A Weinland Park house has become a solemn landmark, surrounded by growing memorials, as the Columbus community grapples with the tragic death of a local dentist and his wife. Spencer Tepe, 37, and Monique Tepe, 39, were discovered deceased with gunshot wounds in their home yesterday, in what the Columbus Police are currently treating as a double homicide, as ABC6 reported.
The couple's bodies were found after Spencer failed to show up for his job at Athens Dental Depot, sparking concern among his colleagues. According to ABC6, their boss, Dr. Mark Valrose, contacted authorities, expressing that Spencer's absence was "very out of character for him". The Columbus Division of Police received the initial call for a welfare check at 9:03 a.m., said NBC4i. An officer visited the home but departed upon no response. The dire situation unfolded further when coworkers, who drove to the couple's home, heard children crying inside but received no answer at the door, culminating in a disturbing discovery which was promptly relayed to the authorities.
Sgt. Joe Albert of the Columbus Division of Police reported that while the circumstances surrounding the deaths are unclear, investigators do not suspect a murder-suicide. The absence of a firearm at the scene adds to the complexity of the case, and police had not indicated any forced entry into the home. Two young children under the age of six were found at the scene, fortunately unharmed. A Columbus Police spokesman later clarified on Dec. 30 that there were "no indications a murder-suicide had occurred," but no further details could be provided, as per information obtained by The Columbus Dispatch.
The Tepe family, who had been anticipating their five-year wedding anniversary, are remembered through a public biography which highlights Spencer's love for "time with his family" outside his dental practice. NBC4i, in conversations with those close to the family, learned that the community is dealing with a sharp loss, regarding the Tepes as akin to a "second family". Investigators continue to comb through surveillance footage from nearby cameras and encourage anyone with information to contact the Columbus Police Homicide Unit.
Currently, the investigation headed by Detective Weiner, with assistance from Detective Miller, remains open as both police and the community search for answers. Columbus Police can be reached at (614) 645-4730, and those wishing to remain anonymous may contact Central Ohio Crime Stoppers at (614) 461-TIPS (8477), as publicly requested by the authorities.
