COLUMBUS, Ohio — Plans are developing to bring 39-year-old Michael McKee back to Columbus, where he faces aggravated murder charges in the deaths of his ex-wife and her husband.
McKee is accused of shooting and killing Monique Tepe and her husband, Dr. Spencer Tepe, inside their Weinland Park home on Dec. 30. The couple’s young children were inside the home at the time but were not harmed.
McKee appeared Monday in a Winnebago County, Illinois, courtroom, where he was shackled and appeared emotionless. He waived extradition, meaning he agreed to be returned to Franklin County to face charges.
“Mr. McKee believes the most expeditious manner in which he may defend himself against the charges pending in Ohio and to plead not guilty would be to waive his right to an extradition hearing and to have a government warrant,” said public defender Carie Poirier.
According to Columbus police, surveillance video shows McKee getting out of his car in the Tepe neighborhood shortly before the couple was killed inside their home and then getting back into the vehicle afterward. Police later tracked McKee’s car to Rockford, Illinois, where he works as a vascular surgeon for OSF HealthCare.
In a statement, OSF HealthCare said it is cooperating with authorities and directed all questions to law enforcement.
Authorities confirmed the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives took McKee into custody Saturday in Rockford. The agency said he was arrested without incident just after 9:30 a.m. at a Chick-fil-A.
With extradition waived, Columbus police must now decide how to transport McKee back to Franklin County. Brian Steel, president of the Fraternal Order of Police, said returning McKee quickly is a priority for investigators.
“We want to get that suspect back into the county as soon as we can so the detectives can continue their work. Some of the finest detectives in the land, I cannot say that enough,” Steel said.
Steel said police are weighing two options: sending Columbus police officers to take custody of McKee or contracting with a private prisoner transport service.
“Now it’s actually we have to get our hands on him and bring him here,” Steel said. “That’s going to happen one of two ways. CPD has a fugitive recovery unit. These men and women of the division of police, they will actually go out and they will take custody of the prisoner and bring him back.”
If police do not use that option, Steel said the department could contract with a private service to transport McKee.
“This is a private service that will pick up prisoners and bring them to whatever different jurisdictions they’re extradited to,” Steel said. “It’s my understanding that’s the chief of police’s decision, and she’ll make that decision today.”
Steel said the timeline for McKee’s return depends on which option is chosen, noting that coordination between agencies may affect how quickly he is transported.
A judge in Winnebago County set a hearing for Monday to ensure McKee has either already been transported to Ohio or that a plan is in place for his return.
