Monique Tepe and Spencer Tepe Murders – Defense Attorney Josh Kolsrud Breaks Down the Evidence Trail

A Columbus community is reeling after a prominent dentist and his wife were fatally shot inside their upscale Ohio home while their two young children were present. The victims, Spencer Tepe, 37, and Monique Tepe, 39, were discovered Tuesday when police conducted a welfare check at their residence on the 1400 block of North 4th Street.

In his recent appearance on Court TV Defense Attorney Josh Kolrud breaks down the evidence trail and investigation with host Vinnie Politan.

Defense attorney Josh Kolsrud says this case immediately stands out because of what wasn’t found at the scene. He notes the lack of forced entry strongly suggests investigators will rely heavily on advanced forensic techniques rather than eyewitness accounts or obvious physical clues. Drawing a comparison to the Idaho Kohberger case, Kolsrud explains that crimes like this often hinge on digital evidence and subtle forensic trails rather than traditional break-in scenarios.

Likely Not Professional

Kolsrud emphasizes that while the murders were violent, they do not appear “professional.” In his view, the presence of empty shell casings indicates clear mistakes by the killer, mistakes that could ultimately help investigators reconstruct what happened. He points to the autopsy as a critical next step, explaining that blood coagulation and other post-mortem indicators will help narrow the time of death and establish a more precise timeline for the crime.

The Timeline Is Critical

According to Kolsrud, that timeline will be central to geofencing and cellphone data analysis. He explains that once investigators determine the likely window of the murders, they can identify which phones were in the area during that time. Kolsrud warns that phones being turned off during the relevant window—especially by someone connected to the victims—can raise just as many red flags as a phone pinging at the scene itself. In his assessment, the digital footprint left behind may ultimately be the strongest lead in the case.

Key Takeaways:

• No forced entry suggests the case will rely heavily on forensics and digital evidence
• Empty shell casings point to mistakes that could help investigators
• Autopsy results will help establish a critical timeline
• Geofencing and cellphone data may become the most important evidence
• Phones turned off during the time of the murders could signal suspicious behavior