Podcast Summary:

Drop Dead Serious With Ashleigh Banfield
Episode: CHILLING NEW DETAILS: Ohio Double Murder Is More Disturbing Than It Looks | Dentist & Wife Killed
Date: January 9, 2026

Overview of the Episode

Ashleigh Banfield takes listeners deep into the chilling, confounding double murder of Spencer and Monique Tepe in Columbus, Ohio—a case where answers are scarce, the mystery is growing by the day, and the presence of two very young children left unharmed adds a harrowing emotional layer. Banfield weaves together emerging details, community speculation, a sequence of 911 calls, forensic quandaries around interviewing child witnesses, and a neighborhood tour to ask: What do we really know, and what could we soon discover?

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Opening and Case Background (02:00)

• Case Summary:
  Spencer and Monique Tepe, parents of two young children and beloved members of their block, were found shot to death early on December 30th, 2025. Their children, aged one and four, and the family dog were left physically unharmed in the house on North 4th Street, Columbus.
• The Main Questions:
  • "No signs of forced entry, but also no weapon to be found." (06:55)
  • Is this a classic whodunit or something stranger?

A Deep Dive Into the Crime Scene and Neighborhood (07:45)

• Neighborhood Context:
  Banfield sketches out the geography: 1411 N. 4th Street, just off 8th Avenue, with a back alley possibly relevant to the killer’s approach or escape.
• Camera Coverage:
  “There are freaking cameras everywhere. The neighbor has like the measles of cameras on their house. There's cameras everywhere, every single side of the house.” (07:20)
• Potential Entry Points:
  • No forced entry, access code used, or possibly an open window.
  • Detailed speculation on the plausibility of how a 911 caller could have seen Spencer’s body as reported—raising doubts about whether the bodies were on the second floor as police state, or if the caller entered the house or had another vantage point. (19:53, 43:06)

The Cascade of 911 Calls (10:18–19:53)

• April 911 Call (Pre-murders):
  • An unidentified, distressed, possibly intoxicated woman calls from the Tepe home, cries, hangs up, then answers when the dispatcher calls back: “Got into it. But I'm okay, I promise.” (10:48)
  • Later family statements say it wasn't Monique on the line, despite earlier assertions about a party that night. The party explanation is walked back.
• December 30, 2025 — The Day of the Murders:
  1. Boss in Florida: Notices Spencer’s absence from work, calls 911 for a welfare check. (13:01)
  2. Friend at the Scene: Arrives, hears children crying inside, worries about breaking in. (15:09)
     • “I can hear kids inside and I swear I think I heard one yell, but we can't get in at this point. I don't know if I need to break the door in…” (15:21)
  3. Distressed Friend/Neighbor: Reports seeing a body, unsure how to get help, kids are heard screaming in the background. (18:36)
     • “He's off of his bed and he's, you know, bloody and there's blood everywhere and he looks like he's, you know, lying in blood. I can't get closer to see more than that.” (19:03)

Unusual Precursor: The December 19th Door-Banging Incident (22:40)

• Eleven Days Before the Murders:
  A neighbor calls 911 at 2:31am, terrified as someone bangs violently on her door. The "problem" leaves after 13 minutes. The incident remains publicly unlinked to the murders but is considered a strange, possibly pertinent precursor.
• Timestamped Quote:
  “Have you told them? Have you asked them what they want or if they need?” (23:08)

Forensic & Investigative Analysis

Forensic Interviewing of Children (32:00–42:30)

• Importance of Specialized Skills:
  “Forensically interviewing little kids about what they've seen and what information they can provide and how reliable they are and do they know the truth from a lie and are they suggestible? All of those things are critical here.” (04:00)
• Expert Guest: Dr. Rebecca Bailey (J.C. Dugard’s Therapist):
  • Outlines careful protocols for interviewing children, emphasizing non-suggestibility, non-leading questions, and trauma minimization.
  • “You want to be very careful about not suggesting things, about not doing leading questions, taking a kid into repeated interviews, we're very careful about that... The environment where you do the interview is super, super important.” (38:29)
  • Warns about “loyalty binds” if the child knows the perpetrator.
• Memorable Past Case:
  • Banfield recounts the case of AJ Hutto, whose testimonies as a 6–7 year-old led to his mother’s conviction, illustrating the challenges and heartbreak in relying on child witnesses.
  • AJ: “No, sir. No, sir. I won't show you what it looked like when my mommy murdered my sister.” (33:33)

Shell Casings & Crime Scene Details (30:13)

• Insights from Retired FBI Agent Jennifer Coffendoffer:
  • Three 9mm casings found: “There were three found. So you know right away we know there were three bullets. We also know that there was one that was in Monique and two in Dr. Tepe.” (30:13)
  • Casings left behind are “interesting”—maybe the killer was skilled but not a 'professional.'
  • She and Banfield dismiss the idea of a gang hit based on method, noting the quiet, controlled nature and lack of chaos or barking from the family dog.

Online Behavior & Potential Stalking (25:58)

• Coffendoffer reveals high volumes of Google searches for the house’s address before the murders—higher even than after:
  • “Somebody was really looking at all the information related to that address… This is the highest percentage even after the murders.” (26:48)

The Familiar vs. Stranger Debate (30:26)

• Indicators Pointing to Familiarity:
  • No forced entry, possible code access, dog not barking, awareness of camera locations.
  • “All of that adds up to somebody familiar with them and the property.” (31:34)
• Banfield’s “Boogeyman” Possibility:
  Discusses parallel with infamous true crime cases—Idaho’s Bryan Kohberger (“a madman wandering among us for a month and a half” (23:08)), Amanda Knox, and Elizabeth Smart—reminding listeners that, while rare, stranger-perpetrated murders do happen.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• "There are freaking cameras everywhere. The neighbor has like the measles of cameras on their house."
  — Ashleigh Banfield (07:20)

• “No signs of forced entry, but also no weapon to be found. Right. Which of course rules out either parent killing the other… So if you watched or listened to the last episode that I did on this case, you heard about a disturbing call…”
  — Ashleigh Banfield (06:55)

• “Dogs don't bark necessarily at people who are familiar. And we don't have reports of neighbors saying the dog was barking.”
  — Ashleigh Banfield (29:50)

• “If they're sloppy, they're either idiots or they had to make a quick getaway. Does this scream stranger or someone they knew?”
  — Ashleigh Banfield (30:43)

• “It really screams at this point. Somebody known to them, somebody who particularly targeted them…”
  — Jennifer Coffendoffer (30:56)

• “You want to be very careful about not suggesting things, about not doing leading questions… The environment where you do the interview is super, super important.”
  — Dr. Rebecca Bailey (38:29)

• “No, sir. No, sir. I won't show you what it looked like when my mommy murdered my sister.”
  — Young witness AJ Hutto, as recounted by Banfield (33:33)

Important Segment Timestamps

• Case theme & emotional warning: 02:00–04:30
• Neighborhood & house layout: 07:00–09:00
• April 911 call (pre-murders): 10:18–11:19
• December 30 911 calls: 13:01–19:53
• Analysis of window views vs. 911 account: 19:53–22:20, 43:06
• Neighbor’s 911 call re: door incident, Dec 19: 22:40–23:08
• Discussion with Jennifer Coffendoffer (FBI): 25:58–31:48
• Forensic child witness interview (Dr. Bailey): 37:34–43:09
• Detailed walk-through of possible entry, cameras, and alley: 43:09–end

Closing Thoughts

Banfield synthesizes the episode by reflecting on the dual horror and fascination that such cases provoke—both the emotional devastation for the surviving children and families, and the forensic, procedural puzzles that captivate true crime audiences. With police remaining tight-lipped and community speculation rampant, she concludes that vigilance and careful listening to “the little voices”—both young and overlooked—may prove crucial in solving the crime.

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