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.
“Two small children were also found in the residence unharmed,” police said.
Officers found no obvious signs of forced entry, and no firearm was found at the scene, CNN affiliate WSYX 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.
“If there’s no gun, there would have been no way to do murder-suicide,” she said. “So that’s why they excluded that relatively quickly. The other clue is, of course, the children are left safe.”
The Tepes’ children, ages 4 and 1, are now in the care of relatives, the couple’s brother-in-law, Rob Misleh, told CNN.
“We are heartbroken beyond words,” reads a statement provided to CNN on behalf of the Tepe family. “While 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.”
The couple “shared a beautiful, strong and deeply happy relationship,” the statement said. “They loved to travel, to laugh, and to build a life rooted in love.”
Missed work arrival spurred concern
The owner of the practice where Spencer Tepe worked called 911 on Tuesday morning when Tepe uncharacteristically missed work.
“He is always on time, and he would contact us if there was any issues,” Dr. Mark Valrose of Athens Dental Depot told dispatchers. “I don’t know how else to say this, but we are very, very concerned. This is very out of character for him. We can’t get in touch with his wife, which is probably the more concerning thing.”
An officer responded at 9:22 a.m., but did not get an answer, WSYX reported, citing police records.
Colleagues also drove to the Tepes’ home, and one friend heard children crying inside. But no one answered the door.
The friend called police around 9:56 a.m.
“I can hear kids inside, and I think I heard one yell,” the caller said, according to dispatch audio. “But we can’t get in.”
Around 10:03 a.m., an audibly distressed man called 911.
“There’s a body,” he said.
Type of crime is ‘exceptionally rare’
Either of two scenarios for how the crime unfolded seems to be most likely, Kayyem said: a “stranger at the door who just happens to kill this couple, or some narrative that might explain why they were targeted.”
To help zero in on a motive, investigators will examine forensics, the possible entry of the killer, whether anything was stolen and “the history of the family or the couple to determine whether … there’s any threat to the rest of the community,” she said.
Columbus police have not responded to CNN’s questions about a motive for the killings or whether the couple was targeted.
Regardless of the motive, this type of crime is “exceptionally rare,” Kayyem said.
“Given the fact that this doesn’t happen often, and there was no signs of forced entry/burglary, you’re going to look at people who they may have known or people who knew where they lived, unfortunately, and begin there,” she said.
“Maybe this was random. But the … 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.”
Family remembers couple as ‘extraordinary people’
Athens Dental Depot announced its closure for the rest of this week.
“It 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,” the office posted Thursday on Facebook.
“He 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.”
The couple were “extraordinary people whose lives were filled with love, joy, and a deep connection to others,” said the Tepe family’s statement.
A graduate of Ohio State University, Spencer Tepe was a member of the American Dental Association who was “deeply committed to serving others,” the family said.
Monique Tepe was a “loving, patient, and joyful mother whose warmth defined her,” the statement said. She had a background in childhood education and brought “care and attention” into everything she did.
News
SHE TRIED TO SAVE HIM WITH ONE WORD… BUT HE STAYED AND SAW THE TRUTH THE TOWN WAS HIDING
When she handed the boot back to him an hour later, the repair was better than the original work. Caleb turned it in the lamplight. “You countersank the thread.” Nora had already returned to her bench. “Boots are meant to be used,” she said. “Thread that sits proud gets cut.” He placed eighty […]
WE THOUGHT THE WATER WOULD SAVE THE FARM… UNTIL SOMETHING UNDER IT STARTED MOVING
THE CANAL NEVER WENT DRY… AND THAT WAS THE FIRST THING THAT SHOULD HAVE SCARED ME By month three, everything was dying. Crops. Cattle. Hope. The land had already given up. Except one thing. The canal. It didn’t drop. Not an inch. That was the first problem. At first, I called it luck. Then I […]
THE MOST EXPENSIVE MACHINE IN THE FIELD FAILED FIRST… AND THAT WAS THE MOMENT EVERYTHING SHIFTED
When a Half-Million-Dollar Harvester Failed at Midnight, a Rusted 1951 Pull-Type Saved the Crop by Dawn The first time Travis Beck laughed at the old pull-type combine, he was standing in clean boots beside half a million dollars’ worth of fresh paint, chrome, sensors, and debt. It was late June in Harper County, […]
HE FOLLOWED BLOOD INTO THE MOUNTAINS… AND FOUND A TRUTH THAT SHOULDN’T EXIST
A Mountain Man Saw A Woman Living Alone In An Old Cabin — What He Did That Day Will Amaze YouBlood on snow always meant one of three things high in the San Juans.A man had been careless.An animal was dying.Or trouble had climbed far higher than it belonged.Gideon Hayes crouched beside the crimson-stiffened drift […]
THE CASE CLOSES, THE VIDEO REMAINS: CCTV from the Athena Strand case shows a calm drive — but investigators say a split-second detail near the beginning changes everything…
A final decision has been announced in the case involving Athena Strand, bringing a major legal chapter to a close—but not the public scrutiny surrounding the evidence. At the center of attention is surveillance footage involving Tanner Horner, which prosecutors used to reconstruct key moments. The Footage That Shaped the Case According to courtroom summaries, […]
THE TOWN MOCKED HER ARRIVAL… BUT SHE BROUGHT SOMETHING THEY WERE NEVER SUPPOSED TO SEE
Levi drove without small talk. Ada watched his hands on the reins. They were scarred, steady hands. A working man’s hands. She wondered whether they had ever held anything gently. “What happened to your first wife?” she asked. The question came out before caution could stop it. Levi’s shoulders hardened. “Who told you there was […]
End of content
No more pages to load
