Authorities have released security footage of a person of interest in the killing of an Ohio couple who were found shot to death in their home last week.
Police in Columbus found Dr. Spencer Tepe, a 37-year-old dentist, and Monique Tepe, 39, with gunshot wounds on the second floor of their home at about 10 a.m. on Dec. 30 after officers were asked to conduct a wellness check, authorities said. Medical personnel later pronounced them dead.
The couple’s two young children were also in the home but were unharmed, police said.
What happened?
Many questions remain about the case, including who might have killed the couple and why.
Detectives believe the Tepes were shot between 2 a.m. and 5 a.m. on the day they were found.
Dispatchers first got a call from Spencer Tepe’s boss, Dr. Mark Valrose, who was concerned because Tepe didn’t show up for work.
“Sometimes people don’t show up to work,” the dispatcher told Valrose, according to 911 calls.
“I just don’t know how else to say this, but we’re very very concerned because this is very out of character,” Valrose said.
Someone else called to request a wellness check before a distraught man who described himself as a friend of Spencer Tepe’s, Alex Ditty, called at 10:03 a.m. and said, “Oh, there’s a body. There’s a body. Oh my God.” Ditty went on to say he could see Spencer Tepe’s body was off the side of a bed in a pool of blood.
A spokesperson for the Franklin County Coroner’s Office said in an email Tuesday that the couple died in an “apparent homicide by gunshot wounds” but that official reports won’t be completed for several weeks.
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Video shows a person of interest
On Monday, police released security footage of a person of interest that shows the person walking in an alley near the couple’s home during the three hours in which investigators believe they were attacked. The person was wearing light colored pants and dark hooded jacket, and police asked for the public’s help in identifying them.
“We know there are questions and concerns surrounding this tragic incident,” police said in a statement. “Detectives are working diligently to solve this case.”
A community mourns
In a statement, family members described the couple as “extraordinary people whose lives were filled with love, joy and deep connection to others.”
Spencer Tepe graduated from Ohio State University, became a member of the American Dental Association and was involved with Big Brothers, Big Sisters organization. He was also a “huge Bengals and Buckeyes fan,” the family said.
Monique Tepe was a “loving, patient, and joyful mother,” an avid baker, and a “thoughtful planner,” it said.
“They were the proud parents of two beautiful children, and every day they showed up with unwavering love and devotion to their family,” wrote a cousin, Audrey Mackie.
