Monique and Spencer Tepe’s children, ages 4 and 1, were at the home when the couple was killed in the middle of the night
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NEED TO KNOW
- Monique Tepe, 39, and husband Spencer Tepe, 37, are believed to have been killed between 2:00 and 5:00 a.m. on Dec. 30
- The deceased couple was found in their Columbus, Ohio residence where their children were found crying but physically unharmed
- A family member tells PEOPLE they are trying to keep the couple’s 4-year-old distracted with games
The family of Monique and Spencer Tepe say they don’t know how to explain the killings to the couple’s 4-year-old daughter.
The young girl was inside the residence along with her 1-year-old brother when the Tepes were killed in the early morning hours of Dec. 30, Columbus Division of Police previously said.
The children were found physically unharmed in the Columbus, Ohio, home, by police who arrived at the residence around 10 a.m. following calls for welfare checks on the couple. A friend of the family told 911 dispatchers he could hear children crying inside the house, according to CNN.
The kids are now in the care of several family members, who are trying to keep the 4-year-old occupied, says Rob Misleh, who is married to Spencer’s sister.
“We’ve all been grappling with how to tell a 4-year-old that they’re never gonna see their parents again,” he tells PEOPLE. “We just don’t know how to do that.”
“I’m sure she’s wondering when is she gonna see her mommy and daddy again,” he says. “It’s just really hard to get into her mind.”
The child hasn’t said much in the last few days as she stays with different family members, who are trying to keep her distracted and are playing with her as much as possible, says Misleh.
The couple, who was one month short of celebrating their fifth wedding anniversary, also had a 1-year-old son.
“It feels like he will never have any memory of the parents,” says Misleh.
Misleh believes the children did not witness the crime, given the timeframe police suspect the killings to have occurred — between 2 a.m. and 5 a.m. Based on that timeframe, Misleh says, the kids would have been in their own room.
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Authorities have released little information about a possible suspect or motive nearly a week into the investigation.
No firearms were found at the scene and investigators say they didn’t find signs of a break-in, WSYX and CNN previously reported.
On Monday, Jan. 5, Columbus police released surveillance footage of a person they believe could be relevant to the investigation. The hooded figure was seen in an alleyway near the couple’s home, in the estimated timeframe of the killings, police said.
Anyone with information is requested to contact investigators at 614-645-2228 or send anonymous tips to Central Ohio Crime Stoppers at 614-461-8477.
