The tragic deaths of an Ohio dentist and his wife have raised questions about a previous 911 call, which a family member clarified did not come from the wife. Instead, the call was made by a guest at a party the couple hosted, according to a family member.
Officers were dispatched to Spencer and Monique Tepe’s Columbus home on the morning of December 30, where they discovered the couple, aged 37 and 39 respectively, dead from apparent gunshot wounds. Their two young children were found inside the home unharmed. Police have stated there was no indication of a murder-suicide, no forced entry, and no weapon was recovered, as reported by WSYX. Investigators believe the couple was murdered between the early hours of 2 a.m. and 5 a.m. on that day.
Months before this tragic event, Fox News Digital accessed a 911 call from April 15, 2025, originating from the same house. In the call, an unidentified woman, sounding distressed, mentioned an altercation with her partner but ultimately expressed that police assistance was unnecessary.
Rob Misleh, Spencer’s brother-in-law, spoke on the “Surviving the Survivor” podcast, clarifying that the voice on the call did not belong to Monique. “If you listen to the voice, it’s quite clearly not Monique,” he stated, adding that the call was made by a party attendee, not Monique herself. Misleh emphasized that the couple frequently hosted gatherings at their home.
As the investigation continues, the family and friends of Spencer and Monique Tepe are left to grapple with the loss and the unanswered questions surrounding their deaths.
“So first off, if you listen to the voice, it’s quite clearly not Monique. Everybody has seen the wedding video and has heard Monique talk and it’s obviously not Monique who’s calling. Furthermore, I’ve been very outstated that Spencer and Monique had people over a lot.”
“I think sometimes at these parties, people get a little too drunk,” he added. “And from multiple people that I’ve talked to that were at this party have all stated, yes, we remember this happening. Somebody, the woman had just a little bit of a freak-out for lack of a better term. Maybe, you know, was having some mental health issues at the time. But she called the cops from her cellphone.”
Misleh said, “she was at this party and she just had kind of a lapse psychologically, I think at the time.”
Read a transcript of the call below:
Operator: “Hi, this is 911. We just got a hang-up call. Is everything OK?”
Female voice: “Yeah, I’m sorry. I’m OK.”
Operator: “Are you sure?”
Female voice: “Yeah, yeah, I’m OK, sorry.”
Operator: “Well, it sounds like you’re crying. Do you need police, paramedics or anything?”
Female voice: “No, no. No, I’m OK. I promise. I’m just emotional. [inaudible]”
Operator: “Well, can I ask what had you called 911 in the first place?”
Female voice: “Because me and my man got into it, but I’m OK, I promise.”
Operator: “Did anything ever get physical?”
Female voice: [Crying] “No.”
Operator: “You guys were just arguing, nobody hit each other?”
Female voice: “M’hm, yes.”
Operator: “Well, I have the information here. I can go ahead and tell the officers to cancel heading over to your address…If anything changes, call us back.”
Female voice: “Yes, yes, yes, I’m sorry…OK, I’m sorry.”
A dispatcher at the Columbus Emergency Communications Center coded the call as a “domestic dispute,” later writing that assistance was “no longer needed.”
While a suspect in the deaths of Spencer and Monique hasn’t been arrested, the Columbus Division of Police on Monday evening released surveillance video showing a “person of interest” walking in the alley near the Tepes’ residence in the early morning hours of Dec. 30.
Spencer and Monique Tepe were preparing to celebrate their five-year wedding anniversary. (Rob Misleh)
The video showed a 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.
Spencer’s employer, Mark Valrose, who owns Athens Dental Depot, was the first person to call 911 and requested a welfare check after the dentist didn’t show up to work.
At 10:03 a.m., 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.”
Spencer and Monique Tepe pictured on their wedding day. (Rob Misleh)
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.”
Spencer and Monique Tepe pictured in wedding photos. (Rob Misleh)
Monique was described by family members 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.
