A newly released body camera video reveals a critical misstep in the initial police response to the Ohio home of a dentist and his wife, who were later found murdered in a case that continues to baffle investigators. The footage, obtained by Law & Crime, shows an officer conducting a welfare check at the wrong address on the morning of December 30th, approximately 30 minutes before friends discovered the body of Dr. Spencer Teply.
Columbus Police Chief Elaine Bryant confirmed the error in interviews with local media, stating the responding officer went to a home on Summit Street, which runs parallel to the Teplys’ street. This occurred after the first of multiple frantic 911 calls from Spencer Teply’s boss and co-workers, who grew concerned when the reliable dentist failed to appear at his Athens office.
The officer in the video is seen and heard whistling as he approaches a home, knocks on the door, checks the property, and leaves after receiving no answer. Roughly half an hour later, a 911 caller would report finding Spencer Teply’s body inside the correct residence. The couple’s two young children, ages four and one, were unharmed inside the home during this interval.
Chief Bryant provided several key updates while urging public patience, emphasizing the department’s focus on maintaining investigative integrity. She confirmed the murders of Spencer and Monique Teply are not being investigated as a murder-suicide, and while no suspect has been identified, police are pursuing strong leads.
A person of interest, captured on a neighbor’s Nest camera walking down an alley behind the Teply home between 2:00 and 5:00 a.m. on December 30th, remains a focal point. The grainy video shows an individual, believed to be a male wearing gray pants, black shoes, and a black coat, keeping his head down as he walks. Police continue to plead for anyone with information or additional video from that timeframe to come forward.
In a significant clarification, Chief Bryant stated the female voice heard on a separate, widely circulated 911 call from April is not that of Monique Teply. That call, placed at 2:45 a.m. on a Tuesday from a cell phone, featured a crying woman who reported a disagreement with “her man” but declined assistance. The chief explained that in dense urban areas, cell tower pings can have a radius of up to 30 meters, meaning the call may not have originated from inside the Teply home.
The chief also revealed that the 911 caller who reported finding a body had actually entered the Teply home. This suggests the individual was known to the family, possessing either a key or the access code. Both victims were found in a second-floor bedroom. Spencer Teply was shot multiple times, and Monique Teply suffered at least one gunshot wound to the chest.
Investigators recovered 9mm shell casings at the scene, a crucial piece of evidence. There was no sign of forced entry, leading to speculation the killer was known to the couple or familiar with the home’s layout. The Teplys’ dog was also found unharmed.
The series of 911 calls began around 9:00 a.m. when Spencer Teply’s boss, calling from Florida, expressed deep concern over the dentist’s uncharacteristic absence. An officer was dispatched but went to the incorrect address. Friends then arrived at the home, hearing the children inside but unable to gain entry.
A subsequent call, made just after 10:00 a.m., contains the harrowing discovery. “Uh, there’s a body. There’s a body,” the caller tells a dispatcher, with the sound of small children audible in the background. The caller confirms seeing Spencer Teply lying next to a bed with visible blood.
The tragedy has stunned the community, painting a picture of a vibrant young family abruptly destroyed. Spencer Teply, 37, was a dedicated dentist and Ohio State graduate. Monique Teply, also an Ohio State alum, was a stay-at-home mom remembered for her bright smile and caring heart. A joint obituary describes the couple, who met online and married in December 2020, as “the life of the party.”
Chief Bryant acknowledged the immense public interest but defended the pace of the investigation, stating detectives are meticulously reviewing a flood of tips and surveillance video. She would not confirm whether a city-operated police camera near the home captured any relevant footage.
Retired Chicago Police Detective Commander Will Var, analyzing the case, noted the no-forced-entry aspect and the location of the bodies strongly suggest the killer had knowledge of the home and its occupants. He also explained that while the officer’s error in address likely did not affect the victims’ fate, it prolonged the time the children remained at the gruesome scene.
Regarding the unclaimed person of interest video, Var suggested possible reasons an innocent person might not come forward, including a desire to avoid the intense scrutiny of a major investigation. He concurred with the chief’s approach, inferring that if police believed a random killer was at large, they would have issued a stronger public safety warning.
The Columbus Police Department continues to process evidence and follow leads, with the chief vowing transparency where possible without compromising the case. The community and a national audience await a breakthrough in the hunt for whoever ended the lives of Spencer and Monique Teply in their own home.