Spencer and Monique Tepe’s immense joy was unmistakable on their wedding day in a 2021 video shared by family that captured them exchanging vows. The then-newlyweds hugged and laughed at their home in Columbus, Ohio, as friends and loved ones cheered them on.
But just a month before their fifth anniversary, the same setting where the couple began their life together became the site of an unspeakable tragedy. The respected dentist, 37, and his 39-year-old wife, a stay-at-home mother, were found dead on Tuesday after being shot in their luxury home while their two children were inside.
A memorial of roses and sunflowers now grows outside the home as news of the shocking murders spread across the country just days after Christmas, raising more questions than answers.
Law enforcement officials were reluctant to release any details about a possible suspect or motive, but said the young couple’s killer or killers remain at large. Even more mysteriously, police revealed there were no obvious signs of forced entry and no firearms were found at the scene, CNN affiliate WSYX reported.
Police are asking the public for any information about a case they say is being investigated as a double homicide, not a murder-suicide.
Here’s what we know and don’t know about the tragedy:
How worried friends and colleagues drove the police home
Spencer Tepe had rarely missed work at the Athens Dental Depot, located about 75 miles southeast of the Columbus family home, and he and his wife were always responsive, according to his practice owner, Dr. Mark Valrose, CNN affiliate WSYX reported.
But on Tuesday morning, he didn’t show up for work, sparking concern from his co-workers that continued to grow when they couldn’t reach him or his wife, according to 911 calls reported by WSYX.
Valrose made the first 911 call around 8:58 a.m. and asked police to perform a well-being check, telling the dispatcher, “He’s always on time and he’ll contact us if there’s a problem,” according to the recording.
“I don’t know what else to say, but we are very, very concerned. This is very out of character for him,” he continued. “We can’t get in touch with his wife, which is probably the most worrying.”
Authorities in Columbus, Ohio are searching for the man who killed dentist Dr. Spencer Tepe and his wife, Monique Tepe, at their home. – WSYX
At 9:22 a.m., an officer arrived at the home to conduct a welfare check, but no one answered the door, WSYX reported, citing police records.
About 30 minutes later, Tepe’s co-workers and a friend arrived at the home, but there was no answer either, dispatch records show. A man at the scene also called 911 at 9:56 a.m. saying he heard children crying inside.
“I hear the kids inside and I swear I think I heard screaming,” the caller said, according to the audio transmission. “But we can’t get in. Right now, I don’t know if I have to break the door down to get into the house or what.”
Two minutes later, another colleague of Tepe’s called 911 to say they had been unable to reach him for about three hours, according to records obtained by WSYX.
Around 10:03 a.m., a friend of Tepe’s, who said the two had last spoken the day before, was audibly upset when he called 911: “It’s a body,” he said.
“Our friend wasn’t answering the phone … we just got here and he looks dead,” the friend said.
Officers found the bodies of Spencer Tepe and Monique Tepe in their home in the Weinland Park neighborhood, Columbus police said.
Their two children, ages 1 and 4, were found unharmed in the residence, police said.
How the police will investigate the case
Columbus police have not issued any warning to the community about an ongoing threat, and the agency did not respond to CNN’s questions about the timing of the killings, whether Tepei was specifically targeted or any information about a suspect or motive.
The Franklin County Coroner’s Office told CNN that autopsy reports could take eight to 10 weeks. A police report Tuesday said Spencer and Monique Tepe were homicide victims.
There is a police crime camera located on a utility pole at an intersection located a few hundred yards from the Tepes’ home, according to The Columbus Dispatch. CNN asked police if neighborhood cameras caught any relevant clues about what happened.
To focus on a motive and possible suspects, investigators will look at forensics, possible entry of the killer, whether anything was stolen from the home and the Tepe family’s background to determine any additional threat to the rest of the community, according to CNN senior national security analyst Juliette Kayyem.
With no firearm recovered, it’s no wonder detectives are investigating the deaths as a double homicide and not a murder-suicide, Kayyem said. “The other clue is, of course, the children are left safe.”
Either scenario for how the murder unfolded seems most likely, Kayyem said: “A stranger at the door who happens to kill this couple or a story that could explain why they were targeted.”
This type of crime is “exceptionally rare” given that there were no signs of forced entry, she continued. “… You’re going to look at people that they probably knew or people that knew where they lived, unfortunately, and you’re going to start from there.”
“Maybe this was random. But … the national data suggests both how unusual this is and the likelihood that someone who knows them is involved,” Kayyem said.
What we know about the ‘deeply happy’ couple.
Spencer and Monique Tepe “shared a beautiful, strong and deeply happy relationship,” bound by a love of travel, laughter and a mission to “build a life rooted in love,” their family said.
“We are heartbroken beyond words,” the Tepe family said in a statement.
As the couple’s devastating loss permeates their community, the family said they are “committed to seeing this tragedy fully and fairly brought to justice” and honoring them by protecting the future of their beloved children, who are now in the care of relatives.
Meanwhile, Spencer Tepe’s employer, Athens Dental Depot, announced its closure for the rest of the week as they shared news of the couple’s “sudden death” on Facebook.
“He will be deeply missed by our team and the many patients he cared for over the years. Our thoughts and deepest condolences are with their families and loved ones during this very difficult time.”
Spencer Tepe, an Ohio State University graduate and member of the American Dental Association, was “a devoted and proud father, loving partner and friend to all he met,” his family said.
He was fluent in Spanish, a big fan of the Bengals and Buckeyes football teams and had a generous and energetic spirit, they said.
His wife, Monique Tepe, had experience in early childhood education and “brought care and intention to everything she did,” their family said. She was described as a loving, patient and cheerful mother “whose warmth defined her”.
The couple, their family said, were “extraordinary people whose lives were filled with love, joy and a deep connection to others.”
CNN’s Holly Yan, Caroll Alvarado and Yan Kaner contributed to this report.
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