NEED TO KNOW

• Columbus detectives revealed in court documents how they were able to identify and track down the suspect in connection with the Dec. 30 deaths of Ohio dentist Spencer Tepe and his wife, Monique Tepe

• Detectives tracked the suspect’s vehicle through neighborhood surveillance near the couple’s home in Columbus

• Michael David McKee, Monique’s ex-husband, has been arrested and charged with two counts of murder in connection with the couple’s deaths

The suspect in the deaths of Ohio couple Spencer and Monique Tepe, who were found slain in their home on Dec. 30, was identified by police due to a specific detail.

According to court documents obtained by PEOPLE, Columbus detectives identified Michael David McKee, the 39-year-old ex-husband of Monique, as a suspect after tracking his vehicle through neighborhood surveillance near the home, where Monique, 39, and Spencer, 37, were found dead.

Detectives noted in the court documents that McKee’s car “arrived just prior to the homicides and left shortly after,” and that they were able to identify the vehicle and link it to McKee. The car was later located in Rockford, Ill., and officers said they found evidence that McKee had been in ownership of the vehicle throughout the incident.

McKee was arrested on Saturday, Jan. 10, and charged with two counts of murder, according to Franklin County Municipal Court documents obtained by PEOPLE.

A warrant was initially issued earlier on Saturday for McKee’s arrest. Winnebago County Sheriff’s Office records show that McKee was booked shortly before 12 p.m. local time. He is set to be extradited to Franklin County, where he has a hearing scheduled for Jan. 12.

Monique and Spencer, a dentist, were found dead after a work colleague of the latter’s grew concerned when Spencer did not show up for work and after one co-worker had tried in vain to contact him for three hours, per 911 call recordings obtained by PEOPLE.

A friend of the couple had also made several 911 calls for a welfare check on the couple and told dispatchers that he could hear their children, ages 1 and 4, crying inside the home.

Officers arrived at the home and pronounced Monique and Spencer deceased at the scene, the Columbus Division of Police said, according to an incident report reviewed by PEOPLE.

Nearly a week later, Columbus police released surveillance footage of a person they said was of interest to investigators.

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The video showed a hooded figure with their face obscured, walking calmly in a snowy alleyway near the couple’s home around the timeframe authorities estimated the Tepes were killed, police said in an update. It is unclear if the person in the video was McKee.

The Office of Coroner Nathaniel R. Overmire at the Franklin County Forensic Science Center told PEOPLE the apparent causes of death for Monique and Spencer were gunshot wounds. However, official causes of death for the couple have yet to be released, pending other details required for the coroner’s determination, such as toxicology reports, the coroner’s office explained.

Following the news of Spencer and Monique’s deaths, family members have remembered the couple for their warmth, kindness and dedication to building a life “rooted in love,” and also for their dedication to being great parents to their children.

“We are heartbroken beyond words,” Spencer’s brother-in-law, Rob Misleh, told PEOPLE in a statement, adding that the family is “committed to seeing this tragedy fully and fairly brought to justice.”

Read the original article on People

PHOENIX (AP) — The ex-husband of an Ohio woman was charged with the murders of her and her husband, according to court and county records.

Michael McKee, 39, was booked Saturday and is currently being held in Illinois, according to the Winnebago County Sheriff’s Office. He is alleged to have shot and killed the couple, Dr. Spencer Tepe, a 37-year-old dentist, and Monique Tepe, 39, in their Columbus home. There were no county court records in Ohio reflecting whether McKee has an attorney yet.

Dispatchers first received calls of concern, including from Spencer Tepe’s boss, when he didn’t show up for work, which the boss said was “out of character.” Columbus police discovered the Tepes on the second floor of their home on Dec. 30 with gunshot wounds when officers conducted a wellness check. Their two young children were in the home and unharmed, police said.

Police had released security footage earlier this week of a person of interest in a dark hoodie and light colored pants who was walking in an alley near the couple’s home between 2 a.m. and 5 a.m. — the window of time in which investigators believed they were attacked.

Official reports from the Franklin County Coroner’s Office won’t be completed for several weeks, but a spokesperson said in a Tuesday email that the couple died in an “apparent homicide by gunshot wounds.”

McKee and Monique Tepe married in 2015 and filed for divorce two years later, according to records from the Franklin County Clerk of Courts. McKee’s address is listed in Chicago.

Monique and Spencer Tepe married in 2020, according to the couple’s obituary.

Family members described the Tepes as extraordinary people and proud parents with joy-filled lives. Monique Tepe was a caring and bubbly stay-at-home mother, and Spencer Tepe was passionate about dentistry and taking care of his family. The couple hosted many gatherings of family and friends.

McKee’s next court date is set for Monday.