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

[Mitch1]

Nope. The boss is on vacation in Florida. The coworkers are at the dental office in Athens over an hour's drive away. 911 was the quickest way to get someone to check on them.

In your opinion right-in mine it’s odd not to check the house before calling

 

[you betcha]

In your opinion right-in mine it’s odd not to check the house before calling

We got it, thank you.

 

[adot0902]

I can think of lots of awful reasons for someone not to show up to work on time or answer the phone, but I can also think of lots of not so awful reasons -so unless I have some specific reason to think they are in danger I think it’s odd to not check on them 1st before calling 911

In the professional world that's not how that works. If you work with clients and have a schedule, you show up, if you don't show up it's life or death. I understand some people have never had highly skilled white collar jobs that is front facing to clients, but this is how it works in all of them. So many of us that work in these types of jobs have explained this too many times. I get that you don't understand it, but I promise if my boss missed a meeting without calling me, and his wife/grown kids didn't answer I would be on the phone to the cops so fast.

 

[armchairagatha]

I don’t think there was anyone living with them at the time of the murders. That is something the 4 year old should be easily able to confirm - if they had a guest staying over for a few days.

 

[academyrd]

In the professional world that's not how that works. If you work with clients and have a schedule, you show up, if you don't show up it's life or death. I understand some people have never had highly skilled white collar jobs that is front facing to clients, but this is how it works in all of them. So many of us that work in these types of jobs have explained this too many times. I get that you don't understand it, but I promise if my boss missed a meeting without calling me, and his wife/grown kids didn't answer I would be on the phone to the cops so fast.

I would push back on that a little. In the world of finance, consulting, etc. no one is calling 911 if you miss your first client call/meeting of the day.

But I think in medicine, where an entire office of nurses and patients is waiting on you, and you are never late, it's different. Also, if his drive was 90 minutes and he wasn't picking up the phone that probably meant to them he wasn't even on his way yet at 9 AM, which would be a huge red flag.

 

[Arkay]

It's disheartening to see so much energy wasted on calling the coworkers strange for calling 911 so quickly rather than giving them the high praise they deserve. Their actions helped to get those children out of that house as quickly as possible.

I’ve only skimmed this thread very briefly and am not as aware of every detail as most of you, but I do want to respond to this, as I’ve seen some commentary on it while skimming.

I’m no doctor nor dentist but I did teach for 25 years. If I did not show up and hadn’t called in to say I’d be absent, there would absolutely be calls to my home.

Prior to Covid, the teacher HAS TO BE IN THE CLASSROOM. Without calling ahead so a sub could be arranged, there would be chaos.

This applied even when someone knocked me down by accident and broke my wrist. I had to call the school while on my way for surgery. (Prior to Covid and remote teaching).

IMO the co-workers, knowing Dr. Tepe’s reliability and being unable to proceed with patients minus his presence, I 100% applaud them for realizing the gravity of the situation and being proactive.

JMO

 

[adot0902]

I would push back on that a little. In the world of finance, consulting, etc. no one is calling 911 if you miss your first client call/meeting of the day.

But I think in medicine, where an entire office of nurses and patients is waiting on you, and you are never late, it's different. Also, if his drive was 90 minutes and he wasn't picking up the phone that probably meant to them he wasn't even on his way yet at 9 AM, which would be a huge red flag.

Yeah I don't know why this dead horse keeps getting beaten? It's been explained ad nauseum. I work in finance I would 100% do what I posted.

 

[you betcha]

Sigh.

Cops/fire/paramedics = Maybe 20 minutes away.
Me and other coworkers = over an hour away.
Boss = Florida.

Serious trouble possible. Winter time, home heating, cold overnight, possible carbon monoxide poisoning.

Neither husband nor wife answering calls, texts from several people, possibly on several messaging and phone platforms. What do?

 

[Mitch1]

DBM

 

[ElishiaMarie]

I can think of lots of awful reasons for someone not to show up to work on time or answer the phone, but I can also think of lots of not so awful reasons -so unless I have some specific reason to think they are in danger I think it’s odd to not check on them 1st before calling 911

Exactly! There’s more to the panic

 

[armchairagatha]

I would push back on that a little. In the world of finance, consulting, etc. no one is calling 911 if you miss your first client call/meeting of the day.

But I think in medicine, where an entire office of nurses and patients is waiting on you, and you are never late, it's different. Also, if his drive was 90 minutes and he wasn't picking up the phone that probably meant to them he wasn't even on his way yet at 9 AM, which would be a huge red flag.

I think they would have needed to reschedule the patients for that morning at least, given he was unreachable and lived over an hour away. Tell them dentist got a family emergency suddenly or something. So if they did that, the issue of a long line of patients waiting goes away. Given that, did the office overreact with the multiple 911 calls and the multiple people showing up at the house in addition to LE? IMO, yes. It seems they were more concerned about his wellbeing than waiting patients. JMO.

 

[Mitch1]

In the professional world that's not how that works. If you work with clients and have a schedule, you show up, if you don't show up it's life or death. I understand some people have never had highly skilled white collar jobs that is front facing to clients, but this is how it works in all of them. So many of us that work in these types of jobs have explained this too many times. I get that you don't understand it, but I promise if my boss missed a meeting without calling me, and his wife/grown kids didn't answer I would be on the phone to the cops so fast.

We are going to have to agree to disagree

 

[cattlekate]

i think LE knows exactly who did this. The local cops are not releasing much information for a reason.

No rando targets a new build house and somehow gains entry…… And then guns down the adults but spares the babies. This was so personal.

 

[CrimeTheorist]

It's crazy how bad the video of the police officer that went to the wrong address looks. I mean if it was late at night and you couldn't see very well that would be one thing but daylight and you can clearly see the address says 1417 not 1411 and he wasn't even on the right street. He was just whistling to himself and not taking his job seriously when they could have potentially still been alive at the correct house.

 

[CrimeTheorist]

 

[Eagles512]

Hindsight is 20/20-its odd to call 911 before going over to the house

Not when they’re over an hour away.

 

[Starrlight]

Enough about the &@$& 911 call, omg. Perfectly normal for a medical professional's friends and colleagues to be concerned that he hadn't shown up for his *DENTIST* job (I'd bet he generally arrived at least an hour before his first patients). Not everyone has so little concern for their friends and coworkers as some here seem to.

Driving me nuts!!

 

[nao]

I think they would have needed to reschedule the patients for that morning at least, given he was unreachable and lived over an hour away. Tell them dentist got a family emergency suddenly or something. So if they did that, the issue of a long line of patients waiting goes away. Given that, did the office overreact with the multiple 911 calls and the multiple people showing up at the house in addition to LE? IMO, yes. It seems they were more concerned about his wellbeing than waiting patients. JMO.

Moo....are you kidding. It takes 3 to 6 months to appointment sometimes. People often have to travel quite a distance. They take time off work for appointment.The patients will not suddenly disappear.

 

[you betcha]

Keep in mind the kiddos were in the same house... If the CO idea was on my mind I'd be terrified for them and wouldn't bother wasting precious seconds, much less an hour's commute. I get not wanting to exclude anything but it just... makes sense that they'd call. I don't know what else to say.

 

[Mitch1]

Not when they’re over an hour away.

Yet they were able to go to the house and check