Dateline NBC
An urgent manhunt in Ohio. A widow stands trial a third time. Plus, a deep dive on arson investigations.
08 Jan 2026
Chapter 1: What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
Hey, good morning. You're listening in to the Dateline Story Meeting, the first one of 2026. It's been a crazy week for everybody. Our producers have lots of crime news to catch up on. What's the motive? The sister was saying it was like a crime of passion. Welcome to Dateline True Crime Weekly. I'm Lester Holt. It's January 8th, and here's what's on our docket.
In Georgia, a woman is on trial for her husband's murder for the third time. The prosecution plans to call a new witness who is an expert in shooting reconstruction. In Dateline Roundup, news from California in the case of murdered Hollywood couple Rob and Michelle Reiner. And Michelle Traconis, the woman convicted of conspiring to murder Connecticut mom of five Jennifer Dulos, is back in court.
The judge is going to hear testimony about the habeas petition. Plus, it's considered one of the most challenging crimes to investigate, arson. An arson investigator gives us the lowdown. What did the smoke look like? Where was it? What were the flames doing?
But before all that, we're off to Columbus, Ohio, where police are on the hunt for a killer in the mysterious shooting deaths of a dentist and his wife. It's a case that has captured national attention in these early days of the new year. Turning now to a shocking double homicide in Ohio. Police asking for the public's help to find a killer.
The double murder of Dr. Spencer Tepe and his wife Monique shot to death in their Wineland Park row house in the early hours of December 30th. Their children left alive in another room.
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Chapter 2: What recent crime news is highlighted in Ohio?
Their cries heard hours later by someone who called 911.
I can hear kids inside, and I swear I think I heard one yell, but we can't get in.
It's been more than a week since Atepe's bodies were discovered, and the Columbus Police Department has remained tight-lipped about the status of the investigation, until now. On Monday, they released security video that could hold the key to the killer's identity and why this young couple was gunned down in their own home.
Joining me now with the latest details is NBC News correspondent Ryan Chandler, who has been covering the case since the beginning. Thanks for joining me, Ryan. Lester, pleasure to be here. To start, tell us about Spencer and Monique Tepe.
You know, it's been heartbreaking, Lester, but also heartwarming to hear how their family has remembered them this week. They remember them so lovingly and glowingly. They were a married couple in their late 30s, and they had two young children, a one-year-old and a four-year-old, Spencer was an accomplished dentist at Athens Dental Depot.
Monique had a background in childhood education, and their family said that they had a deeply happy relationship, writing in a statement after their tragic deaths that they were extraordinary people whose lives were filled with love, joy, and deep connection to others.
So, Ryan, can you lay out what happened on December 30th? How did police find out that something was wrong?
Well, we first got signs of trouble around 9 a.m. It actually came from a call to 911 from Dr. Mark Valros. He's the owner of the Athens Dental Depot in southeast Ohio. He's Spencer's boss, and he told police that Spencer hadn't shown up for work.
He is always on time, and he would contact us if there was any issues whatsoever. We're very, very concerned because this is very out of character.
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Chapter 3: How did police respond to the double homicide in Ohio?
Sure. So this seems like it comes from a Nest security camera. It's a very brief video, about 20 seconds. Not great in quality, but it shows what appears to be a person wearing a black or a dark-colored hoodie and gray or blue jeans. That in itself is not suspicious. It's cold. It looks like there's snow on the ground. But their demeanor, their face is covered. The hoodie is up.
Hands are in their pockets. And their head is down as they're walking along this snowy alley near the Tepe residence, according to police. Now, they're asking the public once again for any tips on who this individual might be, anybody who might recognize them. They have not yet named a suspect or given any further details about who that might be, though.
There was also news of a 911 call placed from the couple's home back in April of 2025. What do we know about that?
That's right, Lester. I'll preface. This comes from Fox News. They say they've obtained a recording of a 911 call from the same address as the Teppys. Around 3 a.m. the morning of April 15th, 2025, a caller from that home dialed 911, initially hung up, and then the 911 dispatcher called back.
And on that call, you hear a woman in tears who tells the 911 dispatcher that, quote, me and my man got into it. She tells the officers that she no longer needs them to come to the home. The dispatcher goes back and forth, seemingly saying, are you sure? Do you need help? Trying to make sure that this woman who we don't know the identity of yet is okay.
The dispatcher at the time logged this as a domestic dispute, and Columbus officials didn't include a name for the caller in their dispatch logs. The Tepe family, though, has said that the voice on the call does not match Monique's.
Ryan, before we go, I want to ask about the couple's children. What do we know about how they're doing so far?
Well, they're safe with family members. They've been in their custody. Family members say that they're in very good hands, as is the family dog.
Ryan, it's a tough story. One we'll be, of course, following as more details come in. Thanks very much for joining me.
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Chapter 4: What evidence was found in the investigation of Spencer and Monique Tepe's murder?
So the appeal that brought her to court this week was something called a habeas petition. which argues that Traconis received ineffective counsel in 2019 when her then-attorney, Andrew Bowman, let her speak to police both before and after her arrest.
Traconis' team says Bowman didn't properly prepare her to speak to police, and therefore Traconis deserves to be released from prison and granted a new trial. Monday was the first of three days when a judge is going to hear testimony about the habeas petition.
I've covered a number of these, and it can be a very big deal to get that day in court. How significant in this case is it that the judge is allowing this evidentiary hearing to happen?
You're right, Lester. This is unusual. These types of hearings aren't guaranteed with every habeas petition. It's significant in that it means the judge believed there was enough evidence in the petition to warrant exploring it further in hearings, and that does not always happen.
Andrew Bowman himself testified on Monday.
What did he have to say? He defended himself and said he actually advised her not to talk to police.
She wanted to talk to them. She could talk to them, but... There are big risks in talking to them, and she could stop talking at any time. But my advice at that time was, don't talk to her. So what's next in all this?
Draconis and her team will be back in court on January 9th and the 16th to continue the hearing. And after that, the judge will have 120 days to issue a ruling on the petition.
Okay, now for our next story, we head to Corpus Christi, Texas, where a former school police officer is on trial charged with 29 counts of abandoning and endangering a child. In 2022, Adrian Gonzalez was one of the first officers to respond to the mass shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde. that left 19 students and two teachers dead. Mike, tell us more about this.
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