On Dec. 30, 2025, investigators say dentist Spencer Tepe, 37, and his wife Monique, 39, were found shot to death in their Near East Side home in downtown Columbus. Police believe the fatal shootings occurred between roughly 2 a.m. and 5 a.m.; officers discovered the couple later that morning during a welfare check. Surveillance footage released by the Columbus Division of Police on Jan. 5 shows a person of interest walking in an alley near the Tepe residence within the same timeframe. Authorities say no weapons were recovered at the scene and two young children, a 1-year-old boy and a 4-year-old girl, were inside the house and uninjured.
Key takeaways
- Timing: Police estimate the shootings occurred between about 2:00 a.m. and 5:00 a.m. on Dec. 30, 2025; the welfare check and discovery took place later that morning.
- Victims: The deceased are identified as Spencer Tepe, 37, and Monique Tepe, 39; both were found with apparent gunshot wounds.
- Children safe: Two children, ages 1 and 4, were present in the home and were not physically injured.
- Evidence at scene: Investigators reported no weapons were recovered and no evident signs of forced entry at the residence.
- Surveillance footage: Video released Jan. 5 shows an individual in a dark hooded top and lighter pants walking with hands in pockets in an alley near the home; the face is not visible.
- Community response: Police say they have received numerous tips after releasing the footage and are following up on leads.
- Public request: Authorities urged anyone who recognizes the person in the footage to contact investigators to assist in the inquiry.
Background
The Tepe family lived in the Near East Side neighborhood of downtown Columbus, an area with a mix of residential and commercial properties. Welfare checks are a routine police response when concerned individuals cannot contact residents; in this case officers conducted a check late morning on Dec. 30 before finding the two adults deceased. Columbus police have treated the matter as a homicide investigation and have released the surveillance clip to the public to generate tips and leads. In family statements released to the media, relatives described Spencer and Monique as devoted parents and community-oriented partners.
Homicide investigations in large cities often rely on a combination of physical evidence, neighborhood video, and witness information. Surveillance cameras—public and private—have increasingly become central in identifying people of interest, especially when other forensic evidence is limited or pending laboratory results. Local law enforcement agencies typically request public assistance when imagery is inconclusive, hoping crowdsourced recognition will narrow suspect descriptions. The presence of two young children in the household has also focused attention on child-protective follow-up from social services in coordination with police.
Main event
According to the Columbus Division of Police, officers were dispatched for a welfare check late on Dec. 30 and found Spencer and Monique Tepe with apparent gunshot injuries. Investigators said there were no visible signs of forced entry and no firearms recovered at the scene, though police did not disclose whether ballistic testing or other forensic work had been completed. The two children discovered in the home were unharmed and are in the care of family or appropriate authorities while the investigation continues.
On Jan. 5, police released video captured on a surveillance camera showing a person walking in an alley near the Tepe residence during the window investigators believe the shootings occurred. The person in the footage wore a dark hooded top and lighter pants and appears to have their hands in their pockets; the face is not visible in the clip released. Police described the figure as a person of interest and asked the community to submit tips if anyone recognizes the clothing, gait, or other identifying details.
Investigators have said they continue to follow up on numerous community tips. Law enforcement has not publicly announced arrests or charged any person in connection with the killings as of the footage release. Police statements emphasize that tips are being evaluated and that more investigative steps—such as forensic analysis, interviews, and digital records checks—are underway though those results have not been disclosed.
Analysis & implications
The release of surveillance footage is a common investigative tactic intended to widen the pool of potential witnesses and generate leads rapidly. When imagery lacks clear facial features, investigators often rely on secondary identifiers—such as clothing, body shape, gait, or the direction and timing of movement—to cross-reference other cameras and accounts. That approach can accelerate the identification process but also risks misidentification if community members draw premature conclusions from limited imagery.
For the Tepe family and the wider neighborhood, the case underscores the trauma experienced when a private home becomes the scene of a violent crime. Two very young children were present and uninjured, but the emotional and practical fallout—custody arrangements, counseling, and community safety concerns—will extend beyond the immediate investigation. Local officials and social-service providers commonly coordinate responses in such cases to support children and relatives while preserving investigative integrity.
Legally, investigators will seek forensic corroboration—ballistics, DNA, digital tracking or other records—to move from a person of interest to a suspect and, if warranted, to an arrest and prosecution. The pace of those steps depends on laboratory throughput, availability of comparative samples, and the strength of witness or video corroboration. Public dissemination of imagery can yield helpful tips but also raises the importance of careful police messaging to avoid fueling speculation.
Comparison & data
| Key timeline | Date / time |
|---|---|
| Estimated time of fatal shootings | Dec. 30, 2025 — between ~2:00–5:00 a.m. |
| Welfare check / discovery | Late morning, Dec. 30, 2025 |
| Public release of surveillance footage | Jan. 5, 2026 |
The timeline above shows the narrow window investigators have identified and the interval until public release of the surveillance image. That interval is consistent with standard investigative steps—evidence collection, preliminary processing, and review—before sharing imagery publicly to gather tips. The effectiveness of such releases depends on the number and quality of cameras in the vicinity, the circulation of the clip, and community response.
Reactions & quotes
“We have received and are continuing to receive numerous tips from the community, which our detectives are following up on.”
Columbus Division of Police (official statement)
Police used social channels to request help identifying the person in the footage and to reassure the public that tips are being pursued as part of an active homicide inquiry.
“We are heartbroken beyond words,”
Family statement (relatives of Spencer and Monique Tepe)
The family’s statement emphasized grief and a desire for a thorough and fair investigation while noting plans to protect the children’s future. Family appeals often aim to focus community attention on cooperation with law enforcement rather than speculation.
Unconfirmed
- Whether the victims were specifically targeted or the shooting was random remains unconfirmed and under investigation.
- No public confirmation has been released about forensic matches (ballistics or DNA) linking a suspect to the scene.
- Police have not released information on whether additional surveillance or witness accounts place the person of interest at other nearby locations before or after the estimated time window.
Bottom line
The release of the alley surveillance video is a deliberate step by Columbus police to solicit public assistance in a homicide investigation that left a family bereaved and two small children endangered by circumstance. Because the imagery does not show the subject’s face clearly, investigators will need corroborating evidence—tips that lead to additional video, forensic matches, or witness accounts—to progress toward an arrest.
Community cooperation can be decisive in cases like this, but so too is careful, evidence-driven investigative work to avoid missteps. In the coming weeks, authorities will likely announce forensic developments or identify further persons of interest as laboratory results and tip follow-ups are completed; until then the core facts remain the timeline, the victims’ identities, the presence of two uninjured children, and the released footage that police hope will produce actionable leads.
Sources
- CBS News (national news report summarizing police release and family statement)
- Columbus Division of Police (official local police communications)