Officials identified the victims as Spencer Tepe, 37, and Monique Tepe, 39; two young children were found unharmed inside the residence.
COLUMBUS, OH — A husband and wife were found shot to death Tuesday morning inside their home in the city’s Weinland Park neighborhood, prompting a homicide investigation that continued into New Year’s Day as detectives searched for evidence and interviewed neighbors, police said.
Police identified the victims as Spencer Tepe, 37, and Monique Tepe, 39. Officers went to the 1400 block of N. Fourth St. around 10 a.m. on Dec. 30 after a request for a wellness check. Investigators said there were no obvious signs of forced entry and no firearm was recovered at the scene. Authorities said early findings do not indicate a murder-suicide, and no suspect had been named as of Thursday, Jan. 1. Two children under age 6 were inside the home and were not physically hurt. The case has drawn wide attention because of the couple’s ties to the region and the quiet residential street where the killings occurred.
Officers first entered the two-story home after a caller expressed concern that an employee had not shown up for work and could not be reached. “They were just concerned that maybe something was wrong with their employee,” Sgt. Joe Albert of the Columbus Division of Police said. Inside, officers found the couple with gunshot wounds and secured the children, who were later comforted with the help of a department therapy dog, Albert said. Detectives with the Homicide Unit processed rooms and collected evidence through the afternoon while patrol officers canvassed the block for video and witnesses. A neighbor, Ethan Garcia, described seeing people in tears and said the street felt “pretty scared” as the scene unfolded.
Investigators said the home showed no obvious signs of forced entry, and a search did not turn up a gun. Detectives said they are working to determine the sequence of shots and whether the victims were targeted. The division said early evidence does not support a murder-suicide conclusion. Police have not publicly released details about shell casings, ballistic trajectories or recovered projectiles. The department said it was checking nearby cameras and license plate readers for any car movements tied to the time window and was speaking with relatives, friends and coworkers to build a timeline of the couple’s last known contacts. Detective Weiner is leading the case with assistance from Detective Miller, police said.
Public records and colleagues identify Spencer Tepe as a dentist with ties to Athens and Ohio State University. The couple lived on a block of N. Fourth St. that has a mix of renovated homes and student rentals near the Short North and Ohio State campus. Weinland Park has seen development over the past decade alongside concerns about crime spilling over from busier corridors. Police responded to the home two days before New Year’s, adding to a string of year-end investigations across the city, though detectives emphasized each case is handled on its own facts. Neighbors said the immediate area is usually quiet on weekday mornings, with light foot traffic and construction noise from nearby rehabs.
The Homicide Unit secured the residence while crime-scene technicians documented rooms, collected swabs and photographed entry points. Detectives also sought digital records, including phone logs and messages, according to standard procedure in violent death cases. Officials said autopsies will determine precise causes and manners of death and could clarify the number and trajectory of gunshots; those results typically arrive within days to weeks. No charges had been filed as of Jan. 1. Police said they plan to release additional updates when they can, and that next steps include completing door-to-door re-canvassing, reviewing additional surveillance clips and awaiting laboratory test results from collected items.
Outside the yellow tape Tuesday, residents watched quietly as investigators moved in and out of the front door. “We look out for each other on this block,” said neighbor Ethan Garcia, who added that parents often walk children to nearby parks. A patrol officer brought a stuffed animal to the doorway as the therapy dog team worked with the children. Later in the day, flowers began to appear along the sidewalk. A man who said he works nearby described the morning as “unsettling” and said he had never seen so many police cruisers on the street at once.
As of Thursday morning, police had not announced an arrest or identified a suspect, and the home remained part of an active crime scene while detectives continued interviews. The next expected update is after autopsy findings and initial lab reviews. Authorities said the investigation remains open and that additional information will be released when confirmed.
Author note: Last updated January 1, 2026.