Just a week and a half before an Ohio dentist and his wife were tragically killed, a neighbor made a frantic 911 call in the early hours, reporting persistent knocking at her door.

Columbus, Ohio police discovered the bodies of Spencer Tepe, 37, and his wife Monique, 39, at their Weinland Park residence on the morning of December 30. Both had succumbed to gunshot wounds. Authorities have ruled out murder-suicide, noting the absence of forced entry and a missing weapon, as reported by WSYX.

Investigators estimate that the couple was killed between 2 a.m. and 5 a.m. on December 30. Fortunately, their children were unharmed and found safe inside the house.

Fox News Digital secured a recording of a 911 call from December 19, originating from a nearby home. During the call, a resident described someone persistently “banging and knocking” at her door at 2:31 a.m.

Spencer and Monique Tepe were on the brink of celebrating their fifth wedding anniversary, marking a significant milestone in their lives. (Rob Misleh)

Read the 911 call transcript:

911 operator: Can you describe the emergency?

Female voice: So now they’re smashing on my door. I think they’re trying to get in. They’re banging on my doors.

911 operator: OK, someone’s banging and knocking. Do you know who this is?

Female voice: No.

911 operator: Do you have a description of them?

Female voice: No, I can’t see [inaudible]

911 operator: Have you told them, have you asked them what they want or if they need something?

Female voice: No.

[Redacted, personal information]

Spencer and Monique Tepe pictured on their wedding day. (Rob Misleh)

Dispatch logs indicated that “the problem left” at 2:44 a.m., according to records.

The incident took place a three-minute walk up the street from where Spencer and Monique lived.

Police on Monday released surveillance video showing a “person of interest” walking in the alley near the Tepes’ residence in the early morning hours of Dec. 30. Detectives believe the murders took place between 2 a.m. and 5 a.m. on Dec. 30.

The video, released by the Columbus Division of Police, shows the man walking slowly in an alley near the Weinland Park home where Spencer and Monique lived. He’s seen in what appears to be a dark coat and light-colored pants.

At 10:03 a.m. on Dec. 30, one of Spencer’s friends went to the Tepes’ house and told a 911 operator that he could see a body inside.

“There’s a body,” the person can be heard saying. “Our friend wasn’t answering his phone. We just did a wellness check. We just came here and he appears dead. He’s laying next to his bed, off of his bed in this blood. I can’t get closer to see more than that.”

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Ohio dentist Dr. Spencer Tepe and his wife, Monique Tepe, were found shot to death inside their home in Columbus, Ohio on Tuesday, Dec. 30, 2025. While their two children were discovered unharmed, authorities reportedly believe their deaths were not the result of a murder-suicide. (Athens Dental Depot)

In a statement released Friday, the couple’s family said they are “heartbroken beyond words,” and called the deaths “tragic and senseless.”

“They were extraordinary people whose lives were filled with love, joy, and deep connection to others,” read the statement. “Spencer, a graduate of The Ohio State University, was known as a devoted and proud father, a loving partner, and a friend to everyone he met,” the family statement said, adding that he was “intelligent, warm, and endlessly welcoming.”

Family members described Monique as “loving, patient and joyful mother whose warmth defined her.”

Rob Misleh, Spencer’s brother-in-law, told WSYX that the couple was going to celebrate their five-year anniversary next month after getting married in 2021.