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

[Voidz]

Since there are two small children living in that home, did the home have a child proof keypad security lock on the front and back doors?

This is the kind of safety lock where small children cannot open the door from the inside without entering a pass code on the keypad.

North Fourth Street is a heavily traveled one way street that has heavy vehicular traffic all day long.

Folks are known to use both North Fourth Street and Summit Street as an alternative route to reach and leave Downtown Columbus when traffic on I-71 is backed up due to heavy traffic or accidents.

I also wonder if the house had heavy soundproofing to cut down on the traffic noise from North Fourth Street.

And if the house was soundproofed, it may explain gun shots weren't heard from the home.

It’s a newer build, so concrete foundation walls and surrounding earth absorb and contain sound.

Also, if only a few shots occur close together, the noise is brief and lacks a recognizable pattern. Easy for anyone who hears it to dismiss it as a single bang, or a firework rather than something sinister. If woke up to a noise at that time it would be confusing and like “wtf” - I would only think it’s a gunshot if I heard more shots afterwards.

The killer probably killed them both quite fast, in succession.

 

[Voidz]

that makes sense to me, but I only see it on the front of the jeans, not the back. from your understanding, does that compute with image quality and lighting? I truly don't know and appreciate the insights. I just watched the video at .25 speed and I feel like there is a clear difference between front and back of pants. In the first screenshot below he is mostly facing front and the white and black color difference is notable, in the middle his left leg is blocking the right but to me there looks to be a difference between front and back of the knee, and in the third image he is fully facing away from the camera so we can only see the back and none of the white/black portions are visible. most notable difference to me is at :12-:14 of this video:

Knee pads? Some type of patch? I see it too.

 

[MassGuy]

Lots of good points here.

However if it was soundproofed then the caller wouldn’t have been able to hear the children crying from the outside.

IMO, a silencer was used. This perp knew what he was doing - got in, committed the crime, left nothing undisturbed, and casually walked off into the night.

Responding to you but multiple people have mentioned silencers. They are rarely used in crimes, and up until recently (law went into effect on January, 1) were a complete pain to get. They required a $200 tax stamp, and the wait was many months until the paperwork was processed.

They also don't function at all like they do in that movies (that high-pitched "pew pew" sound.

Here's a chart with the decibel level of a 9mm handgun, without a suppressor and with one.

I think people just didn't hear it (it would be super loud inside the house but not outside), or they wrote it off.

~157–167 dB

~125–134 dB

~30–34 dB

 

[lawyerlurker]

Responding to you but multiple people have mentioned silencers. They are rarely used in crimes, and up until recently (law went into effect on January, 1) were a complete pain to get. They required a $200 tax stamp, and the wait was many months until the paperwork was processed.

They also don't function at all like they do in that movies (that high-pitched "pew pew" sound.

Here's a chart with the decibel level of a 9mm handgun, without a suppressor and with one.

I think people just didn't hear it (it would be super loud inside the house but not outside), or they wrote it off.

~157–167 dB

~125–134 dB

~30–34 dB

could they have made their own makeshift suppressor? I know kids can sleep through anything sometimes but it's crazier to me the kids would not have woken up, as expressed by Spencer's BIL, if the gunshots were on their same floor. Esp. looking at the listing's square footage and the fact that the bedrooms are concentrated to the second floor, it seems like the bedrooms are relatively close to each other

 

[MassGuy]

could they have made their own makeshift suppressor? I know kids can sleep through anything sometimes but it's crazier to me the kids would not have woken up, as expressed by Spencer's BIL, if the gunshots were on their same floor. Esp. looking at the listing's square footage and the fact that the bedrooms are concentrated to the second floor, it seems like the bedrooms are relatively close to each other

That's been done in quite a few cases (police wind up find strange fragments from whatever the hell they build those things with), but my point is that even with a real suppressor it would still be loud as hell in that house.

It's entirely possible (if not very likely) they did wake up, but probably fell back asleep.

But a suppressor isn't going to change the kid's reactions.

 

[Charlot123]

I am thinking it might be someone who owed the dentist money. Maybe something expensive, the doctor would have recognized him. OR someone he wouldn't/couldn't work on because they couldn't pay (for expensive work). They were in the community a lot, so they were likely recognizable (dr = money). People feel entitled sometimes, to recieve things for free ikyk.

How many people would kill two people for money owed to a dentist? First, they make an assessment, take a deposit…then part in the middle of the job

The choices are:

- not to pay. Will be written off as bad debt.
- make a payment plan
- agree to pay 2/3 and 1/3 to be waived as the collection company takes 1/3

In short, to risk life over unpaid debt to a dentist? Someone very young or very stupid, maybe.

-

Ok just showed her. She said she hadn’t noticed the boots at first, and had assumed they were hiking style sneakers. But now that you mention it, as he passes the camera and is walking away, you can see that they have a bit of a heel. Almost like a square toed cowboy boot with the jeans outside the boot. She said college boys at OSU “would never.” Haha. This confirmed her initial impression that this is a man in his 30s.

Can they be “disco boots” with high heel and a platform? One can buy them, plus clothes in the style, for the Halloween or similar party. The same companies may sell wigs, too

Search for “disco boots men”, “gothic shoes men”, “platform shoes”, you may find something of the type

 

[MassGuy]

How many people would kill two people for money owed to a dentist? First, they make an assessment, take a deposit…then part in the middle of the job

The choices are:

- not to pay. Will be written off as bad debt.
- make a payment plan
- agree to pay 2/3 and 1/3 to be waived as the collection company takes 1/3

In short, to risk life over unpaid debt to a dentist? Someone very young or very stupid, maybe.

-

Can they be “disco boots” with high heel and a platform? One can buy them, plus clothes in the style, for the Halloween or similar party. The same companies may sell wigs, too

Search for “disco boots men”, “gothic shoes men”, “platform shoes”, you may find something of the type

They still owe the office that money, regardless of if they kill one of the dentists.

 

[Ms Scarlett]

could they have made their own makeshift suppressor? I know kids can sleep through anything sometimes but it's crazier to me the kids would not have woken up, as expressed by Spencer's BIL, if the gunshots were on their same floor. Esp. looking at the listing's square footage and the fact that the bedrooms are concentrated to the second floor, it seems like the bedrooms are relatively close to each other

I know it’s disturbing to thing about, but the children may not have slept through it, or they may not know if they slept through it. Potential witnesses are always protected.
I’m thinking back to the Idaho case. In the beginning, the authorities said that the roommates were asleep. We found out later that wasn’t the case.

 

[Izzylizzy]

I actually don't think we know for a fact that they were both found in the bedroom, but he was found near the bed.

This just sounds like a cold blooded execution - Betty Broderick was the first case I thought of.

.My hope is that he had his cell phone on him, and a geofence will show that. It's definitely not looking like a quick resolution, especially with that video release today. It's pretty clear they still don't have a solid suspect.

There's also a chance the fired casings have touch DNA on them, but that's unlikely to lead to his immediate capture unless he's in the system.

This was just reported by LE

"in the upstairs of their residence"

 

[rde1177]

Hi I'm a long time reader first time posting.... But with that being said, I'm not certain if theories are allowed?
He was a Dentist... He had access to prescription pads... He hales from the heroin capital of the world when it comes to overdose deaths due to opiates (imo)... Could he have had an old friend that he would occasionally give a scrip to that maybe showed up demanding some and ST told him no or was confrontational because of the nature of the visit?

 

[lawyerlurker]

I know it’s disturbing to thing about, but the children may not have slept through it, or they may not know if they slept through it. Potential witnesses are always protected.
I’m thinking back to the Idaho case. In the beginning, the authorities said that the roommates were asleep. We found out later that wasn’t the case.

completely agree; it's horrific to think about. I'm only going off of what spencer's brother in law publicly posted, which is that they slept through it (seems unlikely but fingers crossed) and were unaware of what happened

 

[stmichael]

Responding to you but multiple people have mentioned silencers. They are rarely used in crimes, and up until recently (law went into effect on January, 1) were a complete pain to get. They required a $200 tax stamp, and the wait was many months until the paperwork was processed.

They also don't function at all like they do in that movies (that high-pitched "pew pew" sound.

Here's a chart with the decibel level of a 9mm handgun, without a suppressor and with one.

I think people just didn't hear it (it would be super loud inside the house but not outside), or they wrote it off.

~157–167 dB

~125–134 dB

~30–34 dB

I think people mention suppressors because it seems very shocking that no one in the close houses nearby claims to have heard anything. I find this also puzzling, as someone who has trained and used firearms for decades and lived in a city, suburban, and rural settings.

I find it quite far-fetched that this is some assassination but stranger things have happened, and an assassin would not purchase a NFA tax stamp to get theirs despite Ohio being a suppressor-friendly state (you can own, use and hunt with suppressors). And sure, it's not like Hollywood, suppressors only suppress (not silence) shots and indoors there would still be an echo chamber and significant report.

I also would imagine this would wake a 4 year old. We don't know that it didn't. We also don't know for a fact that any of the neighbors didn't hear something that night. I think some of these gaps will be explained better down the line, as in many cases inconsistencies are cleared or simply corrected. Much of the police verbiage has some tolerances built in like (doesn't *appear* that anything was taken etc. ) and I think some of this initial reporting is mudding the water for sleuthing.

 

[maamager]

i think i have that exact area on video on my drive the other day. here’s the video (it’s not very well done, sorry)

obnoxiously replying to myself (lol) just to add a visual to illustrate where the nest camera was to the Tepe home, attaching my relevant video above ^

 

[303gmf]

Hi I'm a long time reader first time posting.... But with that being said, I'm not certain if theories are allowed?
He was a Dentist... He had access to prescription pads... He hales from the heroin capital of the world when it comes to overdose deaths due to opiates (imo)... Could he have had an old friend that he would occasionally give a scrip to that maybe showed up demanding some and ST told him no or was confrontational because of the nature of the visit?

Prescription pads no longer exist, electronic only

 

[MesquiteO21]

Responding to you but multiple people have mentioned silencers. They are rarely used in crimes, and up until recently (law went into effect on January, 1) were a complete pain to get. They required a $200 tax stamp, and the wait was many months until the paperwork was processed.

They also don't function at all like they do in that movies (that high-pitched "pew pew" sound.

Here's a chart with the decibel level of a 9mm handgun, without a suppressor and with one.

I think people just didn't hear it (it would be super loud inside the house but not outside), or they wrote it off.

~157–167 dB

~125–134 dB

~30–34 dB

Agreed I think people are overestimating how loud the shots would be to someone in another house, even with that house being in close proximity. You have the walls/insulation of two homes acting as a buffer, it’s entirely possible they wouldn’t have heard it at all (also depending on whether they wear earplugs, if they’re a deep sleeper etc. maybe they would’ve heard some faint noise but unlikely to be obvious it was gunshots)
Now if they had been shot outside that would be a totally different story and the neighboring houses would’ve heard it clearly and obviously as gunshots
JMO

 

[rde1177]

Prescription pads no longer exist, electronic only

Ok so same thing... Semantics.

My point being .... pain pill prescription related perhaps?

 

[steeltowngirl]

Hi I'm a long time reader first time posting.... But with that being said, I'm not certain if theories are allowed?
He was a Dentist... He had access to prescription pads... He hales from the heroin capital of the world when it comes to overdose deaths due to opiates (imo)... Could he have had an old friend that he would occasionally give a scrip to that maybe showed up demanding some and ST told him no or was confrontational because of the nature of the visit?

Welcome to Websleuths!

it could very well be someone they knew who thought the dentist could help him out. When he didn't have a scrip or pills, acquaintance lost it.

But, they were killed upstairs, which feels like whoever did this got in to the house on their own in the wee dark hours and went upstairs.

I believe this was targeted. But why? Did he go in for the sheer purpose of killing them, perhaps for revenge or silencing? Or did the perp actually want something from them, or from the house?

 

[avalonisland]

This is a possibility. However, I wonder why this person would walk through the neighborhood in the middle of the night and be sure they could get into the house without breaking in. He must be pretty sure to walk for blocks (it appears) to target this specific house. How did he know he could get in so easily?

Spencer needed to drive 1 1/2 hours to work and be in office around 8AM, so he would most likely be awake around 5am. Police narrowing in on a 2AM to 5AM timeframe to find any exterior neighborhood video surveillance. So perhaps the killer knew of Spencer's schedule? Like why enter a home occupied by wife, husband, 2 kids, and a dog and shoot the husband and wife to death? No reports of neighbors hearing gunshots or dog barking, etc., so this just seems very personal or work related to me- not some random act from criminal.

 

[Kemug]

I highly doubt any friend would risk being imprisoned for life by handling a gun to save a deceased friends face.

Well you would think not, but what if it was just a sudden impulse?

 

[Knox]

Assuming this wasn't a completely random, spur-of-the-moment, walking by and decided to murder two people, situation (which is still possible but I am leaning away from that), I am curious why THIS particular night was chosen for the crime. Was this revenge for a slight over something that happened very recently so still fresh in the killer's mind? Was the date symbolic to the killer for some reason?

Or if neither of those, why did they choose this night? It could be that due to the holidays, they believed other neighbors to not be around as they were out of town, perhaps even surveilling ahead of time? Does anyone know if the Tepes were planning to go out of town for the new year holiday, and maybe the killer felt this was their last shot for awhile? Had they tried to commit this crime other nights previously and something was off and just not feeling right, but this night felt good for them?

Just something I'm curious about. They chose a work night where Spencer was expected at work the next day (unless they were unaware he was working that day), which means his absence would be noticed pretty quickly vs. a weekend where maybe they don't have plans right away and it could be a day+ before the alarm is raised with friends/family/work.

That is interesting isn’t it, a Tuesday night - December 30th. Their fifth anniversary was January 30th. Trying to find a pattern with limited information is maddening.