Additional Coverage:
Columbus, OH – Investigators are sifting through surveillance footage and crime scene details for clues in the double homicide of a local dentist and his wife, even as police confirm no suspect has been identified.
The victims, 37-year-old Spencer Tepe and 39-year-old Monique Tepe, were found dead in their Weinland Park home on December 30. Columbus police recently released a grainy surveillance video showing a person of interest walking through an alley near the couple’s residence between 2 a.m. and 5 a.m. on the day of the murders.
Jeffrey Halstead, former Fort Worth Police Chief, highlighted the unusual timing of the video, especially given the cold winter conditions. “What would be the reason for going out when it’s that cold in that region with that kind of weather conditions?” Halstead questioned, noting that such activity at that hour would typically raise suspicions for officers.
However, Halstead cautioned that the crucial step for investigators is to establish how this video evidence connects to the killings inside the home. “The challenge is going to be how that is relative to the horrific crime that was committed at the home,” he explained.
The absence of an identified suspect, according to Halstead, often prompts authorities to release video footage early in an investigation, signaling a need for public assistance. “If you look historically, the release of a video very quickly is usually due to the fact there is no identified suspect at that time,” he stated.
Peter Valentin, an associate professor of forensic science at the University of New Haven, suggested the individual’s behavior in the video might also be significant. “It seems fairly obvious that the person who’s walking in the alley either sees that actual camera or has some general awareness that a camera is in the alley,” Valentin observed, pointing out that the person appeared to make a “concerted effort to keep their head pointed down.”
Valentin added that the video provides investigators with a precise timestamp and a more focused geographic area, aiding in requests for additional surveillance footage from nearby properties. “It narrows down the time frame, at least for the egress,” he said, referring to the person leaving the area.
He also raised pertinent questions: “What we don’t know is how long they were in the area prior to this occurring? Were they there beforehand?
Is this person known to the couple? Have they been there before?”
Police have reported no signs of forced entry into the Tepe’s home, a detail Halstead described as “deeply concerning” in a violent crime case. “When it looks like access was either granted or the ease of access was accomplished, then somehow there’s a relationship or previous access that was made,” he explained, noting it would be unusual for a young professional couple to leave their home unsecured overnight.
Valentin, however, offered a caveat: “No signs of forced entry doesn’t mean there wasn’t forced entry. It just means that no sign was observed.”
Detectives believe the murders occurred between 2 a.m. and 5 a.m. on December 30. The couple’s two children were discovered unharmed inside the home.
Both experts believe the children’s safety could eventually help investigators narrow their focus. “Historically, it leans to the person not having an extreme mental illness,” Halstead remarked, suggesting a possible familiarity with the family or children, though he stressed the need for evidence to confirm this.
Halstead emphasized the critical role of time in such investigations, stating, “The longer this goes, the greater likelihood that the leads get weaker and weaker.” He called time “the enemy” in high-profile homicide cases.
Police confirm the investigation is ongoing and urge anyone with information regarding the surveillance video or the circumstances surrounding the killings to contact authorities.
In a heartfelt statement, the Tepe family expressed their profound grief, describing themselves as “heartbroken beyond words” and labeling the deaths as “tragic and senseless.” They remembered Spencer and Monique as “extraordinary people whose lives were filled with love, joy, and deep connection to others.”
The statement highlighted Spencer, an Ohio State University graduate, as a “devoted and proud father, a loving partner, and a friend to everyone he met,” characterizing him as “intelligent, warm, and endlessly welcoming.” Monique was remembered as a “loving, patient and joyful mother whose warmth defined her.”
According to Rob Misleh, Spencer’s brother-in-law, the couple, who married in 2021, was preparing to celebrate their five-year anniversary next month.