Ohio Couple Found Shot to Death in Home Where They Married — Children Unharmed; Police Seek Tips

A beloved Columbus couple, Spencer and Monique Tepe, were found shot to death in the Weinland Park home where they married, roughly one month before their fifth anniversary. Their two young children, ages 1 and 4, were inside the residence and were discovered safe. The deaths are being investigated as a double homicide.

What Happened

Concern grew Tuesday morning after Spencer Tepe, a 37-year-old dentist who worked at Athens Dental Depot, failed to show up for work about 75 miles southeast of Columbus. Colleagues who could not reach him or his wife asked police to perform a welfare check. Responding officers and friends found the couple dead and the children unharmed; relatives have taken custody of the children.

Timeline And Initial Response

According to dispatch records and 911 recordings, the first welfare call came in at about 8:58 a.m. An officer arrived at the home at 9:22 a.m. but received no answer. Neighbors and friends reported hearing children inside and, later, a friend called 911 to report a body at the residence. Officers located the victims shortly afterward.

Investigation Details

Columbus police have said the case is being treated as a double homicide. Investigators reported no obvious signs of forced entry and said no firearm was recovered at the scene, details that prompted detectives to pursue leads beyond the possibility of a murder-suicide. The Franklin County Coroner's Office said autopsy reports can take about eight to ten weeks to complete.

Police released surveillance footage showing a person of interest walking in a snow-lined alley near the Tepes' home during the window investigators believe the killings occurred — between roughly 2 a.m. and 5 a.m. The individual appears to be wearing a black hooded sweatshirt and light pants, hands in pockets. A police crime camera is located a few hundred feet from the residence.

Authorities in Columbus, Ohio, are searching for whoever killed dentist Dr. Spencer Tepe and his wife, Monique Tepe, at their home. - WSYX

Investigators are pursuing forensic evidence, searching for possible points of entry, determining whether anything was stolen, and reviewing the family's background to establish a motive and assess any additional risk to the community.

Expert View

CNN Senior National Security Analyst Juliette Kayyem noted that crimes like this are unusually rare, especially with no clear signs of forced entry. She said investigators will examine both the possibility of a stranger encounter and scenarios in which the couple could have been specifically targeted, emphasizing that people who knew the family will likely be reviewed early in the inquiry.

Family, Employer And Community Reaction

The Tepe family described Spencer and Monique as partners who shared a deep, joyful relationship. They said the family is 'heartbroken beyond words' and committed to seeking justice and protecting the couple's children. Athens Dental Depot announced it would close for the rest of the week and expressed condolences to the family and patients.

A small memorial of roses and sunflowers has grown outside the home as the community processes the shock of the killings. Police are asking anyone with information to contact investigators and have not issued a broader public safety alert, saying the suspect or suspects remain at large.

How You Can Help

Authorities urge anyone who recognizes the person in the released surveillance footage or who has information about activity in the Weinland Park neighborhood between 2 a.m. and 5 a.m. on the night in question to contact Columbus police. Tips can be crucial as investigators work to piece together the events that led to this tragic loss.