Columbus police are withholding many details in the Dec. 30 killings of Spencer (37) and Monique (39) Tepe to avoid jeopardizing an ongoing investigation and any future prosecution. Officers found the couple shot inside their home; their children were present and uninjured. Investigators released grainy surveillance footage of a hooded person seen near the residence and say they have received numerous tips. Authorities urge anyone with information to contact investigators or submit anonymous tips.
Columbus Police Withhold Details in Tepe Homicides, Release Surveillance Still, Ask Public for Tips
Courtesy of Rob Misleh (2)Spencer Tepe (left); and Monique Tepe.
Columbus police are limiting public details in the investigation into the Dec. 30 killings of dentist Spencer Tepe and his wife, Monique, saying they must protect the integrity of an active probe that could lead to prosecution.
Officers responding to multiple welfare-check calls found the couple dead inside their home that morning. Their children were at the residence and were crying but were not physically injured. Authorities quickly characterized the case as a double homicide rather than a murder-suicide, and reported that no weapons were recovered at the scene.
Investigators say Spencer, 37, was shot several times and Monique, 39, was shot in the chest. In the days after the discovery, police released a grainy piece of surveillance footage showing a hooded individual walking in a snowy alley near the Tepe home around the time the shootings are believed to have occurred.
Doral Chenoweth/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn ImagesCrime scene tape at Monique and Spencer Tepe's home in Columbus, Ohio
At a Jan. 8 press briefing, Columbus Police Chief Elaine Bryant explained the department’s reluctance to disclose additional information.
“We want to make sure that we don't compromise the integrity of this investigation,” Chief Bryant said. “When we finally identify a suspect and it goes to trial, we want to make sure there's nothing that could cause this case to be dismissed. We're looking at every single tip, every single piece of information that comes in — we leave no stone unturned.”
Police say they have received numerous tips about the person seen in the video and are urging the public to report anything that could be relevant — even observations that may have seemed insignificant at the time. Small details from neighbors, drivers, or passersby can prove valuable in time-sensitive investigations.
Anyone with information is asked to contact investigators at 614-645-2228, or to send an anonymous tip to Central Ohio Crime Stoppers at 614-461-8477. Authorities have not publicly identified a suspect or person of interest.
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