Newly released surveillance footage and information from the site where an Ohio dentist and his wife were tragically killed are providing crucial insights for investigators, despite no suspect being officially identified yet.
Columbus authorities have shared blurry surveillance footage featuring a person of interest seen traversing an alleyway near the Weinland Park residence of 37-year-old Spencer Tepe and 39-year-old Monique Tepe. This occurred between the early morning hours of 2 a.m. and 5 a.m. on December 30th.
Jeffrey Halstead, a former Fort Worth Police Chief, noted the significance of the video’s timing, especially under the harsh winter conditions.
“Why would anyone be outside in such cold weather at that hour?” Halstead questioned during an interview with Fox News Digital. “It certainly raises suspicion,” he observed, pointing out that police would typically be curious about a person’s reasons for being out at that time.
Dr. Spencer Tepe and his wife, Monique, were discovered shot to death in their Columbus home on Tuesday, December 30, 2025. Fortunately, their two children were found unharmed. Officials have stated that the deaths are not considered a murder-suicide.
However, Halstead emphasized that investigators need to carefully assess how the footage correlates with the tragic events inside the home.
“The challenge is going to be how that is relative to the horrific crime that was committed at the home,” he said.
Police have not named a suspect in the double-murder, and Halstead said releasing video early in an investigation often signals that authorities are seeking help from the public.
“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 said.
WATCH THE RELEASED SURVEILLANCE VIDEO:
Peter Valentin, an associate professor of forensic science at the University of New Haven in Connecticut, said the video may also be significant for what it reveals about the individual’s behavior.
“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 told Fox News Digital. “They seem to make a concerted effort to keep their head pointed down.”
Valentin said the video provides investigators with a time stamp and a narrower geographic focus, allowing police to refine requests for additional video from nearby homes and businesses.
“It narrows down the time frame, at least for the egress,” he said, referring to when the person was leaving the area. “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?”
Spencer and Monique Tepe pictured on their wedding day. (Rob Misleh)
Police have said there were no signs of forced entry into the home. Halstead said that detail is “deeply concerning” in a case involving a violent crime.
“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 said, adding that it would be unlikely for a young professional couple to leave their home unsecured overnight.
“No signs of forced entry doesn’t mean there wasn’t forced entry,” Valentin said. “It just means that no sign was observed.”
A Columbus police officer adjusts crime scene tape after officers responded to the home of Monique Tepe and Spencer Tepe, where the pair were found shot to death in Columbus, Ohio on Tuesday, Dec. 30, 2025. (The Columbus Dispatch via USA Today)
Detectives believe the murders took place between 2 a.m. and 5 a.m. on Dec. 30. Both of the couple’s children were found safe inside the home.
Both experts said that the fact that the couple’s children were unharmed may eventually help investigators narrow their focus.
“Historically, it leans to the person not having an extreme mental illness,” Halstead said, adding that it could suggest familiarity with the family or children, though he said that investigators would need to confirm that through evidence.
Spencer and Monique Tepe were preparing to celebrate their five-year wedding anniversary. (Rob Misleh)
Halstead said the biggest challenge in cases like this is time.
“The longer this goes, the greater likelihood that the leads get weaker and weaker,” he said, calling time “the enemy” in high-profile homicide investigations.
Police have said the investigation remains ongoing and have asked anyone with information related to the surveillance video or the events surrounding the killings to contact authorities.
In a statement, 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.”
Flowers are left outside the home of Monique Tepe and Spencer Tepe, where the pair were found shot to death in Columbus, Ohio on Tuesday, Dec. 30, 2025. (The Columbus Dispatch via USA Today)
Family members described Monique as a “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.
