A revered dentist and his wife have been gunned down in their upscale Ohio home whereas two younger kids have been inside, authorities stated, because the killer stays on the free.
The our bodies of Spencer Tepe, 37, and his wife, Monique Tepe, 39, have been found Tuesday after a welfare examine at their home within the 1400 block of N. 4th Street, Columbus police stated.
“Two small children were also found in the residence unharmed,” police stated.
Officers found no apparent indicators of pressured entry, and no firearm was found on the scene, NCS affiliate WSYX reported. Police haven’t launched any particulars a few potential suspect or motive and are asking the general public for any info on the case.
Detectives are investigating the deaths as a double murder, not as a murder-suicide. Their route isn’t a surprise, NCS Senior National Security Analyst Juliette Kayyem stated.
“If there’s no gun, there would have been no way to do murder-suicide,” she stated. “So that’s why they excluded that relatively quickly. The other clue is, of course, the children are left safe.”
The Tepes’ kids, ages 4 and 1, are actually within the care of kin, the couple’s brother-in-law, Rob Misleh, informed NCS.
The proprietor of the apply the place Spencer Tepe worked referred to as 911 on Tuesday morning when Tepe uncharacteristically missed work.
“He is always on time, and he would contact us if there was any issues,” Dr. Mark Valrose of Athens Dental Depot informed dispatchers. “I don’t know how else to say this, but we are very, very concerned. This is very out of character for him. We can’t get in touch with his wife, which is probably the more concerning thing.”
An officer responded at 9:22 a.m., however didn’t get a solution, WSYX reported, citing police information.
Colleagues additionally drove to the Tepes’ home, and one pal heard kids crying inside. But nobody answered the door.
The pal referred to as police round 9:56 a.m.
“I can hear kids inside, and I think I heard one yell,” the caller stated, in keeping with dispatch audio. “But we can’t get in.”
Around 10:03 a.m., an audibly distressed man referred to as 911.
“There’s a body,” he stated.
Either of two situations for the way the crime unfolded appears to be most certainly, Kayyem stated: a “stranger at the door who just happens to kill this couple, or some narrative that might explain why they were targeted.”
To assist zero in on a motive, investigators will study forensics, the potential entry of the killer, whether or not something was stolen and “the history of the family or the couple to determine whether … there’s any threat to the rest of the community,” she stated.
Columbus police haven’t responded to NCS’s questions on a motive for the killings or whether or not the couple was focused.
Regardless of the motive, any such crime is “exceptionally rare,” Kayyem stated.
“Given the fact that this doesn’t happen often, and there was no signs of forced entry/burglary, you’re going to look at people who they may have known or people who knew where they lived, unfortunately, and begin there,” she stated.
“Maybe this was random. But the … national data suggests both how uncommon this is as well as the likelihood that there may be someone who knew them who was involved with this.”
Athens Dental Depot introduced its closure for the remainder of this week.
“It is with heavy hearts that we share the sudden passing of our dear colleague and friend, Dr. Spencer Tepe, as well as his wife Monique,” the workplace posted Thursday on Facebook.
“He will be deeply missed by our team and the many patients he cared for over the years. Our thoughts and sincerest condolences are with their families and loved ones during this very difficult time.”