Why Ohio Police Aren’t Sharing Many Details About Dentist and Wife’s Homicide Investigation

Information has been scarce surrounding the homicide investigation into Spencer and Monique Tepe’s killings — more than a week after the couple was found dead in their Columbus, Ohio home.

Authorities discovered the bodies after responding to several requests for a welfare check on the morning of Dec. 30, the Columbus Division of Police announced at the time.

Police said earlier on in the investigation that this was a case of double homicide and not a murder-suicide. They said no weapons were found at the scene.

Columbus police are now revealing why they have been tight-lipped about an investigation that has piqued the interest of people across the country.

“We want to make sure that we don’t compromise the integrity of this investigation,” Chief of Police Elaine Bryant said at a press briefing on Thursday, Jan. 8.

“So when we finally identify a suspect and it goes to trial, we want to make sure that there’s nothing that could cause this case to be dismissed, or cause this case to be kicked,” she said. “We’re looking at every single tip, every single information that comes in — we leave no stone unturned.”

“We’re investigating it. But there’s only so much that we can share at this point,” Bryant added.

Crime scene tape at Monique and Spencer Tepe’s home in Columbus, Ohio.

Monique, 39, and Spencer, 37, were found with gunshot wounds.

WSYX previously reported, citing a police report, that Spencer had been shot several times, and Monique had been shot in the chest.

Days following the killings, police released eerie surveillance footage of a person they say is of interest to the investigation. The hooded figure, whose face is not clear in the grainy video, is seen walking in a snowy alleyway near the Tepe’s home around the time police believe they were killed.

This week, Columbus police said they received numerous tips about the person seen in the footage, ABC reported.

“We’re asking the community, we’re asking the public … if you have any information, if you think you know anything about this person, please contact us,” Bryant said at Thursday’s briefing.

“Even if you don’t think it’s something that’s relevant in that moment, it may have been something you saw last week. It may have been something that you saw the day before. It could be relevant to this case,” she said.

Anyone with information they believe could be relevant to the investigation is urged to contact investigators at 614-645-2228 or send anonymous tips to Central Ohio Crime Stoppers at 614-461-8477.