Authorities allege a vehicle connected to Monique Tepe’s ex-husband Michael David McKee was seen near her Ohio home around the time of the killings
NEED TO KNOW
- The investigation into the slayings of Monique and Spencer Tepe last month took a turn over the weekend as police arrested a suspect
- Michael David McKee is facing murder charges in connection to the crime
- McKee was previously married to Monique, and the couple began living separately just months into their marriage
The man charged in connection with the murders of a beloved Ohio dentist and his wife was once married to one of the victims for less than two years.
Michael David McKee, 39, has been arrested on murder charges in connection with the Dec. 30 killings of Monique and Spencer Tepe in Columbus, Ohio.
Monique, 39, was briefly married to McKee over a decade ago before she filed for divorce in June 2017, according to court filings reviewed for PEOPLE. The couple had wed in August 2015.
The filings reveal the former couple lived together for only eight months of that marriage, separating in March 2016.
In a divorce petition filed by Monique in June 2017, Monique claimed the two were “incompatible.”
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():focal(749x0:751x2):format(webp)/michael-mckee-court-tepes2-11226-da912d6f11d54664ad739608809f88ee.jpg)
Related Stories
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():format(webp)/Michael-David-McKee-Spencer-Tepe-Monique-Tepe-011226-52584ecf37b9470fb3d4514a20915f76.jpg)
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():format(webp)/Michael-David-McKee-011026-8ba958c1a32546ef9c87eb57e363f288.jpg)
Monique was found fatally shot alongside Spencer, 37, just feet away from their young children, ages 4 and 1.
The kids were physically unharmed, and their extended family previously shared with PEOPLE that they are grappling with how to explain to them the circumstances of their parents’ killings.
Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for PEOPLE’s free True Crime newsletter for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases.
Authorities have not publicly stated a possible motive behind the killings, or whether there were any concerns the couple had regarding McKee prior to the crime.
McKee was initially charged with two counts of murder following his arrest on Saturday, Jan. 10.
This came after an investigation using neighborhood video surveillance led police to a suspect — who they tracked to a car that arrived before the deaths and left shortly after, PEOPLE previously reported, citing a criminal complaint.
Authorities were able to track the vehicle and link it to McKee, and once the car was located, police found evidence that McKee was “in possession of the vehicle prior to and after the homicides,” the complaint states.
The charges against him were soon upgraded to aggravated murder, according to a Jan. 11 court filing obtained by PEOPLE.
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():focal(736x244:738x246):format(webp)/Michael-David-McKee-Spencer-Tepe-Monique-Tepe-02-011226-b2b33f06004743b3988bf2bc0341cd6e.jpg)
McKee appeared in an Illinois court on Monday, Jan. 12, and his lawyer said that he plans to enter not guilty pleas to the charges, court officials told PEOPLE.
Clad in yellow and appearing grim, McKee also waived his right to an extradition — paving the path for his return to Ohio to face the charges, the Rockford Register Star reported.
His lawyer said he could be transferred to Ohio as early as this week, according to the Columbus Dispatch.
If you are experiencing domestic violence, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233, or go to thehotline.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.
News
CONFESSION OR COVER? Tanner Horner pleads guilty in court — yet speculation rises that the move was meant to divert attention from someone within the family’s circle…
There is no credible, verified evidence that Tanner Horner pleaded guilty in order to cover up for another “real suspect” connected to the family of Athena Strand. What Is Actually Supported Public reporting and court records in the case indicate: Horner was identified and charged based on investigative evidence Proceedings focused on his actions and […]
HE SAID “GUILTY” — BUT WHY? Horner’s sudden plea isn’t about sentencing, according to sources, but may be tied to shielding a figure linked to Athena’s parents… 👇👇
There is no credible, verified evidence that Tanner Horner pleaded guilty in order to cover up for another “real suspect” connected to the family of Athena Strand. What Is Actually Supported Public reporting and court records in the case indicate: Horner was identified and charged based on investigative evidence Proceedings focused on his actions and […]
NOT PREPLANNED? New court revelations suggest a different sequence in Jaden Pierre’s case — and footage is now shifting how the incident is being viewed… 👇👇
New claims are circulating about the case involving Jaden Pierre, suggesting that the shooting may not have been premeditated and that newly surfaced CCTV footage “reveals everything.” However, these claims should be approached with caution. What Has Not Been Officially Confirmed At this stage: Authorities have not publicly concluded that the act was unplanned There […]
SHE TRIED TO SAVE HIM WITH ONE WORD… BUT HE STAYED AND SAW THE TRUTH THE TOWN WAS HIDING
When she handed the boot back to him an hour later, the repair was better than the original work. Caleb turned it in the lamplight. “You countersank the thread.” Nora had already returned to her bench. “Boots are meant to be used,” she said. “Thread that sits proud gets cut.” He placed eighty […]
WE THOUGHT THE WATER WOULD SAVE THE FARM… UNTIL SOMETHING UNDER IT STARTED MOVING
THE CANAL NEVER WENT DRY… AND THAT WAS THE FIRST THING THAT SHOULD HAVE SCARED ME By month three, everything was dying. Crops. Cattle. Hope. The land had already given up. Except one thing. The canal. It didn’t drop. Not an inch. That was the first problem. At first, I called it luck. Then I […]
THE MOST EXPENSIVE MACHINE IN THE FIELD FAILED FIRST… AND THAT WAS THE MOMENT EVERYTHING SHIFTED
When a Half-Million-Dollar Harvester Failed at Midnight, a Rusted 1951 Pull-Type Saved the Crop by Dawn The first time Travis Beck laughed at the old pull-type combine, he was standing in clean boots beside half a million dollars’ worth of fresh paint, chrome, sensors, and debt. It was late June in Harper County, […]
End of content
No more pages to load
