CCTV footage released showing person of interest in killing of dentist and his wife
Spencer and Monique Tepe were murdered shortly before their five-year wedding anniversary
Police have released CCTV footage of a person they believe to be behind the unexplained murders of a man and his wife in their home.
On December 30, officers from the Columbus Division of Police, Ohio, responded to a welfare check request at Spencer and Monique Tepe's home.
Spencer, a dentist, failed to turn up to work on the day in question which was out of character for the 37-year-old. With this in mind, coworkers of his and Spencer's friends turned up to his home to check on him and his family.
When they arrived they could hear the couple's two young children crying in the house but they were unable to get inside the property to help them.
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Dr. Mark Valrose, the owner of the dentistry practice Spencer worked at, made the first 911 call.
"He is always on time, and he would contact us if there were any issues," Valrose said on an audio recording heard by CNN.
"I don’t know how else to say this, but we are very, very concerned. This is very out of character for him," he continued. "We can’t get in touch with his wife, which is probably the more concerning thing."
Another heartbreaking call made by somebody else heard a man tell a dispatcher that the children were crying inside.
"I can hear kids inside, and I swear I think I heard one yell," he said. "But we can’t get in. At this point, I don’t know if I need to break the door in to get in the house or what."
Following the numerous calls to police, officers arrived and were able to make their way into the home in the Weinland Park neighborhood and discovered Monique and Spencer dead inside. They both had gunshot wounds.
Their children, ages four and one, were also found inside the home and were reportedly unharmed.
An investigation is now underway and police have released CCTV footage of a person they believe to be a suspect in the murder of the Tepes.
See it here:
Columbus Division of Police penned alongside the video on Facebook: "Detectives believe the murder of Mr. and Mrs. Tepe occurred sometime between 2:00 and 5:00 a.m. on the morning of December 30th in the upstairs of their residence. Recovered video footage shows a person of interest walking in the alley near the Tepe residence during that time frame.
"We have received and are continuing to receive numerous tips from the community, which our detectives are following up on. If you have information that could lead to the identity of the person in this video, please call 614-645-2228 or use the QR code provided. Anonymous tips may also be made to Central Ohio Crime Stoppers at 614-461-8477."
Going on to hail Spencer and Monique's deaths as a 'tragic incident', the force promised that detectives 'are working diligently to solve this case'.
If you have experienced a bereavement and would like to speak with someone in confidence, contact GrieveWell on (734) 975-0238, or email [email protected].
Niamh Shackleton