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

[Kemug]

If they were found in the bedroom I wonder if they never even woke up. First shot to the wife and two to the husband if the initial shot startled him awake and he was thus knocked/fell off the bed as it has been reported he was adjacent to the bed on the floor when the friend saw him on the final 911 call.

RSMB
I truly truly hope that "they never woke up".

 

[stmichael]

I assume the parents would occupy the upstairs primary, not the smaller basement bedroom. But with small kids, maybe not?

I wouldn't sleep in the basement with my 1 year old upstairs in a crib, even with a baby monitor, but I suppose it's possible.

However, the initial police welfare check (prior to his friends) was reported to have looked at both the front and back door, so he would have had the opportunity to see the same thing through the large egress window into the basement.

The basement, used as a bedroom seems larger open space than the upstairs master IMO, but I just find such separation from an infant and 4 year old unlikely, but that's based on my viewpoint.

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

I think this point will be later clarified and might have been misreported. I'd be interested to a link to the actual 911 call, which I understand WSYX listened to.

 

[stmichael]

In the video posted upthread from Law&crime you can hear parts of the 911 calls from multiple people, including the friend who saw Spencer's body.

I'll have to re-listen, thanks. I only heard the news report playing the dental practice's doctor's 911 call.

Edit: I heard a small quote excerpt from the NBC video but not the whole 911 call or the quotes cited below. Does anyone have a link to the full 911 call that the news is getting snippets from?

At 10 a.m., Spencer’s friend Alex Ditty reported seeing a body inside before breaking down into sobs.

“There’s blood. He’s laying next to his bed, off of his bed, and there's blood. I can’t get closer to see more than that,” Ditty said, according to 911 logs.

 

[KaylynnCouture]

Some initial questions:
1. Do we know for sure Spencer was located in the basement or is that just an assumption based on the window location and the caller saying he can see him?
2. Was Monique in the same room? There hasn’t been a mention of her being seen, just him. Thinking aloud but if this occurred overnight presumably they were sleeping in the same bed and both would’ve been visible.
3. Signs of a struggle? Or were they shot in their sleep?

 

[stmichael]

Some initial questions:
1. Do we know for sure Spencer was located in the basement or is that just an assumption based on the window location and the caller saying he can see him?
2. Was Monique in the same room? There hasn’t been a mention of her being seen, just him. Thinking aloud but if this occurred overnight presumably they were sleeping in the same bed and both would’ve been visible.
3. Signs of a struggle? Or were they shot in their sleep?

Based on all the reports we don't know the answers to any of those questions.

 

[airportwoman]

Thanks, Link to Search - Case Information Online

I found the case. It took a little searching, but it's there. I did see a "Mutual Restraining Order" but I understand that's fairly routine, to prevent people from stealing each others' assets, and a reference to this, but that also sounds like a routine thing should the need arise.

https://www.justanswer.com/family-law/7djpr-does-hb-335-domestic-violence-shelter-mean-when.html

 

[MSU24]

Some initial questions:
1. Do we know for sure Spencer was located in the basement or is that just an assumption based on the window location and the caller saying he can see him?
2. Was Monique in the same room? There hasn’t been a mention of her being seen, just him. Thinking aloud but if this occurred overnight presumably they were sleeping in the same bed and both would’ve been visible.
3. Signs of a struggle? Or were they shot in their sleep?

1. No. It seems most likely but the friend could have got a ladder or something. We don't think he went inside by how he worded it in the 911 call.
2. I don't think we know. The 911 caller saw him on the floor through the window in a pool of blood. It's possible the blinds were up and he just couldn't see everything in the room.
3. Since he was on the floor, it seems likely he was either awakened, struggled or didn't die immediately and rolled off.

 

[marloweclover]

Not every couple sleeps in the same bed every night. People snore, people have different morning schedules, people agree that one parent is on kid overnight duty and the other gets to sleep somewhere quieter (possibly the basement?), some people fall asleep watching TV every night but that would keep the other awake, etc. JMO there are lots of reasons they might have been in different places in the house.

 

[Kemug]

They didn't have a burglar alarm? Is that a bit odd? Maybe it was disabled, or not set?

 

[TIGER0822]

I found the case. It took a little searching, but it's there. I did see a "Mutual Restraining Order" but I understand that's fairly routine, to prevent people from stealing each others' assets, and a reference to this, but that also sounds like a routine thing should the need arise.

https://www.justanswer.com/family-law/7djpr-does-hb-335-domestic-violence-shelter-mean-when.html

http://Dbm

 

[Fromeaster]

I don't think this is a robbery. My speculation is that this is a hate crime. Money or a former lover, jealousy, revenge. It feels like the person had nothing to lose. For some reason the thought crossed my mind that a woman could have done this, because she didn't touch the children, but the children were probably just sleeping.

 

[TIGER0822]

Dbm

dbm

 

[katydid23]

Could an angry ex-spouse have come to the home, found Spencer in the basement, sleeping? And also killed Monique upstairs?

When my husband had long commutes for his early work hours, and our kids were little, he used to sleep in the downstairs guest room, so the kids wouldn't wake him up at night, and he wouldn't wake us up when he got up before sunrise.

 

[TIGER0822]

Can I list Moniques maiden name?

 

[indicolite22]

Can I list Moniques maiden name?

You can link her social media that is under her maiden name.

 

[Knox]

You can link her social media that is under her maiden name.

Facebook

www.facebook.com

 

[Knox]

I don't think this is a robbery. My speculation is that this is a hate crime. Money or a former lover, jealousy, revenge. It feels like the person had nothing to lose. For some reason the thought crossed my mind that a woman could have done this, because she didn't touch the children, but the children were probably just sleeping.

Agree, 100% targeted.

 

[indicolite22]

I don't think this is a robbery. My speculation is that this is a hate crime. Money or a former lover, jealousy, revenge. It feels like the person had nothing to lose. For some reason the thought crossed my mind that a woman could have done this, because she didn't touch the children, but the children were probably just sleeping.

Would a simple (not a burglar type) person with a grudge know how to gain entry to a locked house without leaving any signs?

 

[Fromeaster]

Would a simple (not a burglar type) person with a grudge know how to gain entry to a locked house without leaving any signs?

Maybe they let him in because they knew him.

 

[indicolite22]

Maybe they let him in because they knew him.

After midnight? And if they let them in before, why was the husband found in the bedroom?