A horrifying 911 call from a terrified neighbour, reporting someone trying to smash their way into her home, came just days before a married couple were found shot dead in the same quiet Ohio neighbourhood.
Distressed Call in the Dead of Night
At 2.30am on December 19, an unidentified woman living in Columbus made a frantic call to emergency services. She reported a terrifying "smashing" and banging on her front door, believing someone was trying to force their way in. The audio, obtained by Fox News, captures her palpable fear as she tells the dispatcher, "I think they're trying to get in."
The caller's home was just a three-minute walk from the residence of Spencer Tepe, 37, and his wife Monique, 39. She offered no description of the culprit, as she could not see them, and when asked if she had inquired what they wanted, she said no. The suspect left the scene by 2.44am, but police never arrived to investigate the incident.
A Double Homicide Shakes the Community
Just over a week later, on the morning of December 30, the peaceful Weinland Park area was swarmed by police after the Tepes were discovered dead in their $700,000 home. Concern had grown when Spencer, a dentist, failed to arrive for work at his practice in Athens, Ohio. Neither he nor Monique responded to calls from worried friends and family.
After an initial police wellness check received no answer, friends returned to the house an hour later and sensed something was wrong. One called 911 just before 10am, reporting he "thought he heard one of [the kids] yelling".
Officers found the couple's two young children unharmed but sobbing inside the home. Both adults were declared dead at the scene, shot upstairs while their children slept. Police confirmed they are investigating the deaths as a double homicide and do not suspect a murder-suicide. No firearm or obvious signs of forced entry were found.
Mysterious Figure and Peculiar Past Call
Investigators have released eerie surveillance footage showing a person of interest walking calmly through a snowy alley near the Tepe home. The video was captured during the narrow window when detectives believe the murders occurred, between 2am and 5am on December 30.
The figure, dressed in light-coloured trousers and a dark hooded jacket with their head down and hands in pockets, is now a key focus of the investigation. Police are urging anyone with information to come forward.
The case has also drawn attention to a separate, peculiar 911 call made from the Tepe family's four-bedroom home in April 2025. A distressed female caller reported a "domestic dispute" but later insisted police were not needed, claiming she and her "man" had "got into it" but no punches were thrown. Monique Tepe's brother has stated this call was made by a partygoer, not his sister.
A Life Cut Short and a Community in Mourning
Loved ones have described Spencer and Monique Tepe as "remarkable inside and out", extraordinary people whose lives were filled with love and deep connections. A GoFundMe has been established to support their recently orphaned children.
Columbus Police are asking anyone with information to contact the Columbus Police Homicide Unit at (614) 645-4730 or Central Ohio Crime Stoppers at (614) 461-TIPS (8477).
