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

[Inthedetails]

Yeah, that's fair.

It's a fine line to walk because so many cases go cold and fall out of the media once another big story replaces them. I'm completely understanding of a family member wanting to give interviews and ensure the case gets the attention and manpower it deserves, as you said. And acting fast is important since people have short memories and may forget anything suspicious/notable they saw as more time passes.

I can't speak to his words potentially jeopardizing any future legal proceedings, that would be unfortunate if so. It does seem like the hate on social media is getting to him, so he may stop acting as the family spokesperson.

I predict the chances of this case going cold to be around zero. It might take awhile, but LE will be active on this case.

It's not a situation where the family needs to beg for help. The case is being investigated, and I think it will be solved.

I wish the BIL would back down as his words have become fodder for a public that is quick to think the worst of people.

jmopinion

 

[tlcya]

Well how does 911 call address mapping work? If you are walking down the street your call gets assigned to the nearest house that your phone pings by? That seems.... error prone?

Wayne County Emergency Communications

FAQs • How does the 9-1-1 Center know my location when I cal.

for example

 

[BlaiseFinlay]

If you take a step back and see what the BIL has been doing, it is just positive PR for how wholesome of a family the Tepes were. He is defending their reputation more than trying to find the murderer. In fact, he was trying to be neutral about the POI. No appeal from anyone in the family to find the murderer AFAIK. What does that tell you? I still think it is murder-suicide that the loved ones are trying to cover. JMO. We will know soon enough once the Police release all reports of their investigation.

I agree that is exactly what his goal seems to be. While I don’t think everything he has said has in fact furthered that goal, and his comments on the POI were definitely misguided, they don’t lead me (yet) to thinking he had any other motive. The family’s priority is indeed going to be to protect and promote the family’s image, and the goal of talking to the media is just to keep the case in the headlines, it doesn’t have to be direct appeals for information.

 

[Cassie P]

I'm with you - thankfully the BIL did mention in the interview clip someone posted today that they're consulting with child psychologists.

Still rubs me the wrong way for some reason. I'd expect a professional spokesperson or lawyer at this point, as well as a public-facing lockdown on the family, especially the kids.

There's really no need, especially right now, to be giving podcast interviews about how you don't know how to tell the kids that their parents are dead. He seems very lost despite psychologist involvement. It makes me wonder if the psychologist is a police resource and not somebody the family hired to work with the kids.

It makes much more sense, IMO, to close ranks, use the dad's lawyer connections to get a spokesperson, and release a simple "This is an indescribable tragedy. The family is appreciative of the outpouring of love and support from their communities. The children, of course, are the family's priority at this time. They are physically safe in the care of loving relatives and are receiving external support as appropriate. The family respectfully asks for privacy at this time as they continue to grieve and pursue justice. Please contact police directly with any tips." statement.

I understand clearing up misconceptions, but the whole thing is very chaotic. Even his reference to the kids staying with multiple family members over the last week is a little weird - why wouldn't you keep them stable during this? In the absence of a police request to move them, of course.

Part of me thinks the BIL is panicking and this is his fight or flight response and part of me thinks he likes to hear himself talk. I don't think he's involved, though.

Yes. Any family in this kind of situation should hire their own child/family psychologist. A police psychologist is working for the police and loyal is to the person who signs their paycheck. It is a cleaner ethical situation to hire your own psychologist with no ties to the police dept.

That said, those records can be subpoenaed if the police want to see them. (Whether information gathered from a 4 year old is of value in a murder investigation is another subject.)

Yes most therapists in this situation would do a risk assessment to make sure the children are safe. And make a safety plan if need be. They would recommend a calm, safe, stable environment if at all possible. However, sometimes the family is scrambling for child care arrangements due to previous commitments and responsibilities.

Yes generally speaking when a family faces a daunting family emergency and legal challenges the best advice is to lay low. But I do support a family speaking out for various reasons. But as you indicate it can be a situation where it goes sideways fast. IDK what to think at this point.

 

[wibbleflea]

If you take a step back and see what the BIL has been doing, it is just positive PR for how wholesome of a family the Tepes were. He is defending their reputation more than trying to find the murderer. In fact, he was trying to be neutral about the POI. No appeal from anyone in the family to find the murderer AFAIK. What does that tell you? I still think it is murder-suicide that the loved ones are trying to cover. JMO. We will know soon enough once the Police release all reports of their investigation.

I can see how it might be possible but whoever took the gun away would have to somewhere between bold and reckless.

 

[kwins]

So, it seems we indeed have two 9-1-1 calls from their home relating to domestic violence concerns in the years they’ve lived there.

This is not correct. The BIL gave an interview yesterday stating that the other incident was related to a visitor's mental health condition. I don't think it is really clear that a 911 call was made regarding this prior incident. There is also no proof that the 911 call in April 2025 was even made inside the home.

 

[kwins]

People criticize families for hiring lawyers, and it’s well known that media attention can result in additional resources being devoted to a case. So, I can understand how he came to the decision (presumably with the family’s consent) to talk to the media. I just think the content of some of what he is sharing is unwise.

I wish an attorney was hired just to send cease and desist letters to people making inappropriate comments about him on the interwebs. It's getting ridiculous.

 

[Bridger]

Well how does 911 call address mapping work? If you are walking down the street your call gets assigned to the nearest house that your phone pings by? That seems.... error prone?

If I'm walking down a street and feel the need to call 911, the dispatcher will likely ask me my location and I will look to the closest house/business I can see and give them that address. Could this have happened in the April call attributed to the Tepes house? I have no idea.

 

[Eagles512]

If you take a step back and see what the BIL has been doing, it is just positive PR for how wholesome of a family the Tepes were. He is defending their reputation more than trying to find the murderer. In fact, he was trying to be neutral about the POI. No appeal from anyone in the family to find the murderer AFAIK. What does that tell you? I still think it is murder-suicide that the loved ones are trying to cover. JMO. We will know soon enough once the Police release all reports of their investigation.

Murder suicide is the one thing I can’t see being true. With all of the attention the case has received, anyone who did that would have broken by now. And the investigators would know as well.

 

[tlcya]

The police department previously said it does not believe the killings were a murder-suicide.

Three 9 mm shell casings were found in the home, police said.
An Ohio dentist and his wife were fatally shot in their home. One week later, questions remain.

Police said there were no obvious signs of forced entry, and no firearm was found at the scene. At this time, authorities do not believe the incident was a murder-suicide.
No suspect as police investigate murder of dentist, wife in their Columbus home

if it walks like a duck and talks like a duck it is likely not a zebra
MOO this was not a murder suicide.

 

[wibbleflea]

If I'm walking down a street and feel the need to call 911, the dispatcher will likely ask me my location and I will look to the closest house/business I can see and give them that address. Could this have happened in the April call attributed to the Tepes house? I have no idea.

The call was a hangup. The recording we hear was made when the dispatcher called back and spoke to the woman who’d hung up. I don’t know if that changes anything. We don’t hear the location being asked for but perhaps it was and has been edited out. But if the location was never requested, it could be approximate and based only on the cellphone’s triangulated location. Are dispatchers required to get a location and name when calling back?

 

[Sundog]

Regarding the other person who seems to have lived in the Tepe house … am I the only one noticing that her prior address is very similar but off of 6th st? (A couple blocks away).

On the sites I’m looking at, she comes up when you search their address, but if you actually look under her name, it’s not their exact address.

Link, please,

 

[darring21]

If you take a step back and see what the BIL has been doing, it is just positive PR for how wholesome of a family the Tepes were. He is defending their reputation more than trying to find the murderer. In fact, he was trying to be neutral about the POI. No appeal from anyone in the family to find the murderer AFAIK. What does that tell you? I still think it is murder-suicide that the loved ones are trying to cover. JMO. We will know soon enough once the Police release all reports of their investigation.

According to the police dispatch, I believe he was shot at least two times and she was shot in the chest. Not exactly murder-suicide wounds.

 

[Sundog]

TEPE FAMILY EXCLUSIVE CLIP

Spencer Tepe’s brother-in-law Rob Misleh shares the unimaginable — the family is struggling with how to tell a 1- and 4-year-old that their parents are now gone.

This is the real human cost of true crime.

https://twitter.com/x/status/2008728583666118867

Heartbreaking.

 

[Bridger]

Murder suicide is the one thing I can’t see being true. With all of the attention the case has received, anyone who did that would have broken by now. And the investigators would know as well.

If it were murder/suicide, and the reports on number of shots fired into each victim are true, MT would have to be the killer. Surely a gun residue test on her would quickly provide an answer to that question. Over a week later it seems clear it was not murder/suicide.

 

[midwesttowest]

Link, please,

Go to free people search and search the address and/or names

 

[Sundog]

Good points!

Here is where I am leaning.. but these are JUST GUESSES!

1) Some sort of a love triangle.
2) A family member with the big brothers family he was helping who was avenging something they thought or were told alleged to have occurred.
3) Break in from a family member or friend for unknown reason/avenging.
4) Random stranger who broke in to get money or drugs and just kill (sort of like Bryan Kohberger).

Any others???

An acquaintance of a little brother he was helping, not the little brother himself.

ETA Speculation only regarding possible suspects

 

[Inthedetails]

According to the police dispatch, I believe he was shot at least two times and she was shot in the chest. Not exactly murder-suicide wounds.

Speculation, thinking aloud: I wonder if Spencer was out of the bedroom when first shot, in a confrontation with the killer. Perhaps he made it back to the bedroom when he was shot again and then Monique was shot.

Though, we don't know for sure were Monique was.

I've been sort of assuming they were in bed asleep and then awoken by the perp, but we don't know that for sure. What we do know is Spencer was found somewhere near the bed.

jmopinion

 

[PGHJW]

Posting "murder-suicide" is victim blaming. Pure and simple. Unless a gun was laying there, and it wasn't, complete victim blaming.

Guess what else is? "But, but...the traumatized person who found them grabbed it and hid it to protect the good names of the deceased!" Umm...who's the traumatized person who found them? A friend. A victim. Victim blaming.

No, Jessica Columbo Rockford...this wasn't murder-suicide.

 

[sunshineray]

There are a lot of people working in a medical office that don't see the patients. There is usually one or two insurance billing staff. And a few assistants that help the receptionist and help with the patients. It would be easy to send one or two of those workers to do the check. It would not create chaos if one of the billing associates or dental assistants went for the drive. IMO

Sounds like this was a really big office? My dentist has two docs, 3 hygienists and a wife who does all the billing and reception.