this happened is the 911 caller who saw him by the bed. He first say's by the bed, but then clarifies and says off the bed. This stood out to me, and made me think there was evidence that he had fallen off the bed, I wasn't sure? This would not be the case if he had been up walking around the house getting valuables for the perp. I wish we knew where Monique was found.

Yes it does not look like a robbery where the home owners had to gather up the valuables. I keep hearing that the Tepes were shot in bed or close to it. I thought it had been said that ST was on one side of the bed perhaps on the floor. MT was on the other side. I think it was here on this forum who said MT was shot sideways in the chest or torso. I am not sure what that means. But yes it sounds like the couple was not walking around upright in the house.