The Tepe Murders ////// 900 | Forensic Files

[music] [music] Welcome to True Crime Garage. Wherever you are, whatever you are doing, thanks
for listening. I'm your host, Nick, and with me as always is a man who has papered the walls of the garage with
Kurt Signetti memes. Here is the captain. >> Yeah, Google [music] me. It's good to be
seen and good to see you. Thanks for listening. Thanks for telling a friend. [music]
This week we are happy to be featuring Hermano wheat beer by the good folks at [music] Arts District Brewing. Hermano
is a spicy, wheaty, and fullbodied beer with signature banana and bubble gum yeast. This one is a crowdleaser and
best enjoyed on a lazy afternoon. Garage grade three and 3/4 bottle caps out of five. And let's give some thanks and
praise to our good garage friends for helping us out with this week's show. First up, a shout out to Robin Jennings
from Morrisville, Pennsylvania. >> And a big we like jib goes out to Amanda in San Jose. And here's a tall cans in
the air to pumpkin pie haircut from parts unknown. >> And another tall hand can hands in the
air to Leanne in Windsor, Canada. >> And last, but certainly not least, we raise our [music] glasses high in memory
of Jill's dad. And in his honor, we will be sure to add some Cold Stone and Saporro [music] beers to the old garage
fridge. Thank you to everyone tuning in, past and presently accounted for. [music] And thank you for your kindness,
your leadership, and your patronage. All right, BW beer run. [music] If you need
more True Crime Garage for your earballs, make sure you sign up on Patreon [music] or Apple Podcast
subscriptions for our bonus content called Off the Record. We love it when you join us in the garage for some extra
cozy time. And that's enough of the business. >> All right, everybody, gather around,
grab a chair, grab a beer. Let's talk some true crime. >> Columbus Police Tech 107.
>> Yes, I would like to um uh ask for a wellness check um on an individual at their home. This individual, Spencer,
worked with me and he did not show up to work this morning and we cannot get a hold of him or his family.
He didn't show up the worst. >> Correct. >> Okay. Does he have medical problems or
>> uh No. And he's been reliable and we cannot get in touch with him, his wife, his family, anybody that lives in that
house. >> Okay. Um >> two kids in home. I'm in Florida. I own the business. I I was informed by my
employees that he was not at work, that he runs the office. Have you guys received anything else like
calls about him or like a car accident or anything like that? >> No, some sometimes people just don't
show up to work. I mean, maybe he's dead. I don't know. >> Just know that he is the most like he is
always on time and he would contact us if there is any issues whatsoever. And um he uh I had a house to say this like
we're very very concerned because this is very out of character and we can't get in touch with his wife which is
probably the more concerning thing. >> Okay. What's the emergency there? Please for medical.
>> Uh maybe both, I guess. I don't know. I'm doing a call out there. They knocked
on the front door and back door multiple times and there was no answer. >> Yeah, no answer. I can hear kids inside
and I swear I think I heard one yell, but we can't get in. I at this point I don't know if I need to break the door
in or just get in the house or what. >> Okay. Were Were you out there when the police was out there?
>> I wasn't. I just got here about 5 minutes ago. >> Okay. All right. Well, we'll send them
back out to you. >> Our our boss did not report to work. We haven't been able to get a hold of him
for 3 hours. We are on site and we can hear somebody there. >> Okay. Okay. I'm just making sure
somebody called >> 911. What's location of your emergency? >> Uh 1411 North. >> Okay. 1411 North. We've got several
calls on that. What's changed since the last person I talked to? >> Uh there's a body. There's a body.
>> There's a body inside. >> Yeah. >> Okay. Hold on one second. >> Let me get you on the line with the
medic. Okay. Stay on the line. [screaming] >> There's a body. Our our friend wasn't uh
in trans. We just did a wellness check. We just came here and um he appears dead.
>> Okay. >> There's blood. He's laying next to his bed, off of his bed, and there's blood.
He can't get closer to see more than that. >> Okay. You can tell he's obviously not
breathing or anything. >> Yeah. Yeah. >> Is it like kind of like like how like you know does he look like
I can't I can't >> Okay. All right. I understand. Okay. So then when was the last time somebody
spoke to him? >> Uh like yes yesterday I suppose. >> Yesterday. Okay. How old is he?
>> Uh 37. >> 37. Okay. >> He like a drug user or anything like that? >> No. No. No. No.
>> Okay. All right. Just that's a really young age. >> Yeah. I understand. Okay. All right.
We're on our way. [music] >> [music] [music] >> It was an unthinkable crime. Two very
well-liked [music] and wellrespected people killed inside their home in the quiet dead of [music] the night. Now,
for today's true crime story, we don't have to look very far outside of the garage. True crime stories can hit hard.
And as they sometimes say, close to home. Close to home can be said for many reasons. Our story hits us garage guys
close to home because unfortunately, it happened just late last month in our home city of Columbus, Ohio.
>> Yeah. Less than 10 miles away. Spencer and Monnique Teepe were a young Columbus
couple whose lives were rooted in family, community, and the everyday rhythms of raising two young children.
Their backgrounds and personalities come through clearly in the public records and obituaries released after their
untimely deaths. 37year-old Spencer Teepe was born in Cincinnati, Ohio. He completed both his undergraduate degree
and doctor of dental surgery at the Ohio State University. 39-year-old Monnique Teepe was born in Chicago and raised in
Worthington, Ohio, which is just a short drive north from Columbus, Ohio. The two
met online and quickly built a relationship described as loving, respectful, and playfully goofy. They
got married in a beautiful ceremony on December 13th, 2020 and they built an idyllic life together. They had two kids
and the Teepe couple was known for hosting gatherings and creating a warm, lovely home environment. Spencer built
his career as a practicing dentist, most recently at Athens Dental Depot, where his colleagues describe him as deeply
dedicated to his patients and craft. Mo'Nique earned a master's degree in early childhood education from the Ohio
State University. She worked in child care and early education. After having children, she became a stayathome
mother. The couple lived in a large, very modern and upscale home in a portion of northern downtownish Columbus
known as Weinland Park. Wland Park sits in that uneasy space between renewal and
history. A Columbus neighborhood where new families settle into some of them century old homes and where the glow of
the street lights mixes with the hum of nearby campus life. It's the kind of place where people know each other's
routines. They live in close quarters. You notice when someone's porch light stays on too long and you notice when a
car hasn't moved in days. So when Spencer and Monique Tepe didn't emerge from their home and join in on the
normal hustle and bustle of everyday modern living on the morning of December 30th, 2025,
the first sign of trouble wasn't a scream or a crash. It was mostly silence. On the morning of December
30th, 2025, Columbus police were called to a home on the 1400 block of North Fourth Street in the Wland Park
neighborhood after colleagues and friends of Spencer Tepe became alarmed when he failed to show up for work.
Something they described as completely out of character. One co-orker told dispatchers that Spencer was quote
always on time and he would have contacted them if anything was wrong. Spencer had a 90minute commute, so
pretty long commute. Is interesting to learn that he was always punctual. >> The worry escalated quickly when
repeated calls to both Spencer and his wife Monnique went unanswered. So, the Teepes lived at 1411 North
Fourth Street. This is a tall, thin, very modern 3-bedroom, 2500 square ft home. Officers first
checked the home around 9:22 a.m. Found no answer at the door and then left. Now, we would later learn, and Columbus
PD has been upfront about this, that when responding to the first request for a wellness check at the home, they would
later say that they went to the wrong house and left. Nobody answered. They assumed that everything was fine because
nobody answered the door, yet they found the house that they went to secured. >> Yes. And uh Columbus PD did release this
body cam footage of checking the wrong house. >> My thought here on this one is the
houses on the street in this exact location are rather close together. And I have nothing to base this off of,
Captain, but my guess is they may have simply just gone to the neighbor's home. I do know that one of the neighbors was
out of town on this day and had been prior to. And so if they knocked on that door, they would have found the out of
town neighbor's home to be secure and empty. >> Yeah. Again, this is just speculation,
too. But is there is there a north side and a south side of this road? And did they just go to the wrong same address,
but the wrong area? Within the next 40 minutes, multiple friends arrived at the house, reporting that they could hear
the couple's young children inside. And then one friend told police via a call to 911 dispatch that he could see
Spencer's body lying on the floor of a room in the house through a window. >> Well, and the children are ages 1 and
four. Correct. >> That is correct. >> So you might not get much information from the oneyear-old, but it's possible
that we'd get some information from the fouryear-old. >> So let's parse out this timeline a bit,
shall we? So, at 9:03 a.m., as the captain said, we have Spencer Tepe, who's very punctual. He is
the boss man at the dentist office in Athens there. And it's a colleague calling police requesting a well-being
check at the Tepe home. At 9:22 a.m., we have officers that report that no answer
was at the door. They responded to the house and they leave. Again, later learning this is likely what they
describe later as the wrong home. At 9:57 a.m., we have a man at the home who calls police. He's saying he can hear
children inside of the Teepe home. At 10:00 a.m., another coworker calls saying that she is heading to the home
out of concern. She's on her way there. At 10:05, a friend calls police after seeing Spencer's body inside. So,
officers returned. They entered the home, discovering both Spencer and Mo'Nique dead inside. Their two
children, both very young, were found physically unharmed, along with the family dog. What did the investigators
find inside the house? Inside the residence, police determined that both Spencer and Mon'nique had been shot to
death. A radiun log obtained through public records confirmed that Spencer had been shot multiple times.
Authorities quickly stated that there were no indications of a murder suicide, though they did not release further
details about the nature of the attack. The couple's two very young children and
their dog were also found in the home alive and unharmed, adding to the confusion and the mystery of this case.
to quickly address the no murder suicide determination. The gun that was used was
not found inside the home. >> Yeah. And when you have children that are left in the house and you have a dog
left in the house, you wonder if it's possible that it was a murder suicide and that the gun was just moved. But
it's a modern house, probably pretty easy to search. They didn't didn't seem like they had a a ton of clutter. So
once there's no weapon anywhere to be found, you can kind of rule that out. >> A dispatcher's report also included a
reference to a 41A robbery code, though police did not clarify whether this was connected to the case in any manner. The
Tepe residence, as said, is 1411 North 4th Street. The second house from the corner of East 8th Avenue. It sits in a
dense mixed residential area monitored by city crime cameras. In fact, police cameras were positioned roughly 150 ft
from the home, underscoring how shocking it was that such a violent crime occurred without immediate detection.
Well, nowadays with technology with home security and Ring cameras, I think one of the smartest things that the cops did
was they actually drew um a grid and they released that to the public in in Columbus to say, "Hey, if you live with
inside this grid, can you check your surveillance footage if you have that capability?"
>> Yes. As said, it's a densely populated area. And from our time near the crime
scene here, I'll go through a few of the observations that were made. As said, the homes are tall. They're relatively
close to one another. These are very modern homes. My guess is they're either fully restored or complete rebuilds.
Behind the homes on this street, you have detached garages. Okay? Okay. And these garages are sitting directly side
by side by side by side. So there's an alleyway that runs behind the Tepee's home. In front of the Teepee's home, you
have a sidewalk, street parking, rather busy street, especially during the daytime hours, and street parking as
well. And in fact, if you park in one of the parking spots right off of the street there, it's not far from their
front door, up the steps to their front porch to their front door from street parking or the front of the front yard.
They do have a keypad lock on that front door. They have large glass windows, so
it gets difficult to say which window the gentleman calling 911 describing what he's seeing when he says he sees
Spencer inside, which window he is referring to. If you take a look at the backyard, so
the again the garage is detached from the back of the house and there is a nice backyard setting between the garage
and the back of the home. There is a rear entrance to the home as well. This too contains a keypad lock on the door.
The backyard is set up for hanging out for entertaining. There's a nice patio in the back that seemed like it was
wellused, a very inviting space. You would enter the garage with your vehicle via that alleyway. So you'd park, close
the garage door, go out the man door, which would lead you into your backyard. My guess is because of that setup, they
probably regularly use the back door to the home to enter and exit the home. That alleyway is extremely well lit.
Extremely well lit. And some of the persons that have garages in that alleyway have security cameras on their
garages. Now, as of the early reporting in the double homicide case, investigators were not releasing much
information at all and not much information specifically about the following. a possible motive, whether
there were signs of forced entry, whether the couple knew their killer, how the children remained untouched
during the attack. Now, we would get an update on some of this fairly quickly to
tell us that there were in fact no signs of forced entry to the home. Police also
did not announce any suspects or arrest. And of course, the family and the community were both heartbroken and in
shock. >> Well, like you said, this becomes a a mysterious murder because you have the
children that weren't harmed and the dog that wasn't harmed. So, I think when you
you're making announcements that there's no forced entry, you go, "Well, did somebody have the code? Did somebody
have a key? Is this a family member? Who would kill them? so viciously and not harm the children.
So I think that's what made it people speculate that maybe it was somebody in the family or maybe one of these you got
two young attractive mom and dad right and and and so you go well was one of them having an affair or something cuz
that would make sense. Oh, I'm having a affair with this dentist and I go south and I kill him and I killed the wife,
but I'm not I don't don't want to harm the children. I want to talk quickly about this area, this neighborhood, uh,
a bit to try to give everyone a little richer understanding. The Columbus Dispatch had a great article titled
something along the lines of long troubled Wland Park neighborhood thriving despite tragedy. So, it's
talking both specifically about the neighborhood and the recent murders. And I'll give you my summarized version of
the information and also our understanding of this area having grown up not far from Widland Park. So, Wland
Park has long been a neighborhood defined by contrast, a place where decades of hardship have slowly given
way to renewal, investment, and a growing sense of stability. The recent murders of Spencer and Monnique Teepe,
however, shook residents and revived old fears, even as community leaders insist
the tragedy does not reflect the neighborhood's present reality. So, this is a neighborhood with a complicated
past, let's say. Okay, so for much of the 1990s and early 2000s, Wland Park was synonymous with gang activity, drug
trafficking, and urban decay. The area around North Fourth Street and Summit Street was once considered dangerous
enough that many Columbus residents avoided this area entirely. During the height of the Short North Posi influence
and the cocaine wars that were going on, large groups of young men openly gathered in streets and shootings were
rather common. a longtime resident, Tanya Long, who has lived in the neighborhood for more than 25 years. She
says, Captain, that she recalls moments when she would drive up a street only to
be stopped by gang members who would then decide if she was allowed to pass or if she had to stop and turn around.
She describes those years as a worn out chapter, one marked by abandoned homes, poverty, and the collapse of nearby
manufacturing jobs. Now, by 2010, a good amount of the properties in this WA Park area were abandoned or vacant,
creating pockets where crime could flourish. But transformation began in earnest.
This would be shortly after the housing market collapse. This is when a multi-pronged revitalization effort took
hold in the area. So, public and private organizations, including the now disbanded Wland Park Collaborative,
invested heavily in housing infrastructure and community programs. Between 2008 and 2016, more than 500 new
housing units were built, including low-income housing, Habitat for Humanity projects, and mixed income developments.
And as new residents moved in and abandoned properties were restored, the neighborhood's population well, it
rebounded from about 4,000 people in the '9s to 6,300 people by 2022. And community
leaders credit the growth with reducing crime in the area. It's it's simple. More eyes on the streets, more families,
you get more stability. The neighborhood got safer because there were more people. Today, Wland Park is home to
restaurants and small businesses. This a symbol of a neighborhood that has worked
hard to redefine itself. >> Well, maybe the area has got gotten better, but the surrounding areas maybe
not so much. So, we have no evidence that this crime is sexually motivated. So, it's possible that when you have a
nice area, crime comes to you. So, did somebody want to rob this couple? So, I think that's an interesting viewpoint
and and something that law enforcement had to look at initially in this crime. And why do some of these cases become so
talked about? Well, just like we have seen in so many other cases, most of that starts
with the story of the victims. And in this case, we have Spencer Monique Teepe. They were wellknown. They were
wellliked. Spencer practiced dentistry at Athens Dental Depot. Colleagues describing him as reliable and
dedicated, but well above and beyond anything else, Spencer was a father and husband. Mon'nique was a mother and
former early childhood educator who is remembered for her warmth and bright personality. Their deaths left friends,
co-workers, and neighbors devastated, especially given the presence of their two young children still in the home.
This case resonated here and beyond Columbus because of a combination of the residential neighborhood, respected
young couple, the two children, no immediate suspect, and the absence of a clear motive. And an absence of a clear
motive creates a sense of deep unease in the community, in the neighborhood, and
then across Columbus. The case raised urgent questions about safety, motive, and the possibility that the killer may
have known the family and their routines. [music] [music] >> [music] >> All right, we are back. Talk hands in
the air. Cheers to [music] the people in the back. Cheers to you, Colonel. >> Hey, don't forget about them people in
the front. Cheers. Inside the Tepe house, police [music] would find the couple shot to death upstairs. The two
young children, just four and one at the time, as the captain had said, were discovered unharmed. The family dog was
also safe. I I believe that I saw it somewhere in the reporting of what kind of dog they had, but I it it seemed to
fail to make its way to my notes here, Captain. But the adults, mom and dad, husband and wife at
the center of that home were gone. And then as the early investigation days passed, we did get some new and updated
information regarding the crime scene. So first we get what let's call the window of violence here. Okay. So
investigators come out, CBT comes out and says, "We have narrowed the killings to a 3hour
window between 2:00 a.m. and 5:00 a.m. on December 30th, 2025." They also say there were no signs of forced entry, no
weapon recovered, and no evidence of robbery. The scene was intimate, deliberate, and deeply unsettling.
Three 9 mm shell casings were found inside the home. And then we get the unidentified man in the alley.
So, the most significant public clue at this point in our timeline was a short piece of surveillance footage released
by Columbus police. This video shows a lone figure walking through the alley, right? They don't
give us the exact location of where this was filmed, but the statements are walking through the alley beside or
behind the Tepe home during that exact window. Right, we've already said 2:00 a.m. to 5:00 a.m. when investigators
believe that the murders occurred. The individual is described only as quote a person of interest, not a
suspect, not a witness. We had to wonder, right? We had to was this person the suspect or just a witness regardless
titled person of interest. Well, because it was such early hours of the morning,
you go, "Well, he might have been the only individual that was walking in that neighborhood." But when I first saw the
video footage, my thought was, I don't even know if this is a man or a woman. A couple things I noticed. I thought the
pants were pretty tight. Like I say, tight in the pants. And then his gate was a little weird, but again, I say he,
but that's cuz we know it's a he now. But at the time, if somebody would have presented the idea that this might have
been a a female, I might have said, "Well, I could I could see that." But I thought the gate was a little weird. And
obviously there's uh with the Missy Beaver's case and the deli case, the true crime world has talked about and
looked into people's gates when they're seeing these surveillance footage. So there was definitely um and I would
might be one of the only people that noticed this because I have this, but I'm pigeon toaded. So the individual
looked a little pigeon to me. If I had to lean one way or another when I first saw the footage, I would have leaned
towards a man, but I I didn't think it was definitive. >> Yeah, we had this conversation offline
when we were waiting and hoping for information and and really a break in the case. And I believe my statement to
you was I felt very strongly was a a male individual based off of the the broad shoulders that I believed that I
was seeing in The footage again described as a only as a person of interest as you said, police
said this too and I think a lot of people were wondering this as well. Could just be somebody that happened to
be there at the time walking by. It wouldn't be this is not a part of town or I mean it's a it's a Columbus is a
major city. It's not a ghost town. It would be absurd to think that it would be out of
question that that somebody could just be walking in the area even at that strange hour of the early morning. Now,
according to police, one thing that they're pointing out and that they wanted to make everybody aware of, you
gota you got to draw the eyes in on the potential details here, right, Captain? So they're saying the footage here shows
a individual wearing light colored pants, a dark hooded [snorts] jacket, a steady unhurried gate,
and again a route that takes this individual directly behind or beside the Teepe residence. And that's exactly what
I saw too when they talk about a steady unhurried gate. The person didn't seem to be in a rush to get
anywhere. Didn't seem overly trying to conceal their presence from maybe onlookers, from somebody in a in a home
or somebody driving by. But it looked clear to me and I and I I've heard other people say this, so it
wasn't just wasn't just my eyes, but it looked like with the hood being up on this individual and the way they
were looked like they were purposely positioning their face like looking down that they may have had prior
understanding that that that area is both well lit and that There are security cameras placed in that area.
>> Yeah, but when are we going to get better cameras? Cuz maybe this individual just knows a little bit about
true crime and says, "Hey, I put my hoodie up. It's in the dark." Uh, they'll have no clue who it is. As long
as I don't just, you know, go up and and stare directly into the camera, it's just going to be a black and white blob.
>> I didn't see a black and white blob. But one thing that was was curious about to
your point with the cameras is the inability to zoom in because what I couldn't see on the clothing of the
individual was any type of indicator, right? Like any brand recognition or anything like that. Um just simply as
described by police of a dark >> hooded jacket. It it looked like a a winter coat to me. dark hooded jacket
with light colored pants. >> Right. But did you see the tightness in the pants? >> Tighten the pants.
>> I wouldn't describe them as baggy. I would not describe them as baggy. >> There you go.
>> The other curious part of this statement from police was that they they wouldn't
say whether or not the man appeared on any additional cameras, >> right? >> Nor whether he entered or exited the
home. But of course, the timing of when a camera or two cameras spotted this individual is impossible and cannot be
ignored for this case. And very quickly, this became a case with more questions than answers. Because despite the heavy
presence of surveillance cameras in the area, including some city crime cameras positioned almost directly across from
the victim's home. Investigators are releasing very few details. And I know we've kind of re we're rehashing some of
this, but again, the key unknowns and this was I'm a guy that will frequent the restaurants and the bars and this is
a case that no matter what location uh what part of Columbus I was in, people in establishments were talking. They all
had the same questions. The very much speculating on the same aspects of this crime. How did the killer enter the
home? Did the couple know their attacker? Why would the children be left unharmed?
Thank God. Whether the person in the video is connected or merely a coincidence,
but there was a call for action, the old seeking information. Police were urging anyone
with video, photos, or digital evidence from the area, particularly between 2:00
a.m. and 5:00 a.m. on December 30th to come forward. And as the captain pointed out earlier, a grid of the area, the
that focus area included Summit Street, North Grant Avenue, East 7th Avenue, and
East 11th Avenue. And they were quick to tell the public, "Do not worry because here's the threat. We don't know who
this person is. We don't know what the motive is. People are afraid." They said submissions can be anonymous
and detectives did say that they are following up on numerous leads. There were a lot of tips coming in across the
city. We're following up on numerous tips, but no arrests have been made at this time. Well, I also think one of the
interesting things and and maybe while we talk more about some of these cases is the information because of social
media. So we have these two attractive individuals. They were murdered. We have pictures of them on their wedding. We
have pictures, family pictures that they that they have had taken, you know, professional pictures taken of the
family. So you have good source material to get out there. I think it's human nature to go, well, they look like a
success. They look like successful people, young and attractive, building their lives together. You go, which one
of them caused this? I think that's human nature to be like, well, was was the wife cheating on the husband? Was
the husband cheating on the wife? Uh what was going on here? What what was the cause for this?
>> Who's responsible? Yeah. We want we want to know and and >> well, no, but I think even gets goes
deeper than that. We we want to know who killed them, but we we also want to know
the why, you know. And so some of the initial speculation was when the his work was calling so quickly and really
putting pressure for people to check to see what was going on. Some of the speculation was well, they must have
known that he was in some kind of entanglement uh that would cause him to be in harm.
>> Yeah. I think rather than who caused this, it's more of what is the tie between one victim or both victims and
the offender, >> right? >> What are those what are those ties? Now, we've already talked about how they were
remembered, but I look, I've seen so many photos of their wedding day, their wedding celebration in the past 3 weeks.
It looked like one hell of a great party that I I missed. I I wish I would have been friends with them or friends with
their friends. How were they remembered? Friends, co-workers and family describe
Mo'Nique and Spencer as generous, joyful, and deeply committed to each other and their children.
And they were just kept they were just a few weeks after their fifth wedding anniversary. No, and I understand that
and maybe I'm a just a bitter, cynical son of a [ __ ] but when I see because everybody has a different way
that they want to present themselves to the world or social media and we all have friends that present I mean it's
human nature to present a certain story through social media. So I think some of
the people that were speculating on what might have happened sees this narrative that is being
presented and then you wonder is that a true narrative or was that a facade? Neighbors echoed the same sentiment when
it came to the teepeees saying they were kind, polite, and never caused trouble.
For most of their neighbors, it didn't seem like they were overly close to them. There was one neighbor that I
thought was interesting. He had said, "Look, I due to my occupation, I'm out of town frequently." And he said, "They
would come over to my front porch and collect packages for me and keep them in their home until I came back came back
into town." Spencer's practice, his dental practice out in Athens, Ohio, closed temporarily
in mourning. And both families held joint visitation and celebrations of life services in early January 2026.
It goes without saying, but I'm going to say it anyway. There is something uniquely haunting about a crime that
unfolds quietly in the dead of night, leaving no witnesses, no clear motive, and no
forced entry. It suggests famili familiarity or confidence. It suggests planning. It suggests someone who knew
exactly when to move and how to disappear. And there's that man in the alley, a fleeting figure caught on
camera only for a moment. And until he's identified, there's going to be a whole
lot of questions and a big puzzle piece missing. Yeah. And then when Columbus PD
released a 911 call that happened earlier in the year that came from their house, that led to even more
speculation. And at first, they just released the transcripts of it. You saw that all over News Nation and other
places. But then I believe it was the following day that they're like, "Well, we'll just release the audio." And it
was a female caller, I want to say around 2:40ome in the morning calling. And so they released that. So again, a
bunch of speculation. Who is this woman? Is this the wife calling? But every indication from police and from uh
Mon'nique's family was it was not her. So then that made you even question more. Well, do they do they have a
nanny? And this person on the 911 call is saying, "Well, I had an argument with my partner." Well, is she talking about
Spencer? Is she talking about somebody else? But like you said, this this young couple was also known to have some
parties. So, is it possible that somebody at one of these parties got into an argument and for whatever reason
decided to call 911? And and I should report she calls 911 and hangs up and then they call back. She does sound
somewhat upset, but then tells them that she's fine and that they don't need to have police come out that way. Yeah. And
again, that was a call that took place months prior, but certainly something of interest. And I have to preface this by
saying this is just rumor, but the rumor I heard on regarding that 911 call from
a female inside their home that it was a friend of the family and that it that it
likely happened either after or during a gathering. We had mentioned that they regularly would host parties at their
house or small gatherings at their home. And I don't know exactly what happened,
but sometimes yours truly included. You're overserved, not thinking clearly, take something to an extreme. That might
be what took place there. We'll probably get more information on that front as well. And as the investigation was in
its second week, I just mentioned rumors. Rumors were rampant here in Columbus, but Columbus police themselves
remained fairly tight-lipped about the double homicide >> despite the high-profile nature of the
case. And they stated only that detectives were working diligently and the updates will come as the
investigation progresses. >> Yeah, but I think this was smart by Columbus PD. They as they're
investigating this crime, they find this 911 call. They get out in front of it by
releasing it. Me and you both speculate that they had more information on a credible suspect in this case before
they even probably found this 911 call, >> right? >> And even though that this call is going
to lead to speculation by the public, can't worry about that as investigators. Let's just get this out there. Let's get
it in front of it. They did make the statement this woman was not the wife, the mother, Mo'Nique. And so then and
then family members made that same statement. So, but that call did ramp up a lot of speculation locally and online.
>> Yeah. And as an investigator, what you're hoping to do with that uh is look, you you can't deny that that 911
call happened. So, like you said, get out in front of it. Very smart. But at the same time, when you're sitting there
looking at it as an investigator, you have to stay water. You can't close any doors. You have to go where the
information and the evidence leads you. Now, as far as evidence goes, I wonder how much physical evidence they actually
have. So, you're you're building a lot of your case if you don't have physical evidence off of information that's
coming to you or information that you are digging up. And by putting that out there, you can have the mindset of we
have everything telling us that this has nothing to do with our crimes that we're
investigating. However, by putting it out there, you might be proven otherwise. You might
somebody may come forward with information that you've not uncovered yet or a new person to talk to that has
something some insight to share with you that could tell you otherwise. And so I
think it was very smart to do this. But then not too long after we cut through the fog of mystery and
unanswered questions with a news break or as it truly felt like here in Columbus, a news bomb. The investigation
into the December 30th killings of Spencer Monique Mon'nique Teepe took a decisive turn when authorities
identified and arrested Michael David McKe. This is Mon'nique's exhusband in connection with the double homicide.
McKe is 39 years old. He was taken into custody in Illinois where he lives in the state of Illinois and was being held
at the Wnebago County Jail waiting extradition to Ohio. Right. So, how did Columbus PD identify
this suspect? Homicide detectives were able to identify McKe through neighborhood surveillance footage.
According to court documents, investigators tracked a vehicle that appeared near the victim's home just
before the killings and then left shortly afterward. >> Am I correct in saying that it's not
only that they could identify the vehicle, but they were able to have the license plate as well?
>> Yeah. So, we've talked about this in a bunch of cases and what you're seeing in
the more recent cases that lead to an arrest. We talked about this at length in our coverage last year, episodes, two
episodes titled Killing for Chaos, where police use cameras. They they're identifying license plates and vehicles.
And in some cases, they the the cameras are even clear enough that you can get a
good look at the driver or even maybe the clothing of the driver. And in this situation, very much like the Killing
for Chaos and some other stories that we've covered recently, they're creating a trail of the known movements of this
vehicle. Okay, so they spot this particular vehicle of interest near the victim's home. It arrives shortly before
the killings, leaves shortly afterward. Okay, that that rises to the top of our list of vehicles that we're interested
in. That vehicle was later located in Rockford, Illinois, where police then say they found evidence linking this
Michael David McKe, ex-husband of Mon'nique, to the murders. So the they're basically going to use these
cameras between Rockford, Illinois, and Columbus, Ohio to create a trail of this
vehicle traveling from point A, what is that, a 6 and 1 half hour drive to >> Some people say it's about 400 miles. So
basically what you're able to do is to take this ex-husband. So he's obviously connected to Mo'Nique and go we can
place him in the neighborhood. This vehicle now where it's unclear to me is they're not stating it it they're not
stating that it's his vehicle, but they're stating it's a vehicle that they know is connected to him. So I maybe you
know more information about that than I do. But then we have the surveillance footage of this unknown individual. I
think they're able to connect that unknown individual to that car. And guess what? Similar build,
exact same weird gate, right? Um so now we're putting uh two and two together and he's not looking too innocent here.
>> Yeah. I I really feel like the information that has come out that that Columbus police have announced and
released to the public is really just surface material. I think that there's probably a lot more. We do have some
more here that we can can discuss today in the garage. And I'm with you. I believe it is his vehicle, but they are
not outwardly stating that as such. They're they're simply saying, "Look, we know that the vehicle of interest
traveled from the general area where he lives to very nearby the victim's homes, arriving
shortly before we believe they were killed, leaving shortly after we believe they were killed, and returning to very
near where the suspect lives. That's uh if he's not the killer, it's one hell of
a coincidence. And then on top of that, it makes you wonder he's walking the man
seen walking on surveillance footage like he's aware that the cameras may be there now. Maybe maybe he simply caught
a glimpse of them as he's turning the corner before they pick up his face or or what have you and he quickly looks down.
But if he was aware those cameras were there, which that's what I thought I was seeing the first time seeing the the
footage, I could be absolutely wrong. But it but if he were aware that they are there, then he may have traveled to
their home prior to the night of their murders. >> Yeah, very possibility. I agree with you
there. But I also what I see is somebody walking like I walk when it's cold out.
I put my hood up, put my hands in my pocket. That's what I'm seeing. But I don't I don't think it's out of the
realm of possibility because his movements before this crime, before this double homicide, are kind of loosey
goosey at best. I'm and I'm talking about the weeks leading up to it. So is it the evidence is pointing that he's
crazy enough to drive 400 and some miles and within those 400 and some miles nothing inside him told him to stop.
>> Oh yeah. He he's he's driven by something that we can't understand. So a little background on this Michael David
McKe. He's a vascular surgeon. So a smart guy as far as uh book learning goes, right,
Captain? And he's lived in multiple states. He was married to Mo'Nique from 2015 to 2017, which is also very
shocking considering that they've been separated for a considerable amount of time.
>> A warrant for McKe's arrest was issued on January 10th. He was booked into that
Wnebago County jail shortly before noon that very same day. And the way that I understand this was he was he works at a
hospital there. This is the the greater Chicago area. Works in a hospital there and he was on his lunch break and he's
arrested at a Chick-fil-A restaurant near the hospital. >> And I believe they were able to do a
search of his rep of his property and they retrieved a gun that they believe has matched ballistically to the crimes
as well. >> Exactly. So what we have here is he had to appear in an Illinois courtroom on January 12th where he waved
extradition. So he extradition is he he's going to be charged. It's a state crime. Okay. Homicide is so the state of
Ohio is going to be the one the the charging entity. And so he needs to be here for us to charge him and hopefully
convict him in these cases. So they have to extradite him. But there can be a hearing, an extradition hearing. Usually
they're fairly short. Rarely does the defendant win. Most every time the person is extradited and then has to
fight their battle in the charging state. He however waves extradition. As I understand it, he had a impromptu
public defender. They gave some statement which was weird saying you know he so he denies the murders being
committing the murders. >> Yeah. He basically says take me back to Columbus and cuz it doesn't matter. I'm
not guilty of these crimes. >> Right. He's saying get get me to Columbus as soon as you can because he's
ready to get on with the trial to prove his innocence. He faces multiple serious
charges and these could can morph uh into different charges depending on what they have as far as evidence goes and
and hardcore timeline and what they find going forward as they prepare for the trial. But but most recently what I was
seeing is that he's charged with four counts of aggravated murder, one count of aggravated burglary.
Uh, these charges include firearm specifications, including allegations that McKe used an
automatic firearm or a firearm equipped with a silencer during the killings. And
he faces a minimum of life in prison with parole eligibility after 32 years and a maximum of life without parole.
Going back to circling back to some of the evidence linking McKe that you were talking about here, Captain
investigators recovered multiple weapons from his property. One of those firearms
is prelim is later stated by Columbus Police Department to be linked to the homicides
through the National Integrated Ballistic Information Network. And that is from a statement from WKYC.
Police records also show that three spent 9mm shell casings were recovered from the crime scene. However, we can
speculate and others have as well. And I think giving the given the relationship
from one of the victims, well, both of the victims to the person believed to be responsible for their murders.
While motive is still unknown, you can you can circle around that idea with the ties to the victims. And
>> well, yeah, a lot of his co-workers come out and say, "Hey, I never would have
suspected of this guy. He was very quiet. He was very respectful. I mean, he's a surgeon." So sometimes these
surgeons go in and they treat their other co-workers as peeons, and he didn't do that. But he had a lot going
on with his life, I think, financially. And I think there was some malpractice um lawsuits and stuff. And I I believe
his one of his license, medical practicing license was revoked in a certain state.
So, you have this guy's world crumbling down and multiple people in his life, I believe it's some of his family members
and then obviously some of her family members believe that he was basically obsessed and just kind of stalked this
family online and just kept these mental notes of like how, you know, after this
marriage ended, look how great her life became and my life isn't that, you know,
it's not he he didn't become this like ultimate loser. I mean he was still working and had some success there but
he I guess that's what his family is saying is that he kind of viewed himself a as a failure and I think he was
putting the blame on her. >> Yeah, I could absolutely see that. And there this is not unlike personalities
that we've discussed on this show before. It's an individual that has jealousy, a a lot of it, and holds a
grudge. And that those seeds grow into deep deep hatred for an individual and a they
feel that because this person left them, turned on them, what have you, and everything good has gone their way since
and everything bad has gone my way since then, they're to blame. I'm writing a wrong. They wronged me. I'm going to
correct this or I'm going to seek my revenge. Now, a couple of other things I want to make sure that we hit here,
Captain, because I found this to be interesting. We did talk about the gun. You know, they found a gun that they're
saying is linked. >> Yeah. And I'm sure at some point we're going to circle back to this case when
the trial happens. And maybe that will be on the main feed or maybe that'll be on off the record, but there'll be more
that comes out with this. >> Yes. And and I think we might have to wait till just before the trial or
during the trial to get more to come out because the reason why I want wanted to
touch on some of these things is because in the in her relatively short time here,
my observation has been that Columbus Police Chief Elaine Bryant has been rather quiet on a lot of different cases
and evidence and aspects and details of particular cases. So, she gave a press conference
during which it looked like reporters kind of had to pull it out of her, but then she seemed happy to deliver the
information of, "Yeah, we think the gun we found is we scientifically it's telling us it's it's the murder weapon,
>> right?" and [snorts] she described the killings as a targeted domestic violence
related attack and also stating that that McKe is the individual or that she and Columbus PD believe 100%
that McKe is the individual seen in the what was released in January 5th, the surveillance video, the person of
interest walking through an alley near the victim's home during during the estimated time of the murders,
>> right? And like you said, so you link him cuz of the video, then you link the
car, then you link this gun. And like you said, it wasn't just linking this car to this crime scene. They they link
that car to the >> pathway of murder. Yeah. The pathway of murder. >> And I think what we're also
>> and the retreat back home, >> right? And I think what we're also going to see in this is a lot of digital
forensics, whether that's >> uh his Google searches or what he was looking at online. What if there was any
contact between these individuals? Was there any harassing statements? I think that's going to eventually come out.
>> I think something you said is incredibly intriguing. something you said earlier
here, Captain, with the uh going beyond just the your recent statement, digital forensics,
getting a hold of his phone, his computer, his devices. I think you're right. I think there's had to have been
some stalking online going on. >> Yeah. And again, he might not have had contact with her, but what I've heard is
from his family when this happened, it wasn't like his family was like, "Well, it definitely wasn't
wasn't our son. You know, I think his family had some awareness of some obsession. In a public statement
following Michael David McKe's arrest, the Teepe family expressed gratitude to law enforcement for their tireless
efforts and emphasized their commitment to seeking justice for Spencer and Mo'Nique. They also highlighted their
focus on protecting and supporting the couple's two young children. They have successfully
moved McKe from Illinois to Ohio. He is sitting in a Franklin County jail awaiting arraignment.
Now, there will be a couple days between the time we hit stop and when this hits
your ears. So, he has not yet been arraigned. And typically here in Franklin County, we see arraignments
take place on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. I put the emphasis on Monday. There typically I see a lot of these
arraignments taking place on a Monday. So, that might be when we get some more information.
and anticipation expectation would be he's going to plead not guilty based off of the statements
released through his public defender in the state of Illinois. >> Right. So, charges are filed. We do know that a uh
grand jury here in Franklin County did formally indict McKe on January 16th. what remains the date yet to be known
for us but scheduled for this arraignment hearing in Franklin County common police court.
>> But this is a case that we had to jump on because it was getting some national
attention and people knowing that we're from Columbus, Ohio. People were reaching out. So, we wanted to give you
as much information on this as we could. And this is definitely a case that we will revisit as we know more
information. And it's I mean all of the cases that we cover are very sad, tragic
stories. Some of them to different degrees. Seeing all their photos for the past
several weeks, I mean, and hearing about their personalities and not just their personalities, their actions.
Columbus, Ohio lost two very, very good people. And it looks like the state institute, the state penitentiary
here is going to gain one [music] very, very bad one. [music] [music] Want to thank everybody for joining us
here in the garage each and every week. Thanks for telling your mother. Thanks for telling [music] your brother. Make
sure you share these cases on social media. It really helps out the show. Colonel, do we have any recommended
reading for the beautiful listeners? >> Why, of course, here, Captain, we will be recommending recommended listening.
We are recommending the incredibly great True Crime Garage podcast. We're recommending their podcast, our podcast,
and our socials for a very good reason. February is approaching and as it sits right now, we have two very big
announcements coming in February. We are working on putting together some events.
So, tune back in throughout the month of February. Be in the know for some big announcements. Also, it is fast
approaching Crime Con 2026, the biggest event of the year, and we have been at all of them. That's right.
It would not be a true Crime Con without True Crime Garage. Crime Con is an immersive weekendl long event dedicated
to all things true crime and mystery. This year's Crime Con is at Caesar's Palace in Sin City, Las Vegas, the last
weekend of May, and tickets are going fast. You will want to use our promo code TCG
at checkout to save some cash. For tickets, go to crimecon.com and use our code TCG.
That's your notso secret garage code TCG. And until next week, be good, be kind, and don't litter. [music]
[music] >> [music] [music] [music]

The Tepe Murders ////// 900

Part 1 of 1

www.TrueCrimeGarage.com

On December 30th, 2025, Dr. Spencer Tepe and his wife Monique Tepe were found dead in their Weinland Park home in Columbus, Ohio. The couple’s two young children and the family dog were found safe inside the house at the time of discovery. This is a recent case that stirred up a lot of opinions, questions, and fears. If you have any information about this case, please contact the Columbus Division of Police at 614-645-2228.

Beer of the Week - Hermano wheat beer by Arts District Brewing Garage Grade - 3 and 3 quarter bottle caps of 5

More True Crime Garage can be found on Patreon and Apple subscriptions with our show - Off The Record. Catch dozens of episodes of Off The Record plus a couple of Bonus episodes and our first 50 when you sign up today.

True Crime Garage merchandise is available on our website’s store page.

Follow the show on X and Insta @TrueCrimeGarage / Follow Nic on X @TCGNIC / Follow The Captain on X @TCGCaptain

Thanks for listening and thanks for telling a friend. Be good, be kind, and don’t litter!

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com (https://pcm.adswizz.com) for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Brief Summary

The episode discusses the Teepe double homicide and the arrest of Monnique's ex-husband, Michael David McKe, as the prime suspect.

Key points

Wellness Check Turns Grim. A wellness check leads to the discovery of a body inside the home.
The Unthinkable Crime. Two well-liked individuals were killed in their home, shocking the community.
The Teepe Family's Background. Spencer and Monnique Teepe were a loving couple with deep community ties.
The Tragic Deaths of Spencer and Monique Teepe. Spencer and Monique Teepe were well-liked members of their community, leaving behind two young children after their tragic deaths.
The Mystery Deepens. The investigation into the Teepe murders raises urgent questions about safety and motive, with no clear suspect in sight.
A Shocking Arrest. Authorities arrest Michael David McKe, Monique's ex-husband, in connection with the double homicide.

Episode highlights

Episode quotes

There's a body inside.

Caller reporting a body during a wellness check

5:11WatchJan 28, 2026

Tension

75/ 100High tension

More from True Crime Garage TV

Solve the Crime

Read a real case one clue at a time, then see how your call held up against the investigators.