No arrests have been made and investigators have not named any suspects in the deaths of Spencer and Monique Tepe.
COLUMBUS, Ohio — Authorities have released security footage of a person of interest in the killing of an Ohio couple who were found shot to death in their home last week.
Police in Columbus found Dr. Spencer Tepe, a 37-year-old dentist, and Monique Tepe, 39, with gunshot wounds on the second floor of their home at about 10 a.m. on Dec. 30 during a wellness check, authorities said. Medical personnel later pronounced them dead.
The couple’s two young children were also in the home but were unharmed, police said.
Many questions remain about the case, including who might have killed the couple and why.
Detectives believe Tepes were shot between 2 a.m. and 5 a.m. on the day they were found. A spokesperson for the Franklin County Coroner’s Office said in an email Tuesday that the couple died in an “apparent homicide by gunshot wounds” but that official reports won’t be completed for several weeks.
On Monday, police released security footage of a person of interest that shows the person walking in an alley near the couple’s home during the three hours in which investigators believe they were attacked. The person was wearing light colored pants and dark hooded jacket, and police asked for the public’s help in identifying them.
“We know there are questions and concerns surrounding this tragic incident,” police said in a statement. “Detectives are working diligently to solve this case.”
In a statement, family members described the couple as “extraordinary people whose lives were filled with love, joy and deep connection to others.”
Spencer Tepe graduated from Ohio State University, became a member of the American Dental Association and was involved with Big Brothers, Big Sisters organization. He was also a “huge Bengals and Buckeyes fan,” the family said.
Monique Tepe was a “loving, patient, and joyful mother,” an avid baker, and a “thoughtful planner,” it said.
“They were the proud parents of two beautiful children, and every day they showed up with unwavering love and devotion to their family,” wrote a cousin, Audrey Mackie.
Rob Misleh, Spencer’s brother-in-law, told WBNS the couple and their home were a gathering place for family and friends.
“We are all dealing with something that one week ago from today we literally would have no idea this would be happening,” Misleh said.
Misleh said the family is exhausted, devastated and still in shock. He said the couple’s 4-year-old daughter and 17-month-old son, who were not harmed, are doing well.
“The kids are doing very well. They are young enough to not fully understand the gravity of this situation,” Misleh said.
Misleh said the family hopes the investigation leads to justice.
“Nothing can ever bring them back, but getting the justice that Mo and Spencer so deserve, finding whatever monster is capable of doing something like this, I think it would make not just our family, but a lot of people be able to feel a little bit safer,” he said.
As police continue their investigation, Misleh said the family is focused on planning funerals and honoring Spencer and Monique, whom he described as bright, warm and loving.
“Their house in Columbus was just like a center for us to join them and they were the glue of so many people and such a large community that they brought together,” Misleh said. “They are just so loving and welcoming to people. I have life-long friends now that I never knew because of those two people.”