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

[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 Weinland Park home

A meorial of roses and sunflowers is growing outside of Spencer and Monqiue Tepe's Weinland Park home, as Columbus police continue to investigate a double homic

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.

 

[Sevenwilliams]

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.

Without disclosing my employer i was able to go back and listen to all off the dispatched runs on that zone that night, i started at midnight to see if there were any shot spotter alerts , then listened to every radio transmission until the second 4 precinct car made entry into the house.

 

[ChatteringBirds]

I would think in an area that has burglaries, you would have an alarm system

Maybe because I have only lived in cities (medium-sized), I have the impression burglaries occur everywhere. They definitely happen where I live, but alarm systems are not popular here. I guess there are geographic, socioeconomic, and cultural factors regarding how common they are.

 

[ChatteringBirds]

Welcome to Websleuths, @Sevenwilliams!

So is your theory their friends broke down the locked back door?

 

[Sevenwilliams]

I think he was missing patient appointments and then neither could be reached. Bit different than a desk job where you would be getting to excels a bit later. Also he had a history of being punctual and communicating any issue re: arrival time. Jmooo. Looks like appointments started at 8 most days at the dental practice so call was when he was over an hour late and neither could be reached. They may have had a patient waiting for him and asking when he would arrive. Homepage

Welcome to Websleuths, @Sevenwilliams!

So is your theory their friends broke down the locked back door?

I don't believe it was ever locked. when the killer exited the back door they just closed it completely, the police are not going to try a door handle on a well being check. My theory is based on a little fact after listening to the 911 calls and the radio dispatch, the friends most likely just opened the back door and let themselves look around, that is how he was able to see a body and blood on the ground.

 

[Sevenwilliams]

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?

My first law enforcement job was in that communications center. unfortunately there is almost nothing you can do about it. who else are you going to call? this is not a customer service center. sad but true.

 

[Lisbeth_S]

I don't believe it was ever locked. when the killer exited the back door they just closed it completely, the police are not going to try a door handle on a well being check. My theory is based on a little fact after listening to the 911 calls and the radio dispatch, the friends most likely just opened the back door and let themselves look around, that is how he was able to see a body and blood on the ground.

The friend said in the 911 call that it was all locked and was considering if he should break in...presumably he would have tried the handles to then state that it was locked.

 

[Voidz]

My first law enforcement job was in that communications center. unfortunately there is almost nothing you can do about it. who else are you going to call? this is not a customer service center. sad but true.

It’s sad, but you would hope they have proper training. If she had done her job correctly the police would have known there were vulnerable children in the house which could have changed the timeline.

I’m concerned that the friends have possibly contaminated the crime scene by gaining entry.

 

[Voidz]

Who else thinks it’s bizarre that the person who discovered the body has somehow inserted themselves into the narrative by gaining access to the house and possibly contaminating the crime scene? I sense a red flag with this.

While I don’t think it’s an overreaction to do a welfare check, it seems weird that the police were already involved but he had to be the one who found the bodies, there is some type of self serving urgency, maybe as an alibi?

If it’s a close friend, I’ll understand the behaviour more, but if it turns out to be a co-worker, it’s very peculiar…

 

[stmarysmead]

When my daughter lived in this state, I had keys to her home, but lived over a hour distance away. As concern grew that morning, maybe the friends reached a relative with the door code, or someone finally arrived who was trusted with keys. Once they heard the children inside and no response from the parents,my guess is that they were in high gear for every solution to get into that house.

Another thought, Monique was a very attractive woman. Much like the Idaho murders, maybe someone was fixated on her…saw her daily going in and out of that house. . We have heard nothing about HER, where she was found, etc. If they were ‘targeted’,maybe this young beautiful woman was sadly the target herself.

I’m still leaning toward burglary. Did the victims have a gun in perhaps a bedside table? Was the gun wrestled from the husband and then turned on them? Yet, debating my own theory, why would a burglar go up to the third floor when he might leave undetected? Unless he felt there might be a safe or a prescription pad or jewelry in their bedroom. Or a woman he fantasized about.

Does it appear they were just executed as they slept in their beds? So much we do not know.

 

[Voidz]

It does seem very clinical and cold, with no robbery or disturbance. Possibly shot in quick succession which is why no one noticed.

Maybe a professional hit but with mistaken identity?

It doesn’t help matters that the videos and photos and everything about this case seems like AI. Even the news footage of the police investigating outside the house seems incredibly dated.

 

[Spectrix]

Who else thinks it’s bizarre that the co-worker/or friend who discovered the body has somehow inserted themselves into the narrative by gaining access to the house and possibly contaminating the crime scene? I sense a red flag with this.

While I don’t think it’s an overreaction to do a welfare check, it seems weird that the police were already involved but he had to be the one who found the bodies, there is some type of self serving urgency, maybe as an alibi?

The impression I get is that Spencer was ultra reliable at work and for him to not turn up to work, and then both him and Monique not be answering their phones meant something had to be very wrong.

They weren't satisfied with the initial Police welfare check (simply ringing the doorbell and looking around the property) and later when they could hear the children inside and neither Spencer or Monique would answer the door or their phones - it seems reasonable to me that they gained entry, especially to check on the children.

 

[Voidz]

The impression I get is that Spencer was ultra reliable at work and for him to not turn up to work, and then both him and Monique not be answering their phones meant something had to be very wrong.

They weren't satisfied with the initial Police welfare check (simply ringing the doorbell and looking around the property) and later when they could hear the children inside and neither Spencer or Monique would answer the door or their phones - it seems reasonable to me that they gained entry, especially to check on the children.

It’s unfortunate how it has all played out…
I thought it was interesting that a brother in law of one of the victims has been saying he believes it’s a targeted crime.

 

[Spectrix]

It’s unfortunate how it has all played out…
I thought it was interesting that a brother in law of one of the victims has been saying he believes it’s a targeted crime.

I mean that's exactly what I think since it was said that there was no sign of forced entry and the house hadn't been ransacked / nothing obvious was missing. Shooting two people inside their home and leaving their two kids orphans is a pretty extreme measure.
I'm dubious about the brother in law (being so vocal on Reddit and sending the wedding video he made of S&Ms wedding into media channels), but it's not that I think he's involved.

 

[stmarysmead]

The impression I get is that Spencer was ultra reliable at work and for him to not turn up to work, and then both him and Monique not be answering their phones meant something had to be very wrong.

They weren't satisfied with the initial Police welfare check (simply ringing the doorbell and looking around the property) and later when they could hear the children inside and neither Spencer or Monique would answer the door or their phones - it seems reasonable to me that they gained entry, especially to check on the children.

If the children were put to bed at any reasonable time the night before, that one year old would probably have very wet diapers at the least and be crying for Mommy and breakfast. It was after 9am!

The 4 yr old could have been wandering unsupervised all over the house and may have tried to wake her parents (hope not)

If I were family, close friend, or even just concerned neighbor, I would be frantic to get to those children.

 

[indicolite22]

If the friends told the dispatch that they couldn't get in at first, both external doors were probably locked. It seems unlikely that the family would leave the back door unlocked, especially at night.

 

[BrownRice]

Is there a wish they had had an alarm system because somehow that would have prevented this?

I don't think that's fair, because it may easily not have prevented this, we don't know. And those systems can be annoying, giving false alarms, etc.
They are really a personal choice.

I thought I saw one of those yard signs for an alarm company in their front yard. But people buy those signs too just for criminals to think it’s alarmed.

 

[BrownRice]

Looks like Zillow listing removed all photos unfortunately

Honestly, everyone should remove their home’s pictures after it’s sold. I didn’t know that was a thing until a couple years ago.

 

[stmarysmead]

Am I remembering correctly that he worked in Athens, Ohio but chose to live in Columbus…which Google says is 74 miles away?

Did they buy this home after they married? Has he changed jobs? Perhaps they just preferred an urban vibe but a quick look on Zillow shows much more house for one’s dollar in Athens.

M.did not work, but was she in school, working on a degree? Did she have babysitters that would have the door code?

If office hours began at 8am, he would have to leave between 6-6:30 am every day. A long commute, but maybe that’s just my perspective.

 

[BrownRice]

Am I remembering correctly that he worked in Athens, Ohio but chose to live in Columbus…which Google says is 74 miles away?

Did they buy this home after they married? Has he changed jobs? Perhaps they just preferred an urban vibe but a quick look on Zillow shows much more house for one’s dollar in Athens.

M.did not work, but was she in school, working on a degree? Did she have babysitters that would have the door code?

If office hours began at 8am, he would have to leave between 6-6:30 am every day. A long commute, but maybe that’s just my perspective.

I believe they had the home at time of marriage, based on wedding video. Not sure if one of them owned it prior to marriage or if joint purchase.

It’s odd about work distance, especially in winter, 74 miles is quite a commute.