A respected dentist and his wife were gunned down in their upscale Ohio home while two young children were inside, authorities said, as the killer remains on the loose.
The bodies of Spencer Tepe, 37, and his wife, Monique Tepe, 39, were found Tuesday after a welfare check at their home in the 1400 block of N. 4th Street, Columbus police said.
โTwo small children were also found in the residence unharmed,โ police said.
Officers found no obvious signs of forced entry, and no firearm was found at the scene,ย CNN affiliate WSYXย reported. Police have not released any details about a possible suspect or motive and are asking the public for any information on the case.
Detectives are investigating the deaths as a double homicide, not as a murder-suicide. Their direction is not surprising, CNN Senior National Security Analyst Juliette Kayyem said.
โIf thereโs no gun, there would have been no way to do murder-suicide,โ she said. โSo thatโs why they excluded that relatively quickly. The other clue is, of course, the children are left safe.โ
The Tepesโ children, ages 4 and 1, are now in the care of relatives, the coupleโs brother-in-law, Rob Misleh, told CNN.
โWe are heartbroken beyond words,โ reads a statement provided to CNN on behalf of the Tepe family. โWhile no outcome can ever undo this loss, our family is committed to seeing this tragedy fully and fairly brought to justice, and to honoring Spencer and Monique by protecting the future of the children they loved so deeply.โ
The couple โshared a beautiful, strong and deeply happy relationship,โ the statement said. โThey loved to travel, to laugh, and to build a life rooted in love.โ
Missed work arrival spurred concern
The owner of the practice where Spencer Tepeย workedย called 911 on Tuesday morning when Tepe uncharacteristically missed work.
โHe is always on time, and he would contact us if there was any issues,โ Dr. Mark Valrose ofย Athens Dental Depotย told dispatchers. โI donโt know how else to say this, but we are very, very concerned. This is very out of character for him. We canโt get in touch with his wife, which is probably the more concerning thing.โ
An officer responded at 9:22 a.m., but did not get an answer, WSYX reported, citing police records.
Colleagues also drove to the Tepesโ home, and one friend heard children crying inside. But no one answered the door.
The friend called police around 9:56 a.m.
โI can hear kids inside, and I think I heard one yell,โ the caller said, according to dispatch audio. โBut we canโt get in.โ
Around 10:03 a.m., an audibly distressed man called 911.
โThereโs a body,โ he said.
Type of crime is โexceptionally rareโ
Either of two scenarios for how the crime unfolded seems to be most likely, Kayyem said: a โstranger at the door who just happens to kill this couple, or some narrative that might explain why they were targeted.โ
To help zero in on a motive, investigators will examine forensics, the possible entry of the killer, whether anything was stolen and โthe history of the family or the couple to determine whether โฆ thereโs any threat to the rest of the community,โ she said.
Columbus police have not responded to CNNโs questions about a motive for the killings or whether the couple was targeted.
Regardless of the motive, this type of crime is โexceptionally rare,โ Kayyem said.
โGiven the fact that this doesnโt happen often, and there was no signs of forced entry/burglary, youโre going to look at people who they may have known or people who knew where they lived, unfortunately, and begin there,โ she said.
โMaybe this was random. But the โฆ national data suggests both how uncommon this is as well as the likelihood that there may be someone who knew them who was involved with this.โ
Family remembers couple as โextraordinary peopleโ
Athens Dental Depot announced its closure for the rest of this week.
โIt is with heavy hearts that we share the sudden passing of our dear colleague and friend, Dr. Spencer Tepe, as well as his wife Monique,โ the office posted Thursday on Facebook.
โHe will be deeply missed by our team and the many patients he cared for over the years. Our thoughts and sincerest condolences are with their families and loved ones during this very difficult time.โ
The couple were โextraordinary people whose lives were filled with love, joy, and a deep connection to others,โ said the Tepe familyโs statement.
A graduate of Ohio State University, Spencer Tepe was a member of the American Dental Association who was โdeeply committed to serving others,โ the family said.
Monique Tepe was a โloving, patient, and joyful mother whose warmth defined her,โ the statement said. She had a background in childhood education and brought โcare and attentionโ into everything she did.
