A Columbus dentist and his wife were found shot to death Tuesday morning inside their Weinland Park home on the 1400 block of North Fourth Street, police said. Officers conducting a well-being check just after 10 a.m. discovered Spencer Tepe, 37, and Monique Tepe, 39, with gunshot wounds; medics pronounced them dead minutes later.
Detectives opened a double-homicide investigation and stressed there is currently no indication of a murder-suicide. No firearm was located in the residence, and there were no immediate signs of forced entry, according to police at the scene. Two children, both under age 6, were found in the home unharmed and were comforted by a police therapy dog while relatives were notified. The killings rattled a fast-growing neighborhood near Ohio State University and raised urgent questions about who entered the home, when, and why.
Patrol officers were sent to the address after an employer requested a wellness check when an employee did not report for work. Inside, responders found the couple in separate areas of the home. “At this time, we do not believe this was a murder-suicide,” Sgt. Joe Albert said, noting that homicide detectives canvassed the block for witnesses and surveillance footage. Investigators worked through the afternoon collecting shell casings, photographing rooms and doorways, and logging items for lab testing while officers escorted the children to waiting family members.
Police identified the victims as Spencer Tepe and his wife, Monique. Tepe, a dentist with ties to clinics in Athens and Ashland, previously studied at Ohio State University’s College of Dentistry. Neighbors said the couple had lived on North Fourth Street for several years. Officers taped off the front porch as crime-scene technicians moved in and out carrying evidence bags and mapping trajectories. A medical crew confirmed both victims’ deaths at 10:11 a.m., according to incident summaries. Detectives said they are still determining whether the shooter knew the victims and how the person might have entered or exited the house.
As the investigation developed, police asked nearby businesses and residents to share doorbell and camera footage from the hours before the discovery. Detectives said they are comparing timestamps from videos with 911 call logs and license-plate reader hits from adjacent corridors. The lead detective was identified by police as Detective Weiner, assisted by Detective Miller. Officers said a therapy dog was deployed to help the children in the immediate aftermath, a step used in traumatic scenes to stabilize young witnesses while guardians are contacted. Authorities declined to discuss any recovered electronics or whether the home alarmed overnight.
Weinland Park, just east of campus and south of Old North, has seen substantial redevelopment in recent years alongside persistent concerns over break-ins and gun crime in parts of the area. Residents said the block is generally busy by midmorning with deliveries and dog walkers. Several neighbors described waking to cruisers and tape across the sidewalk. A small memorial of flowers appeared near the steps by afternoon as detectives continued knocking on doors. One neighbor said he saw officers reviewing footage from a camera mounted on a nearby storefront facing the alley.
Police said the Franklin County Coroner’s Office will perform autopsies to document wounds, recover any bullets and determine the range of fire. Investigators will also seek ballistic matches in state and federal databases. With no gun recovered, detectives are prioritizing video showing anyone approaching or leaving the home and any vehicles that lingered on the block. Officers said there was no immediate threat information suggesting a wider danger to the public, but they urged residents to report suspicious activity captured around the time of the deaths.
Relatives and colleagues described Spencer Tepe as a dentist who had practiced in multiple Ohio communities and Monique as an attentive mother active in the neighborhood. Former patients from Ashland and Athens posted condolences online, recalling Tepe’s work at clinics including Athens Dental Depot and prior practice in Ashland. By evening, traffic on North Fourth slowed as neighbors paused at the memorial where roses and sunflowers were tucked against the railing, and parish clergy stopped to pray with family friends.
Detectives plan to review door-knock notes, lab results from swabs taken inside the home, and any latent prints collected from entry points. They are also working to establish a precise timeline, including when the couple was last seen or heard from and whether any deliveries or rideshare trips occurred near the address. Investigators emphasized that tips remain vital as they piece together movements on and around North Fourth Street. No suspect description had been released by Wednesday night, and no arrests were reported.
As of Thu., Jan. 1, police say the double-homicide investigation remains active. Autopsy results and additional scene analyses are pending, and detectives will release updates as major findings are confirmed.
Author note: Last updated January 1, 2026.