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

[acutename]

has this been posted yet? possible wifi issue between 2-5am for neighbors of the Tepes:

Columbus police looking to identify person of interest in deaths of Weinland Park couple

Police released new surveillance video on Monday, which shows a person walking through an alley near the home.

www.10tv.com

"Neighbor Eddie Zhang, who lives down the street from the Tepes, said he was shocked when he learned about the killings.
“They were very welcoming when I first moved in,” Zhang said.
Zhang said he did not hear anything unusual the night of the shooting.
“I did not hear anything, I was asleep,” he said. “I will say these houses are really well made. A lot of times I don’t hear what’s going on in the outdoors.”
Zhang said he has security cameras at the front and back of his home, but they were not recording between 2 a.m. and 5 a.m. on Dec. 30, the time frame investigators believe the shootings occurred."

"several of the neighbors I have spoken with in this area told me they do have cameras but they weren't working at the time" reporter then says a couple of the cameras just weren't charged, but other neighbors' cameras did not record and they weren't aware. Even if not something as nefarious as a wifi jam, it's interesting that neighbors have spoken up and relayed their cameras weren't working, makes sense why there isn't better footage of a POI. Could have been an unlucky glitch of service or something too

or maybe they are motion activated and did not record anything because the suspect did not go close enough to their systems? 3-5 a.m. .... maybe not the person in the alley; maybe the person had a car and drove away.

 

[Izzylizzy]

This didn’t appear to be a press conference initiated by the Police. This was the news station inviting them to give an update on the case.

Thinking about this more it seems like a friendly little sit-down like having the chief talk about their latest program to keep kids off the street.
The seriousness of this tragedy got lost and I'm almost positive the questions were vetted before it was set up.

 

[Charlot123]

Apparently they were fans of the show Friends, because they put a few references to it in the wedding. It seems a bit cringe afterwards, although they likely didn't intend to be judged by the general public.

It shouldn't be too hard for the police to find out who had access to the door code, even better if there were multiple codes. I don't think they would give the code to just any guest or worker. People who did not have this type of access (e.g. disgruntled strangers) could be off the hook.

I am not surprised that they liked the show. I know people who emulated the heroes, either as a quick way to receive some answers or just because they were modern. IMO, it usually complicated matters instead of simplifying them, but there are always exceptions to the rule, of course.

It should be easy to guess the code unless the person is from old past, and then it should be his past, because he lived in the house before they were married.

 

[wibbleflea]

All it takes is that one tip that leads you to the perp but if you have 100 tips, it may be tip number 99.

Of course. If just the right tip comes in at some point, case closed. But what I was talking about was the possibility that what they had worked through so far had them feeling confident, even if there were some loose ends remaining. That’s what I was looking for and didn’t detect from the language used.

Others here do seem more positive than me, though!

 

[airportwoman]

This is probably the longest I've seen a single thread go on Websleuths before it was closed and a second one started, just sayin'.

 

[Izzylizzy]

"There is a lot of chatter on the internet...and much of what you read is just not factual"

- Assistant Chief Greg Bodker

That's a given in any high profile case but tucked within all that chatter could be the little nugget they need or missed.

 

[OhioGuy]

How did the police go to the wrong house?
Did the dispatcher get or give the wrong address?

Purely speculation but their home is essentially on the corner of 4th Street and 8th Avenue. If you were to go four blocks south, you’re at the corner of 4th Avenue and 4th Street. I could see that being a common mix up; the 1400 block of 4th Ave would be pretty far east though.

 

[Kemug]

There's been a lot of crime within walking distance of the Tepe's home within the last few years, including murders. There's been a string of burglaries in the area recently. The park down the street is know for drug activity (confirmed by neighbors quotes) and an 8 year old was shot there while the Tepe's were living there (imagine, they were raising their young daughter at the time. Oh, yeah an 8 year old was shot at the park). A neighbor interviewed says he "hears gun shots all the time". I listed a more comprehensive write up of all this with links 2 pages back. So yes a random crime is very much on the radar IMO. I still don't get the glossing over of these factual crimes in this small area which indicate a higher probability of such incidents.

So if I happened to be a statistician, which I'm not, maybe I could calculate that anyone who moves into this area now has an x% possibility of becoming a crime victim. Sorry realtors!

 

[Voidz]

I might be overly optimistic, but I got the feeling that they know who it is. They're just collecting evidence and making sure ducks are in a row before they act. JMO.

I agree - they also don’t want to alert someone who they are surveilling/ watching - - so they feel comfortable enough to keep talking etc

 

[Voidz]

How did the police go to the wrong house?
Did the dispatcher get or give the wrong address?

based on how unprofessional they were on the phone; it would not surprise me

 

[Deepinthought52]

@Sadi I understood what you meant. Spencer's three gunshot wounds compared to Monique's one? Which is why I brought the Delphi victim's up. One cut once, the other cut at least three times. They never determined in the Delphi case that one was a target over the other. I think one was more of a threat, bigger and stronger, and that is why she sustained more injuries. That could be the same in regards to this crime.

Apparently she was shot in the chest. I hate to ask this, but I wonder if over heart and if that had meaning to the shooter

 

[wibbleflea]

Uninterrupted presser

A quick note to say that this one, posted by @Izzylizzy, is the one to watch. There’s another, posted just above it and presumably recorded on the same day, that feels like a quiet interview with one station. There are two different videos and this one is more informative.

 

[stmarysmead]

Too many options to explain ‘no forced entry.’

One of the doors was accidentally left unlocked. Burglar or neighborhood ‘early morning door knocker’ gets lucky.

A friend, relative, former visitor, service employee had the code.

That’s a lot of work right there for LE as they begin the case.

And they think nothing is taken, but they cannot immediately know that. So many motives might fit, or none at all.. They are having to pursue both the possibilities that this was random or targeted.

All the publicity and online speculation has made all of us impatient. But this case is really complex because of all the many options for how it happened..and why?

 

[Deepinthought52]

I don’t find one 911 call odd. I do find four 911 calls and 3 or 4 coworkers and friends showing up at the house odd.

Perhaps there was also a known conflict behind the scenes where s and m said something like if anything happens to us or if you ever don’t hear from us, it’s probably ….jmo

 

[MesquiteO21]

Staff usually arrives well before patients are due. I think most offices have a ‘huddle’ before patients arrive to review the schedule. We discuss each patient, reviewing what they’re scheduled for, what we need for X-rays/CT scans, any health history changes, etc. If they had patients scheduled starting at 8:00, my guess is he would have arrived much earlier-so the timing of 911 call is appropriate.

Thank you for your perspective! When I put myself in the shoes of the owner, it doesn’t seem that odd to me to be panicked. Even if they wouldn’t technically get in trouble for possible “patient abandonment”, it’s still just bad business and no dentist wants bad reviews when a majority of people already don’t like going to the dentist lol. And I’m sure spencer would know that and feel the same way.

I mean the coworkers definitely could be involved, I’m still not discounting that because I think everyone should initially be suspected. But I’m just understanding more that calling at 9 really isn’t very suspicious in and of itself.

MOO

 

[armchairagatha]

Perhaps there was also a known conflict behind the scenes where s and m said something like if anything happens to us or if you ever don’t hear from us, it’s probably ….jmo

Unlikely that a dentist would have said that to his coworkers. Women are more likely to say something like that to their friends. MOO

 

[Cassie P]

Thinking about this more it seems like a friendly little sit-down like having the chief talk about their latest program to keep kids off the street.
The seriousness of this tragedy got lost and I'm almost positive the questions were vetted before it was set up.

I had the same impression. It was disappointing. A nothing burger. In tone, attitude, and content.

I hope I am wrong.

 

[Deepinthought52]

i think it might help for those of us not in dental/medical fields to realize that there can be serious consequences for what could be considered "patient abandonment". so this isn't just an office where if you're late/no show your co-workers have to pick up the slack; licensure and the business could really be at stake. it makes more sense it would be the boss/owner to call in and rather quickly because if it ever did come up as "patient abandonment" they'd at least have record of them taking action to show that patient abandonment wasn't the intent.

EDIT to say: i also wouldn't expect a call to 911 to explain that 'hey we're worried about possibly getting reprimanded for patient abandonment'; it's easier to just say this is completely out of character for him and he had an appointment

MOO

Agree! From experience having worked in a med office, if a physician was going to be late, held up on a surgery for a significant length of time, etc., Physician would have one or two people contact patients to delay or change appointment…. Also have experienced this from a patient standpoint. Also in any position I have held, we were to provide an emergency contact. Your co-workers get to know you and if a no show, start to get concerned. One time was just a person not realizing they were scheduled to work, but concern rose quickly because with shifts and appointments, tome is of essence.

 

[Gabry L]

The press conference didn’t give the public any new information, really, so it’s tempting to be disappointed by it.

However, I didn’t get the impression that the police are struggling to gather evidence or to identify a suspect. I think “we don’t have a suspect” was an outright lie, to not spook the suspect. I think they do have a suspect, and they’re working ‘round the clock to assemble the evidence and plan the arrest.

The police clearly are not asking for the public’s help, nor do they seem concerned that there’s a random murderer the public might be in danger from. I got the impression that the police HAVE a lot of information and knowledge about the Tepe murders but simply can’t share it with the public because it’s premature and it would compromise the case.

Of course, I could be wrong. I can’t really explain why the press conference gave me hope… it’s just a feeling. The police’s job isn’t to keep the public informed about all the details of a case just to satisfy our curiosity, or to confirm or deny internet rumors. Their job is to identify and catch a murderer and document the evidence in a way that can lead to his conviction in court. Withholding information from the public can be a crucial part of that, and/or giving the public partial or even misleading information. It might make it easier for them to apprehend the suspect if he sleeps well at night because he heard the police say on TV that they don’t have a suspect!

 

[maamager]

i don’t know why CPD held that presser. they should have just posted it on FB because more people would see it and it wouldn’t waste time…. because that all could have been an email