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

[stmichael]

I don't live in the USA, for which I am thankful. It sounds like a war zone.

The US is huge and extremely varied. Each state has it's own very different tax laws, gun laws, environmental laws, building codes, etc. etc. We have completely different cultural regions, geography, etc.

It is like a collection of different countries as I tell my family back in Europe.

MS is the poorest state in the nation and has a higher GDP than the UK. CA is the 4th largest economy in the world. Many areas are complete idyllic and safe and then we have cities that have larger populations than some European countries for instance. I used to live in a city of 8+ million and there was crime and now I live in one of the safest and healthiest states than has a fraction of those people. Even areas within a state can vary dramatically.

 

[BLISS24]

I don't. Adding her name to the deed could trigger "a due on sale" clause in his mortgage with the lender. We don't know how that loan is structured. He probably has a very compelling mortgage rate and didn't want to jeopardize that. If they had an estate planner the house could have been left to her in his will. Doctor loans are very appealing because of the terms. All JMO

I don’t find it odd her name isn’t on the deed either. Spencer closed on home 5/13/2020. We closed on ours 5/15/2020 (or that week, at least), and our mortgage rate (2 days after he closed) was 3.025%. Rates went up not too long after that. Aside from adding MT to feed potentially costing them in various ways, no chance they’d want to lose whatever their 5/13/2020 rate was. Also.. I was already married at closing, but I am not on the title. I’m somehow written into it in a way that means, should my husband die, I have ownership, and I somehow make off good don’t know the details or how that works… point is… her name not being there does not mean she wouldn’t become owner in case of his death or that things were “weird.” I’d be more weirded out if their relationship was one where she was so insecure she demanded risking their rate to be on deed. But she didn’t. Hope this makes sense.

 

[She-Ra]

I don't live in the USA, for which I am thankful. It sounds like a war zone.

It is.

 

[getthefax]

The only time I would jump to immediately calling 911 because someone didn’t show up to work and weren’t answering would be if I knew they had a restraining order against someone or disclosed some other personal information that would lead me to think that someone may be wanting to harm them

neither he nor his wife were answering, and it was completely unlike him to fail to show up for work. The man is a dentist (a doctor!)… I would say it was pretty reasonable to suspect something was really amiss, no?

 

[psalms75]

OMGosh. You just made me think of something, what if Monique was letting the dog out for a potty, and the perp got in then? I don't believe this is very likely due to the time of 2 am, but I have had to let a dog out for a quick potty after midnight more than once. It was 23F out, IDK, but your comment suddenly made me think of her letting Larry out. To answer the question, yes we know the back yard is enclosed from all of the pictures on the media, and the wedding video shows the arial view. It is closed in, but I haven't seen the height of the fence anywhere.

I feel like if the perp was able to get in while Monique was letting the dog out, there would of been more signs of a struggle on the main floor instead of them both being up in a bedroom. I also think if the perp had come in during that time, there would have been much more noise and the four-year-old would’ve probably gotten out of bed and witnessed everything. It makes more sense that they were attacked in their sleep to me.

 

[getthefax]

I can think of lots of similar true crime cases like you described-it’s still very odd to me that 911 was called before family or a co-worker went to go check.

The dental office was 1.25 hours away. They had an office full of patients waiting.

AND They went to go check. AND 911 was called.

 

[getthefax]

Is it normal to have bedroom locks in the US?

Yes but I would never lock my door if I had wee ones in the house — they need access to their parents unless parents are actively indisposed for a short time

 

[Deepinthought52]

Just saw on court tv that a neighbor placed a 911 call 11 days before, that someone was bashing on her door at 2:30 am and wouldn’t leave. Now thinking more a possibility could be a random perp. Had been wondering if ST had been teaching any classes at the university and had a disgruntled student. The video of person walking in alley pooked like a younger person build…. Hoping more cameras possibly show someone casing neighborhood…Just a few more thoughts…

 

[armchairagatha]

Hate to keep the 911 call horse beating going but......the main owner/dentist was away on vacation. Spencer, a punctual employee, did not show up for his appointments (it was said he was in charge in his absence). They called his home and could not get in touch with him, but more importantly as was specified by his boss, his wife who usually was home with the 1 year old (and they seemed familiar with this) and that's what raised alarm.. Plus they lived in Weinland Park. Given that take, it seems reasonable.

But there were coworkers who were able to get to the home within 30 mins after the first 911 call? So why not just send them in the first place to do that welfare check? Only if no one lived anywhere close by, would I think 911 would be the first option.

 

[Mitch1]

neither he nor his wife were answering, and it was completely unlike him to fail to show up for work. The man is a dentist (a doctor!)… I would say it was pretty reasonable to suspect something was really amiss, no?

Not “amiss” enough to call 911 before going to the house.

 

[Mitch1]

The dental office was 1.25 hours away. They had an office full of patients waiting.

AND They went to go check. AND 911 was called.

AND I still find it odd someone called 911 before checking at the house

 

[Sleuthingstylist]

If the bedroom door was indeed locked then, assuming it wasn't glass-panelled, how could the workmate see S's body? Wouldn't that mean that a ladder was indeed used to see inside?

I've been wondering this exact same thing.

 

[darring21]

Not “amiss” enough to call 911 before going to the house.

The business owner had an employee calling with a substantial problem and he took action. This is exactly what most would expect.

 

[Voidz]

Someone cited that they did have a Simplisafe alarm system. There is a wedding portrait (attached) that shows a keypad.

Residential doors are decorative and for privacy and can be kicked in and locks broken right off the wood frame. (see this in domestics, wife runs into BR, locks door, drunk husband shoulder checks door brakes it off the frame in 3 seconds). I don't know of anyone who locks their BR door when they sleep, usually that's for company or when you're changing.

With the locks and alarms, keep in mind that they can always be upgraded once the house is purchased, or over time. They may not have the same locks or alarms or whatever today as when house was purchased, or in the wedding video. Maybe current locks can be verified externally on Google maps or whatever.

 

[Ms Scarlett]

Been watching for a couple of days. Personally I'm leaning towards this turning out to be an armed robbery gone wrong rather than someone known to S+M.

• Perp gains entry*
• Perp heads to master bedroom seeking a safe/valuables
• Spencer tries to protect Monique putting himself in between her and the perp.
• Stand off or attempt to disarm ensues and shots fired
• Spencer receives more shots than Monique due to his positioning rather than being the target of an pre planned killing
• Killer leaves without taking anything because a planned robbery has turned into a double murder, or the children are crying as they've been woken up by the noise which spooks perp.

The only piece that I'm querying is the fact the 911 caller only states seeing Spencer's body. But we only have access to a clip not the whole call. Quite possible the rest of it was too harrowing to release sadly.

*House was built in 2000 and there's a video on YouTube on someone opening their Yale door lock with a paper clip dated 2013. Quite possible the fitted lock system (present in the house listing photos) isn't as secure as one might think. This, in addition to other owners upthread reporting faults on their own electronic door locks.

Just a theory and MOO.

I think this is a plausible theory.

 

[Deepinthought52]

AND I still find it odd someone called 911 before checking at the house

Well, his colleague was out of town and asked of any accidents were called in…. That would be a very direct way to not only place wellness check, but see if there was an accident as the cause of neither answereing. Not sure, but murder may not have been first worry. You don’t really expect to hear your friend/colleague is murdered. Moo.

 

[Sleuthingstylist]

Just thinking about this. The police going to the wrong address. The 911 call that apparently didn't come from them. Could it be that there is something weird about their address (e.g., GPS takes you to another address; easily confused with another address) and the killer meant to go into someone else's house altogether? I know it's not likely. Just a thought.

I hadn't thought about this but I think this is a good observation. The house we live in was once considered a different township and different city for mailing purposes so when we first moved here, even calling for cable installation was total confusion.
Also a few years ago, I was on a party bus and I had the driver pick everyone up at their house so I was reading the addresses off to him and when we got near the last one to pickup, he said the address i gave him didn't exist. I knew it was the right address because I had been to her home several times already before the bus trip. We were literally on the right street but it was an area of newly built homes over the past couple of years. The gps for some reason hadn't caught up to the current street name.

 

[Mitch1]

You don’t really expect to hear your friend/colleague is murdered

Nope you sure don’t-odd to call 911 before checking the house

 

[midwesttowest]

The business owner had an employee calling with a substantial problem and he took action. This is exactly what most would expect.

Totally agree. I also think had they waited any longer, everyone would be saying “how could you possibly wait so long?” (cough cough Idaho murders). Seems like your 911 timing has to be perfect to everyone on the internets standards

 

[STLSuperstar]

I've been wondering this exact same thing.

The coworkers apparently were in the house when they saw the body. The report shows that they were inside when police got there.