The brother-in-law of Ohio dentist Spencer Tepe, who was found dead alongside his wife, Monique Tepe, is speaking out following the release of new information from police investigating the case.
Spencer and Monique Tepe were discovered deceased inside their Columbus, Ohio, home after officers responded to a welfare check request on Tuesday, Dec. 30, according to the Columbus Division of Police. Their two young children were found inside the home and were physically unharmed.
On Monday evening, police released surveillance footage showing a person of interest in the investigation. The video captures a hooded figure with their face obscured, walking calmly through a snow-covered alley near the couple’s residence. At one point, the individual briefly raises their right arm toward their face while moving away from the security camera.
“I do think it’s a suspicious-looking person,” said Rob Misleh, Spencer Tepe’s brother-in-law, in an interview with NewsNation. “But it also very well could be somebody walking home drunk from a bar.”
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Misleh, who is now caring for the couple’s children, said Spencer and Monique were deeply admired within their community and that he is unaware of anyone who might have wanted to harm them.
Police believe the killings occurred between 2 a.m. and 5 a.m. on Dec. 30 — the same window during which the person of interest was seen walking in the nearby alley.
The investigation began when one of Spencer’s coworkers requested a welfare check after he failed to show up for work and Monique did not respond to calls, CNN previously reported, citing call records.
The deaths have deeply shaken both the family and the surrounding community. A fundraiser has since been established to support the couple’s children.
“They were the proud parents of two beautiful children, and every day they showed up with unwavering love and devotion to their family,” wrote Audrey (Tepe) Mackie, the organizer of the GoFundMe campaign.
