Palm Bay man, 84, faces attempted murder charge after shooting son
J.D. Gallop, Florida Today
An 84-year-old Palm Bay man was charged with attempted murder after police said he shot his adult son in the face following a domestic dispute on Tuesday, Dec. 9.
William Nowak is being held without bond at the Brevard County Jail Complex. The condition of the son was not immediately known.
The shooting took place about 7:30 p.m. at a residence in the 1600 block of Hawksbill Street in the northwest section of the city, police reported. Officers were dispatched to the home following a 9-1-1 call.
Detective Nicole Brown reported that Nowak was the caregiver for his wife and adult daughter at the home and that his son and daughter-in-law had come for their weekly visit at the home.
An argument ensued and Nowak retrieved a handgun, Brown wrote.
Police said Nowak could be heard crying and screaming after the shot was fired. The son was transported to Holmes Regional Medical Center for further treatment, police reported.
Nowak was taken to Palm Bay Hospital for an evaluation and later booked into the Brevard County Jail Complex in Sharpes.
J.D. Gallop is a criminal justice/breaking news reporter at FLORIDA TODAY. Contact Gallop at 321-917-4641 or jgallop@floridatoday.com. X: @JDGallop.
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A month before their 5-year anniversary, an Ohio couple was killed in the home where they exchanged vows. Here’s what we know
Emma Tucker, CNN
Sat, January 3, 2026 at 7:00 PM GMT+7
7 min read
The immense joy of Spencer and Monique Tepe was unmistakable on their wedding day in a 2021 video shared by the family, which captured them exchanging vows. The then newlyweds embraced and laughed in their Columbus, Ohio, home as friends and loved ones cheered them.
But just one month before their fifth anniversary, the same setting where the couple began their life together became the site of unspeakable tragedy. The respected dentist, 37, and his 39-year-old wife, a stay-at-home mother, were found dead on Tuesday after being gunned down in their upscale home while their two young children were inside.
A memorial of roses and sunflowers now grows outside the home as news of the shocking killings spread nationwide just days after Christmas, generating more questions than answers.
Law enforcement has been reluctant to disclose any details about a possible suspect or motive but said the killer or killers of the young couple remain on the loose. Even more mysterious, police revealed there were no obvious signs of forced entry, and no firearm was found at the scene, CNN affiliate WSYX reported.
Police are asking the public for any information on a case they say is being investigated as a double homicide, not a murder-suicide.
Here’s what we know and don’t know about the tragedy:
How concerned friends and colleagues led police to home
Spencer Tepe had rarely missed work at Athens Dental Depot, located about 75 miles southeast of the family’s Columbus home, and he and his wife were always responsive, according to the owner of his practice, Dr. Mark Valrose, CNN affiliate WSYX reported.
But on Tuesday morning, he didn’t show up for work, spurring concern from his colleagues that continued to grow when they could not get in touch with him or his wife, according to 911 calls reported by WSYX.
Valrose made the first 911 call at around 8:58 a.m. and asked police to conduct a wellness check, telling the dispatcher: “He is always on time, and he would contact us if there were any issues,” according to the recording.
“I don’t know how else to say this, but we are very, very concerned. This is very out of character for him,” he continued. “We can’t get in touch with his wife, which is probably the more concerning thing.”
At 9:22 a.m., an officer arrived at the home to perform the welfare check, but no one answered the door, WSYX reported, citing police records.
Around 30 minutes later, Tepe’s colleagues and a friend arrived at the home, but also did not get a response, the dispatch records showed. A man at the scene also called 911 at 9:56 a.m., saying he heard children crying inside.
“I can hear kids inside, and I swear I think I heard one yell,” the caller said, according to dispatch audio. “But we can’t get in. At this point, I don’t know if I need to break the door in to get in the house or what.”
Two minutes later, another colleague of Tepe called 911 to say they had been unable to reach him for about three hours, according to the recordings obtained by WSYX.
Around 10:03 a.m., a friend of Tepe, who said the two last spoke the day before, was audibly distressed as he called 911: “There’s a body,” he reported.
“Our friend wasn’t answering his phone … we just came here and he appears dead,” the friend said.
Officers found the bodies of Spencer Tepe and Monique Tepe in their home in the Weinland Park neighborhood, Columbus police said.
Their two children, ages 1 and 4, were also found unharmed in the residence, police said.
How police will investigate the case
Columbus police have not issued any warnings to the community about an ongoing threat, and the agency did not respond to CNN’s questions about the timing of the killings, whether the Tepes were specifically targeted or any information about a suspect or motive.
The Franklin County Coroner’s Office told CNN autopsy reports can take between eight and 10 weeks to complete. A police incident report from Tuesday said Spencer and Monique Tepe were victims of homicide.
There is a police crime camera situated on a utility pole at an intersection located a few hundred feet from the Tepes’ home, according to The Columbus Dispatch. CNN has asked police whether any neighborhood cameras captured any relevant clues about what took place.
To help zero in on a motive and possible suspects, investigators will examine forensics, the possible entry of the killer, whether anything was stolen from the home and the Tepe family’s background to determine any further threat to the rest of the community, according to CNN Senior National Security Analyst Juliette Kayyem.
Without any recovered firearm, it’s not surprising detectives would investigate the deaths as a double homicide and not a murder-suicide, Kayyem said. “The other clue is, of course, the children are left safe.”
Either of two scenarios for how the crime unfolded seems to be most likely, Kayyem said: A “stranger at the door who just happens to kill this couple, or some narrative that might explain why they were targeted.”
This type of crime is “exceptionally rare” given there were no signs of forced entry, she continued. “… You’re going to look at people who they may have known or people who knew where they lived, unfortunately, and begin there.”
“Maybe this was random. But the … national data suggests both how uncommon this is as well as the likelihood that there may be someone who knew them who was involved with this,” Kayyem said.
What we know about the ‘deeply happy’ couple
Spencer and Monique Tepe “shared a beautiful, strong and deeply happy relationship,” bonded by a love of travel, laughter and a mission to “build a life rooted in love,” said their family.
“We are heartbroken beyond words,” reads the statement on behalf of the Tepe family.
As the devastating loss of the couple permeates their community, the family said they are “committed to seeing this tragedy fully and fairly brought to justice” and to honoring them by protecting the future of their beloved children, who are now in the care of relatives.
Meanwhile, Spencer Tepe’s employer, Athens Dental Depot, announced its closure for the rest of the week as they shared news of the “sudden passing” of the couple on Facebook.
“He will be deeply missed by our team and the many patients he cared for over the years. Our thoughts and sincerest condolences are with their families and loved ones during this very difficult time.”
Spencer Tepe, a graduate of Ohio State University and a member of the American Dental Association, was a “devoted and proud father, a loving partner, and a friend to everyone he met,” his family said.
He was fluent in Spanish, a major fan of the Bengals and Buckeyes football teams and had a generous and energetic spirit, they said.
His wife Monique Tepe had a background in childhood education and “brought care and intention into everything she did,” their family said. She was described as a loving, patient and joyful mother “whose warmth defined her.”
The couple, their family said, were “extraordinary people whose lives were filled with love, joy, and a deep connection to others.”
CNN’s Holly Yan, Caroll Alvarado and Yan Kaner contributed to this report.
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Raleigh teacher killed by intruder while on phone with 911; suspect charged
WTVD
Sun, January 4, 2026 at 11:00 AM GMT+7
2 min read
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A Raleigh schoolteacher was killed Saturday morning during a home break-in, police said.
Officers arrived at the 800 block of Clay Street just after 6:30 a.m. and found the victim, identified as Zoe Welsh, critically injured. She was given medical aid and taken to a hospital but died from her injuries.
Authorities confirmed Welsh was a teacher at Ravenscroft School in Raleigh.
Police reported that Welsh had called 911 to report an intruder in her home. While still on the phone with dispatch, the man attacked and beat her.
“The Ravenscroft community is devastated by the loss of our beloved colleague and friend Zoe Welsh,” a spokesperson for the school told ABC11. “Zoe has been a cornerstone of our Upper School Science Department and the Ravenscroft community for years. Her loss is deeply felt by all of us who had the privilege of working with her and learning in her classroom.”
Additional officers who responded to the surrounding area found the suspect, identified as Ryan Camacho, 36. He was taken into custody and questioned.
Later, Camacho was charged with murder and felony burglary.
Neighbors in the area said they don’t recognize Camacho and can’t believe this type of crime happened in their neighborhood.
“It’s devastating for people who live in this area, it’s crazy, kind of shocking. To hear about this stuff going on so close to me, I literally live right down the street here, I really don’t know what I can process what I can do, says Joshua Carpenter, a neighbor to Welsh.
Raleigh Police Chief Rico Boyce released a statement on the incident.
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“I am deeply heartbroken for this mother, friend, and mentor to many in our community, and for the unimaginable trauma her family must endure. We extend our deepest sympathy to Ms. Welsh’s family during this incredibly difficult time.
Stay on top of breaking news stories with the ABC11 News App
“Whenever there is a loss of life in our community, it affects us all. As a department, we share in the sadness of this loss. The arrest of the suspect sends a strong message that criminal acts will not be tolerated in the City of Raleigh.
“I am profoundly grateful for the dedication and professionalism of the responding officers, whose swift and diligent actions led to the quick apprehension of the suspect in this case.”
The case remains under investigation.
“We are providing grief counseling and support resources for faculty, staff, and students as we all return to campus on Monday,” a Ravenscroft spokesperson said. “Our thoughts and prayers are with her family and friends.”
ABC11’s Diane Wilson contributed.
Court makes final preparations for Trump assassination attempt trial in Florida
Politics Sep 2, 2025 4:17 PM EST
FORT PIERCE, Fla. (AP) — A man charged with trying to assassinate President Donald Trump last year in South Florida was given clear instructions on Tuesday on how he should behave — including a warning against making sudden movements — in court while representing himself during a trial that begins next week.
Barring any delays, jury selection is scheduled to begin Monday in Fort Pierce federal court for the case against Ryan Routh. U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon signed off on Routh’s request to represent himself in July but said court-appointed attorneys need to remain as standby counsel.
READ MORE: Grand jury refuses to indict woman accused of threatening Trump, in rebuke to prosecutors
Cannon confirmed during a hearing Tuesday that Routh would be dressed in professional business attire for the trial. She also explained to Routh that he would be allowed to use a podium while speaking to the jury or questioning witnesses, but he would not have free reign of the court room.
“If you make any sudden movements, marshals will take decisive and quick action to respond,” Cannon said.
Jury selection is expected to take three days, with attorneys questioning three sets of 60 prospective jurors. They’re trying to find 12 jurors and four alternates. Opening statements are scheduled to begin Thursday, Sept. 11, and prosecutors will begin their case immediately after that. The court has blocked off four weeks for the trial, but attorneys are expecting they’ll need less time.
The trial will begin nearly a year after prosecutors say a U.S. Secret Service agent thwarted Routh’s attempt to shoot Trump as he played golf. Routh, 59, has pleaded not guilty to charges of attempting to assassinate a major presidential candidate, assaulting a federal officer and several firearm violations.
Prosecutors have said Routh methodically plotted to kill Trump for weeks before aiming a rifle through the shrubbery as Trump played golf on Sept. 15, 2024, at his West Palm Beach country club. A Secret Service agent spotted Routh before Trump came into view. Officials said Routh aimed his rifle at the agent, who opened fire, causing Routh to drop his weapon and flee without firing a shot.
Law enforcement obtained help from a witness who prosecutors said informed officers that he saw a person fleeing. The witness was then flown in a police helicopter to a nearby interstate where Routh was arrested, and the witnesses confirmed it was the person he had seen, prosecutors have said.
The judge on Tuesday unsealed prosecutor’s 33-page list of exhibits that could be introduced as evidence at the trial. It says prosecutors have photos of Routh holding the same model of semi-automatic rifle found at Trump’s club.
The document also lists numerous electronic messages sent from a cellphone investigators found in Routh’s car. One message dated about two months before his arrest is described as Routh requesting a “missile launcher.” It says that in August 2024, the month before his arrest, Routh sent messages seeking “help ensuring that (Trump) does not get elected” and offering to pay an unnamed person to use flight tracking apps to check the whereabouts of Trump’s airplane.
The exhibit list cites evidence from Routh’s phone of an electronic “chat about sniper concealment” during President John F. Kennedy’s assassination. And it lists internet searches for how long gunpower residue stays on clothing and articles on U.S. Secret Service responses to assassination plots.
READ MORE: Charges upgraded for suspect in apparent Trump assassination attempt in Florida
Routh was a North Carolina construction worker who in recent years had moved to Hawaii. A self-styled mercenary leader, Routh spoke out to anyone who would listen about his dangerous, sometimes violent plans to insert himself into conflicts around the world, witnesses have told The Associated Press.
In the early days of the war in Ukraine, Routh tried to recruit soldiers from Afghanistan, Moldova and Taiwan to fight the Russians. In his native Greensboro, North Carolina, he had a 2002 arrest for eluding a traffic stop and barricading himself from officers with a fully automatic machine gun and a “weapon of mass destruction,” which turned out to be an explosive with a 10-inch-long fuse.
In 2010, police searched a warehouse Routh owned and found more than 100 stolen items, from power tools and building supplies to kayaks and spa tubs. In both felony cases, judges gave Routh either probation or a suspended sentence.
In addition to the federal charges, Routh also has pleaded not guilty to state charges of terrorism and attempted murder.
AP journalist Russ Bynum in Savannah, Georgia, contributed.
