Ohio police seek suspect after dentist and his wife found shot to death at home

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Ohio police seek suspect after dentist and his wife found shot to death at home

Police in Columbus, Ohio, are asking for the public’s help as they search for a suspect in the fatal shooting of a dentist and his wife on the city’s Near East Side.

Officers were dispatched just after 10 a.m. on Dec. 30 for a welfare check, according to a statement from the Columbus Division of Police. When they arrived, they found two adults — identified as Spencer Tepe, 37, and Monique Tepe, 39 — both with apparent gunshot wounds. The two victims were pronounced dead at the scene, police said.

Investigators said no weapons were found at the scene and there were no signs of forced entry. Two children, a 1-year-old boy and a 4-year-old girl, were found inside the home uninjured.

A coworker had called 911 after Spencer Tepe failed to show up for work at a dental clinic in Athens and could not be reached, CBS affiliate WBNS reported. Columbus police went to the home and knocked on the front and back doors repeatedly, but no one answered.

Later that morning, another worried coworker called 911 from outside the home and told the dispatcher they could hear kids inside. A friend got into the house and saw Spencer’s body.

Spencer and Monique Tepe

Rob Misleh

Investigators are now seeking video, photographs or other digital evidence that may show suspicious people or vehicles in the area around the time of the shooting.

They are particularly interested in footage from the surrounding neighborhood between midnight and 9 a.m. on Dec. 30. The area of interest is bordered by Summit Street to the east, North Grant Avenue to the west, East 7th Avenue to the south and East 11th Avenue to the north.

Information may be provided anonymously, police said.

In a statement released by family, loved ones described Spencer and Monique Tepe as devoted parents and partners whose lives were centered on service, family and community.

“We are heartbroken beyond words,” the statement said. “While no outcome can ever undo this loss, our family is committed to seeing this tragedy fully and fairly brought to justice, and to honoring Spencer and Monique by protecting the future of the children they loved so deeply.”