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

[katydid23]

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?

Maybe he'd be let inside, by his longtime mentor. Maybe ST's kind hearted nature blinded him to potential red flags with this person?

 

[Tellyties]

With having a one year old, I wonder what kind of baby monitors they had? It's been a few years for me, but can you go back and save recorded data?

 

[Ms Scarlett]

Several things come to mind:

- heels and platforms add height
- someone here said that the person looked as if they had “low back pain”. Indeed, heels increase lumbar lordosis (curvature of the lower spine) so it may look like “low back pain gait”, although there is no pain, just some strain related to shoes.
- at the same time, if he indeed wears such shoes, he walks very surely. I already thought that the person had some athletic prowess, now I wonder if they also dance well.

Are we sure that it is a “he”? Seems “likely, him”, but I am not 100% sure. The size of the shoe might be an indicator. JMO.

I thought the shoes/feet looked small, but that could be just how it appears in the video.

 

[Kemug]

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

But what about in the morning? Wouldn't they go into their parents' room once their mother didn't come to them? I presume the parents didn't lock themselves into their bedroom overnight? So they must have seen their parents' bodies, surely. The 1 year old wouldn't understand, but the 4 year old would, even if not totally.

 

[missdeemenour]

Hey y'all, longtime lurker who lost/forgot my old account!

Going off just what we know, I think this does appear to be someone they know. Reason being there was no forced entry AND they appear to have had a very large social circle.

Also, the fact that three men managed to get inside for a welfare check before police would indicate that there were decent # of people who had their key access code or perhaps knew where they stashed a spare key.

The man in the video seems to be walking with intent. He doesn't seem interested in anything but getting to where he is going, and yes, hiding his face. Definitely a strong POI from my POV. Also, he has a bubble butt lol. Someone's gotta recognize that ass.

I don't think this is burglary gone wrong. Yes, that can happen, but generally you don't burglar a place at 2am and not expect people to be home. If the suspect were planning to rob the place, they would have accounted for that, and perhaps, not tried to do this alone or gone back at a time when the house was empty (when most home robberies occur).

The fact they are operating alone, at 2AM-5AM, and able to get into the home without forcing entry, makes me think it is someone who was targeting them specifically. And without knowing more about them, including former relationships, crypto accounts, etc, then impossible to guess why.

Oh and yes my work would call 911 on me after an hour of no-showing. And I am not a doctor. As another person here said, most professionals get to work on time religiously.

 

[avalonisland]

GSR and ballistics would easily prove or disprove this. Police will definitively know this.

If the husband or wife discharged a firearm they would likely know by now and the ballistics/crime scene configuration would also be telling. If they were shot, even from across the room, the forensics/blood spatter, entry & exit wound angle, etc. will tell a different story so the "friend taking the gun" would not cover up a murder/suicide.

edit: btw the crime scene forensics will also be able to tell if they were both laying in bed when shot or if they were upright or one of them upright etc. etc.

Friend or family member who showed up after 911 call only mentioned ST clearly looked dead. It's reasonable to think perhaps a guest was at the house that night and if this was a domestic situation, perhaps guest left with weapon? Sounds bizarre but since police not seeming to alert neighborhood of danger to other homes and it's occupants, sounds like police may have likely suspicion of who did this.

 

[avalonisland]

I think killer was already in the house. I think guest may have been staying there and departed house between 2am and 5am. I get the dentist of owner of office calling 911 after ST did not show up for work and at around 9am, but to also have staff drive 1 1/2 hours to do their own welfare check just seems a little extreme- like ST was having some sort of issue office aware of perhaps.

 

[Voidz]

Anything is possible and i understand ppl here have had bad experiences, but I don't think there's anything pointing in the direction of Big Brothers specifically, and it's a good organization doing important things. Not every little brother grows up to be a psycho. In fact, very few do....

I’m not saying it was one of them, but it’s a genuine possibility. Especially when you take into account the vulnerability and emotional connection. I’m actually leaning more towards an older person, and it’s money related. But more in the context of money being owed. Or something business related.

 

[kwins]

But what about in the morning? Wouldn't they go into their parents' room once their mother didn't come to them? I presume the parents didn't lock themselves into their bedroom overnight? So they must have seen their parents' bodies, surely. The 1 year old wouldn't understand, but the 4 year old would, even if not totally.

How would the brother-in-law know if the children slept through the shooting?

 

[avalonisland]

If we look at the Big Brothers angle again, there are 3 possibilities:
1. Brother has gone off the rails, possibly wanting drugs or money. Holding Monique with a gun pointed at her while trying to get drugs or money or something from Spencer. Shoots her in the chest to make his point. And then shot him dead too when he realised he was getting nowhere - out of frustration and anger and because he would be identified. Probably swiped the override key from Spencer at some point in the past (maybe even years ago) who never realised since he only uses the code. May have been causing issues for a while, hence the coworkers concern.

2. Brother feels rejection after Spencer possibly distanced himself after he has his babies with Monique. Or after he turned 18 and maybe wasn’t part of the program anymore. May have some type of grudge or resentment towards Spencer. May have been in love with him or thought he was like family. Rejection. Resentment. Who knows how these psychos think. Maybe he reached out to Spencer for help and he refused to set healthy boundaries.

3. Brother stole key override or knew the code or had been to the house - and tipped off someone he knows to rob them. Probably planned it or set it up. Maybe gang activity. The brother may be a prospect and someone more experienced did the dirty work. Wanted drugs or cash only.

Edit: if cash was taken, would anyone know?

Do we know if this couple kept guns in the house? One scenario could be domestic violence then survivor disposes of gun and using diff gun to commit suicide? Therefore, 2 dead people with 2 diff firearms used but only one weapon at house?

 

[Voidz]

Anything is possible and i understand ppl here have had bad experiences, but I don't think there's anything pointing in the direction of Big Brothers specifically, and it's a good organization doing important things. Not every little brother grows up to be a psycho. In fact, very few do....

Just so you’re aware, you can disagree (it was just a possibility) but this is a crime website where we have to look at every angle. Keep an open mind. Consider the connections in their life. Consider the people who became familiar or intimate with this murdered couple.

This isn’t a moral high ground where you have to defend Little Brothers.

Little Brothers can be men who do drugs and fall into crime or do bad things, just like those who are not in Little Brothers.

 

[crhedBngr]

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!

 

[crhedBngr]

Prescription pads no longer exist, electronic only

Actually, my G.P. still uses them for nonrefillable prescriptions.

JMVHO.

 

[marypretzels]

Again, speculation on my part but I believe they MIGHT find someone crept behind his car and into his garage from the alley as he was pulling in before the garage door shut and then held him at gunpoint there to eventually go inside the house and give them his money/jewelry/valuables. It gets dark by 6:00 PM. That travel route from the garage to his house would have been very concealed.

Then maybe things went sideways. I read that Spencer was a black belt and maybe he tried to overtake the perpetrator and in the ensuing struggle she came in the room and was collateral damage.

I will be the first to say I was wrong if it comes out differently and maybe it is an acquaintance/friend/relative.

This is a real mystery to those of us on the outside of the real investigation. I am very confident police will find the killer.

I love alleys but they can be dangerous places and very inviting to criminals.

 

[marypretzels]

Here are some more street view photos of the alley in particular.

View attachment 635214View attachment 635215View attachment 635216

Detroit closed all of it's alleys 25 or 30 years ago. The property owners on either side got some extra "acreage". Those detached garages on that alley would be a definite NO for me!

 

[Voidz]

Looks Caucasian, young, and wearing a mask.

 

[ttjo]

How would the brother-in-law know if the children slept through the shooting?

I saw him on newsnation tonight with Ashleigh Banfield, he said they had the kids the first few days and they acted like they weren’t even aware anything happened. Just acting normal, so maybe thats how he knew

 

[crhedBngr]

Looks Caucasian, young, and wearing a mask.

What makes you think he is Caucasian?

All I see is his hoodie and jeans--no hands, anything that gives his race away.

Am I missing something?

JMVHO.

 

[ttjo]

What makes you think he is Caucasian?

All I see is his hoodie and jeans--no hands, anything that gives his race away.

Am I missing something?

JMVHO.

Apparantly he looks like he looks up at one point, DR Detective noticed it on surviving the survivor tonight when they reviewed the camera footage , but it was so brief I couldnt see anything descriptive. Dr Detective didn’t comment much more other than noticing that. I cant remember his whole name (only Troy) but he is a retired or semi retired homicide detective I think in Ohio also.
I will try to find a time stamp so you can watch it.
It’s at 23:33

 

[Speculaytor]

As a brown person, I can see he has light skin. Use your eyes.

Hard to see the face?