Drop Dead Serious With Ashleigh Banfield

Episode: Ohio Dentist & Wife Murdered: DISTURBING New Clues & Information
Date: January 7, 2026

Episode Overview

Ashleigh Banfield delves into the brutal double homicide of Spencer and Monique (Mo) Tepe, a well-known dentist and his wife in Columbus, Ohio, found shot to death in their home. With little public information from investigators and only sparse leads, Ashleigh brings her decades of true crime reporting to analyze the disturbing details, explore new evidence, and consult experts for fresh insights into the case.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Crime Scene's Puzzling Nature

• Timeline: Murders occurred Dec 30th; as of recording, police remain tight-lipped a week later ([01:35]-[02:15]).
• Discovery: Spencer Tepe’s failure to show up at work led concerned friends to the ghastly discovery.
• Scene Details:
  • Both victims found shot on an upper floor of their home.
  • No signs of forced entry; murder weapon not found—ruling out murder-suicide.
• Children’s Presence:
  • The Tepe’s two young children (ages 4 and 1) were home but unharmed; their well-being and what they may have witnessed are considered ([04:10]-[05:17]).
• Quote:

  "This one was, like, right out of an Agatha Christie novel."
  — Ashleigh Banfield ([01:58])

2. Police and Emergency Response: The Double 43

• Police Radio Chatter: Real-time confusion and assessment when officers arrived at the scene; term “double 43” used for double homicide ([02:55]-[04:08]).
• Quote:

  "Did you hear that? The code that they used on the 911 call—double 43? I don't think you have to be Einstein to know that that's likely the number code they use for homicide, right?"
  — Ashleigh Banfield ([04:08])

3. Sparse Clues and the Shadowy Video Lead

• Doorbell Camera Video: Only public lead is a grainy video of a supposed “person of interest” caught between 2am–5am in the alley behind the Tepes' home ([08:30]-[09:10]).
• The "Hulking Figure":
  • Description released by police is vague and “hulking,” but not confirmed as suspect.
  • Previous discussions with the children's uncle suggest skepticism about the figure’s relevance.

4. Prior Police Contact: The 911 "Domestic" Call

• New Information:
  • Fox News uncovered a 911 call from the Tepe home nine months earlier (April)—female caller, emotional, but described the issue as an argument with "my man", nothing physical ([05:40]-[07:50]).
• Transcripted Highlights:
  • 911 Operator: “It sounds like you’re crying. Do you need police, paramedics…?”
  • Caller: “Me and my man got into it. But I'm okay, I promise.”
• Significance:
  • Raises the question of domestic issues or possible previous volatility in the household.
• Expert Insight:
  • Bobby Chacon suggests police likely cross-referenced the voice and are analyzing the family’s internal dynamics carefully.

5. Expert Analysis – FBI's Bobby Chacon

• Domestic Call Implications:
  • Emotional 911 calls often signal genuine fear, even if caller later downplays the incident.
  • Police would be methodical about identifying the caller and reviewing family history.
  • Surface-level "perfect family" can mask deeper issues:

    "We've all… seen cases where… it looks like one thing, and below it's another." ([11:58], Chacon)

• Lack of Evidence in Urban Setting:
  • Despite downtown location, freezing temperatures (“low 20s”) meant streets were empty at 2am, so no additional bystanders or video likely.
  • Reference to cases like Jussie Smollett where cold weather reduced external evidence ([13:18]-[14:02]).

6. Forensics and the Children as Potential Witnesses

• Challenges:
  • Legal and ethical issues prevent most direct interviewing of very young children (guardians decide, Juvenile Justice Act).
  • Specialists in child interviewing must be brought in, especially for children under five.
• What Children Could Offer:
  • Potential information on sequence, timing, or even identity indications if the assailant was known ([14:43]-[15:58]).
  • Quote:

    "Four year olds… you could have somebody yell something as if they knew the person."
    — Bobby Chacon ([15:58])

7. Analysis of the Doorbell Cam Video - Scott Rouse

• Body Language Takeaways:
  • Person is “definitely a guy”—masculine gait and posture, even though bundled up due to extreme cold.
  • Observes head posture, stride, arm movement, and how weather can affect gait analysis ([16:37]-[19:06]).
• Behavioral Observations:
  • Movement doesn’t look “fleeing”—not a hurried escape associated with panic after a murder.
  • Quote:

    “This doesn't look like somebody who, in normal weather, would be in a hurry to get away. …If that is indeed the guy who did it, maybe thinking, what's happening? What did I do? I shouldn't have done that.”
    — Scott Rouse ([19:14])

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

| Timestamp | Quote | Speaker | |-----------|-------|---------| | 01:58 | "This one was, like, right out of an Agatha Christie novel." | Ashleigh Banfield | | 04:08 | "Did you hear that? The code that they used on the 911 call—double 43? I don't think you have to be Einstein to know that that's likely the number code they use for homicide, right?" | Ashleigh Banfield | | 11:58 | "We've all… seen cases where… it looks like one thing, and below it's another." | Bobby Chacon | | 15:58 | "Four year olds… you could have somebody yell something as if they knew the person." | Bobby Chacon | | 19:14 | “This doesn't look like somebody who, in normal weather, would be in a hurry to get away. …If that is indeed the guy who did it, maybe thinking, what's happening? What did I do? I shouldn't have done that.” | Scott Rouse |

Important Segments (Timestamps)

• [01:35] – Case introduction, crime scene circumstances
• [02:55] – Playback and analysis of police radio at the scene
• [04:10] – Discussion of the children's potential exposure to the event
• [05:40] – Breakdown of the prior 911 "domestic" call
• [10:51] – Introduction of expert interviews
• [11:28] – Bobby Chacon discusses implications of the 911 call and lack of public leads
• [14:43] – Chacon on child witness interviewing and its complexities
• [16:11] – Scott Rouse's expert reading of the doorbell cam video suspect
• [19:45] – Episode wrap-up and call to follow the case developments

Episode Takeaways

• Case remains shrouded in mystery, with police publicly sharing very little.
• A recently unearthed domestic 911 call may hint at undisclosed tension in the household.
• Expert analysis of the only video lead suggests the suspect’s gender, but little else, due to weather and video quality.
• Children's potential as witnesses is limited by age and legal protection, but remains a consideration.
• Despite the urban setting, freezing conditions likely reduced outside evidence and witness availability the night of the murders.
• Investigators (and Ashleigh Banfield) urge ongoing vigilance as new evidence emerges in this chilling case.

In Ashleigh's words:

"The truth isn't just serious, it's drop dead serious." ([19:45])