US police have released surveillance video showing the ‘suspect’ appearing near the scene of the brutal murder of an Ohio dentist and his wife.
Columbus city police said the video was extracted from a security camera near Spencer and Monique Tepe’s home in Weinland Park. The video shows a person wearing light-colored pants and a dark hooded jacket, with their head down, hands in their pockets, walking slowly down a snow-covered alleyway at night.
According to information from the Columbus Police Department, the two victims were found dead on the morning of December 30, 2025. Police believe they were shot between 2 a.m. and 5 a.m. that same day, on the upper floor of the house.
Spencer Tepe, 37, is a dentist working at Athens Dental Depot. He was shot multiple times, while his wife, Monique, 39, was hit by at least one bullet in the chest. The couple’s two young children, a one-year-old boy and a four-year-old girl, and their goldendoodle dog were found safe in their four-bedroom home.
The investigation revealed no signs of forced entry, no murder weapon was recovered at the scene, and police ruled out the possibility of a murder-suicide. The motive for the crime has not yet been released.
Dentist Spencer Tepe and his wife Minque Tepe were preparing to celebrate their 5th wedding anniversary before they were murdered. Photo: ABC6
According to local news reports, colleagues became worried when Spencer didn’t show up for work and didn’t answer his phone. Police had previously conducted a welfare check but left because no one answered the door. It wasn’t until friends and colleagues returned, heard children’s voices inside, and saw Spencer’s body that police immediately sealed off the scene.
Columbus police have opened a portal for anonymous information and said they have received numerous leads from the community. “We appreciate the information provided by the public and will continue to provide updates as the investigation progresses,” the agency announced, urging anyone who recognizes the person in the video to contact authorities promptly.
Family members say Spencer and Monique were married for five years and were remembered by friends as a loving, family-oriented couple who built their life “rooted in love” in Columbus. Spencer was an Ohio University alumnus and a member of the American Dental Association, while Monique studied education and was described as a warm, patient mother.
An online fundraising campaign has now raised over $146,000 to support the care of the couple’s two young children.
