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

[MarciB]

You bring up a good point. It makes sense to guard the house with the children. But why any other house? I think that suggests knowledge of a more specific threat than just general precaution.

more questions than answers at this point

 

[midwesttowest]

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.

The bubble butt comment made me laugh out loud

 

[Ms Scarlett]

Not often in cases the family tries to undercut LE leads. I think he should probably just let them do their job JMO

It bothers me that he revealed that the children are staying at his house. IMO, that should have been kept a secret.

 

[Voidz]

Mystery deepens as family of slain Ohio dentist, wife pour cold water on eerie surveillance video

 

[tlcya]

more questions than answers at this point

unless it is as simple as two very young children who aren't school age and who are used to being at home with their now dead SAHM, are staying at one relative's home but also spending time at another family member's home while first family member is at work, or addressing other commitments because, life does go on and people tend to have commitments not so easily dropped or ignored in a time of family crisis.

 

[moonglow123]

Ohio couple’s deaths ‘shocking’: Brother-in-law

Ah, I see the BIL has given interviews to the news now (hope it's okay to discuss what he's said, in that light.) '“I do think, you know, (it’s a) suspicious-looking person there. It also very well could be … somebody walking home drunk from a bar,” Rob Misleh, who is looking after the couple’s young children, told NewsNation.'

I noticed a lot of people on other forums shared the sentiment that the video could just be a drunk person walking home from the bar. If that's the case, I hope they saw something.

But I suspect that LE has some reason to believe this is a POI, perhaps footage of them closer to the house or even entering it, versus just a straggler that may've seen something. Just speculation though, I could be wrong.

 

[Charlot123]

Danskos are the last shoes I’d pick if I wanted to be nimble and stealthy, and I wear them daily. I don’t think it’s Danskos.

Definitely not Danskos. They used to be my favorite ones for years. I’d recognize them.

 

[StarryStarryNight]

It looked like he hit himself in the head? Im sure this has already been discussed, though.

Spencer and Monique Tepe homicide update: 'Person of interest' video released​

Did LE give a time for this video?

 

[osu]

Answers in the Tepe killing can't come fast enough | Opinion

Columbus Dispatch
Jan. 6, 2026, 4:31 a.m. ET
Amelia Robinson

The bullet-stricken bodies of Spencer and Monique Tepe, the parents of two young kids who needed them, were found in their home on the 1400 block of North 4th Street the morning of Dec. 30.

https://www.dispatch.com/story/opin...er-monique-tepe-homicide-answers/88033960007/

 

[ivegotcha]

It looked like he hit himself in the head? Im sure this has already been discussed, though.

Spencer and Monique Tepe homicide update: 'Person of interest' video released​

when he moves his head away he know the camera is there.. ? also just a interesting note on the photo of the face of the poi ... crazy thing I took my camera phone and moved the camera back and forth on the picture and saw the face.... and snap a picture I actually got a better outline of the face and more detailed of it... just fyi if you care to try it. it worked for me... what it showed was a blond hair long bangs, white skin, I see the nose the mouth area not sure if it is a mustache or covering of some sort. some kind of a hat on head .. not sure if hat is backwards like some people wear..

 

[tlcya]

Columbus police just released video of someone walking in the areas of the Spencer and Monique Tepe’s house when they were killed. Very distinct walk.

https://twitter.com/x/status/2008326513695842634

MOO the quality of this video is much better than the very grainy stills I have seen thus far. in this video the man seems to be wearing loose fitting straight leg blue jeans, possibly with rips/holes in the knee area and possibly boots, maybe steel toed. His hands are in his coat pocket which may account for his seeming pigeon toed gait while walking on icy/snowy ground.

 

[Aquabot13]

I have to hope that if police thought the BIL was anywhere close to suspicious, they wouldn't place the kids with him ...........right?

It's odd that he's acting this way, but I can understand that he's in an incredibly stressful situation and wants the truth to come out. He probably thinks he's being helpful.

Re: life insurance - in the event of both parents dying, I'd imagine the life insurance would go to the person who has custody of the kids. I wonder if M & S got far enough to designate a guardian in the event of an emergency or set up a trust for the kids. I know my own parents never picked a guardian because it "seemed like drama" to pick one family over the other.

I'd be surprised if M & S were very liquid at the time of their passing. Dental school is expensive, and they had just bought a house and had two kids. However, life insurance would probably be based on future earnings and might be a decent chunk of change.

It's possible, then, that whoever ends up with the kids will be an executor of a rather large estate for the next 18 years. Even without being a direct beneficiary, access to cash could be enticing.

Hopefully none of my comment is relevant and the perp is far away from the family and kids.

MOO

 

[Gabry L]

It’s interesting to me that the NY Post article names the person who has taken in Spencer and Monique’s children. A previous article stated that police were guarding two homes of Spencer and Monique’s family members. One of my guesses about why was that the children might have been in danger from the killer, and guarding TWO homes would make the killer question where the children were.

If media is specifying where the children are, clearly there’s no concern about the killer targeting them.

To me, that’s another strong clue that the killer is someone known to Spencer and/or Monique, not a random stranger… AND it’s a clue that LE have a suspect in mind and are working hard to gather enough evidence to make an arrest. I could be wrong, but I think that if they were totally in the dark about the suspect, they’d be keeping the kids’ location a secret.

 

[Inthedetails]

Ohio couple’s deaths ‘shocking’: Brother-in-law

Ah, I see the BIL has given interviews to the news now (hope it's okay to discuss what he's said, in that light.) '“I do think, you know, (it’s a) suspicious-looking person there. It also very well could be … somebody walking home drunk from a bar,” Rob Misleh, who is looking after the couple’s young children, told NewsNation.'

I noticed a lot of people on other forums shared the sentiment that the video could just be a drunk person walking home from the bar. If that's the case, I hope they saw something.

But I suspect that LE has some reason to believe this is a POI, perhaps footage of them closer to the house or even entering it, versus just a straggler that may've seen something. Just speculation though, I could be wrong.

It could be a drunk guy walking home from a bar is the perp.

jmopinion

 

[StarryStarryNight]

MOO the quality of this video is much better than the very grainy stills I have seen thus far. in this video the man seems to be wearing loos fitting straight leg blue jeans, possibly with rips/holes in the knee area and possibly boots, maybe steel toed. His hands are in his coat pocket which may account for his seeming pigeon toed gait while walking on icy/snowy ground.

I agree.
I think his gait can be explained by the icy road.

 

[swanniee11]

rbbm, fwiw, speculation.
Just a thought about the hand to head motion, reminded of a person i used to know who, when angry, upset, stressed and blood pressure high, would start stroking the top of their head.

I agree and I also thought at one point he was going to lean over and spit. I've never been excited to see something gross LOL. IMO

 

[MesquiteO21]

Brother in law is acting bizarre from day 1, why are the police letting him talk so much? Strategic?

i initially thought the same thing, but watching more interviews with him he does seem to be careful to not say too much. At this point, because we as the public don't know much, everyone is still a suspect as far as i'm concerned but i'm not sure how high he is on my list.
MOO.

 

[Charlot123]

I disagree as someone in my 30s who works with 20-something’s. They all own Docs and they’ve had quite a resurgence. Yes - initially popular with millennials but fashion is cyclical.

Interesting. Thank you. Definitely not the West Coast thing. Fashions are very coastal, aren’t they? I have to ask what young people here will wear in really cold weather. I’d buy another pair of Uggs but I am older. And, likewise, I moved with a whole collection of Dansko here, soon to abandon them in favor of Taryn Roses, now out of business, and Etro sandals.

 

[Chimera]

Did either of the deceased have an ex-spouse or significant other ?
Was there any ongoing relationship issues from the past, etc.
This terrible crime feels personal.
Imo.

Rest in peace, Monique and Spencer.
Their poor children !!

 

[MesquiteO21]

Mystery deepens as family of slain Ohio dentist, wife pour cold water on eerie surveillance video

i can't get to the article for some reason, are you able to summarize? by "pouring cold water" is the family saying they don't think the video is relevant?

MOO