Ohio dentist murders: Alley video, no forced entry fuel insider fears, experts say
Surveillance video and details emerging from the crime scene where an Ohio dentist and his wife were killed are offering investigators and analysts clues about how the crime may have unfolded, even as police say they have not identified a suspect.
Columbus police recently released grainy surveillance video showing a person of interest walking through an alley near 37-year-old Spencer Tepe and 39-year-old Monique Tepe's Weinland Park home between 2 a.m. and 5 a.m. on Dec. 30.
Former Fort Worth Police Chief Jeffrey Halstead said the timing of the video stands out, particularly given the winter weather conditions.
"What would be the reason for going out when it’s that cold in that region with that kind of weather conditions?" Halstead told Fox News Digital. "It does look a little bit suspicious," he said, adding that officers would typically want to know why someone was out at that hour.
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Halstead cautioned, however, that investigators must determine how the video relates to the killings inside the home.
"The challenge is going to be how that is relative to the horrific crime that was committed at the home," he said.
Police have not named a suspect in the double-murder, and Halstead said releasing video early in an investigation often signals that authorities are seeking help from the public.
"If you look historically, the release of a video very quickly is usually due to the fact there is no identified suspect at that time," he said.
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Peter Valentin, an associate professor of forensic science at the University of New Haven in Connecticut, said the video may also be significant for what it reveals about the individual’s behavior.
"It seems fairly obvious that the person who’s walking in the alley either sees that actual camera or has some general awareness that a camera is in the alley," Valentin told Fox News Digital. "They seem to make a concerted effort to keep their head pointed down."
Valentin said the video provides investigators with a time stamp and a narrower geographic focus, allowing police to refine requests for additional video from nearby homes and businesses.
"It narrows down the time frame, at least for the egress," he said, referring to when the person was leaving the area. "What we don't know is how long they were in the area prior to this occurring? Were they there beforehand? Is this person known to the couple? Have they been there before?"
Police have said there were no signs of forced entry into the home. Halstead said that detail is "deeply concerning" in a case involving a violent crime.
"When it looks like access was either granted or the ease of access was accomplished, then somehow there’s a relationship or previous access that was made," he said, adding that it would be unlikely for a young professional couple to leave their home unsecured overnight.
"No signs of forced entry doesn’t mean there wasn’t forced entry," Valentin said. "It just means that no sign was observed."
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Detectives believe the murders took place between 2 a.m. and 5 a.m. on Dec. 30. Both of the couple's children were found safe inside the home.
Both experts said that the fact that the couple’s children were unharmed may eventually help investigators narrow their focus.
"Historically, it leans to the person not having an extreme mental illness," Halstead said, adding that it could suggest familiarity with the family or children, though he said that investigators would need to confirm that through evidence.
Halstead said the biggest challenge in cases like this is time.
"The longer this goes, the greater likelihood that the leads get weaker and weaker," he said, calling time "the enemy" in high-profile homicide investigations.
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Police have said the investigation remains ongoing and have asked anyone with information related to the surveillance video or the events surrounding the killings to contact authorities.
In a statement, the couple's family said they are "heartbroken beyond words," and called the deaths "tragic and senseless."
"They were extraordinary people whose lives were filled with love, joy, and deep connection to others," read the statement. "Spencer, a graduate of The Ohio State University, was known as a devoted and proud father, a loving partner, and a friend to everyone he met," the family statement said, adding that he was "intelligent, warm, and endlessly welcoming."
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Family members described Monique as a "loving, patient and joyful mother whose warmth defined her."
Rob Misleh, Spencer's brother-in-law, told WSYX that the couple was going to celebrate their five-year anniversary next month after getting married in 2021.