Columbus Police Chief Elaine Bryant has expressed her concern over the tragic murder of an Ohio dentist and his wife, describing the incident as “disturbing.”

Spencer Tepe, aged 37, along with his 39-year-old wife, Monique, were discovered shot to death in their Weinland Park residence in Columbus on December 30. Authorities have dismissed the possibility of a murder-suicide and have released surveillance footage featuring a person of interest walking through an alley near the couple’s home shortly before the murders occurred.

“This case is deeply unsettling. We are committed to dedicating significant resources and effort to solving it. Our goal is to ensure justice for the family,” Chief Bryant stated in an interview with WSYX.

She added, “We understand there are numerous concerns and questions surrounding this case. We aim to be as transparent as possible and address as many of these questions as we can. However, there are certain details we must withhold to preserve the integrity of the investigation.”

Spencer and Monique Tepe were looking forward to celebrating their fifth wedding anniversary.

“It puts a lot of stress on us, but I just want to reiterate, while this case is getting a lot of national attention, we look at all of our homicides in that manner,” she also told the station. “They all bring us stress because someone lost their lives.” 

Investigators believe the killings occurred between 2 a.m. and 5 a.m. on Dec. 30, and authorities are urging anyone with video, photos or other digital evidence from that timeframe to contact police. 

Spencer and Monique Tepe are pictured on their wedding day. (Rob Misleh)

Newly released body camera video this week also showed a Columbus police officer going to the wrong address during an initial welfare check. 

Bryant said the officer believed he was at the correct location and followed protocol, but the couple was not discovered until co-workers went to the couple’s home about 40 minutes later, according to WBNS-10TV.

Ohio dentist Dr. Spencer Tepe and his wife, Monique Tepe, were found shot to death inside their home in Columbus, Ohio. While their two children were discovered unharmed, authorities reportedly believe their deaths were not the result of a murder-suicide. (Athens Dental Depot)

“The officer did everything that he was supposed to do,” Bryant said, adding the response was later determined to be at the wrong address.