At a Glance
- Michael David McKee, 39, faces two counts of premeditated aggravated murder in Ohio.
- His ex-wife Monique Tepe, 39, and her husband Spencer Tepe, 37, were found shot to death in their Columbus home on Dec. 30.
- The couple’s two young children were discovered unharmed at the scene.
- Why it matters: A licensed vascular surgeon is accused of crossing state lines to carry out a calculated double homicide, shaking both the medical community and the victims’ families.
A Chicago-area vascular surgeon has been charged with two counts of premeditated aggravated murder after allegedly traveling from Illinois to Ohio and fatally shooting his ex-wife and her new husband while their children slept nearby, according to Franklin County court records and News Of Philadelphia‘s investigation.
Michael David McKee, 39, was arrested Saturday in Winnebago County, Illinois, and appeared Monday in local court wearing a yellow jail uniform, his hands and feet shackled. He plans to plead not guilty and has waived extradition in hopes of a speedy transfer to Ohio, said Winnebago County Public Defender Carie Poirier after the brief hearing.
The Crime Scene
Columbus police responded to the Tepe residence around 10 a.m. on Dec. 30 after a 911 caller reported seeing a body and blood inside. Officers found Spencer and Monique Tepe dead from apparent gunshot wounds. The county coroner labeled the deaths homicide, though the final report is still pending.
Investigators believe the killings occurred between 2 a.m. and 5 a.m. that morning. Friends and co-workers grew alarmed when Spencer, a dentist, failed to show up for work, prompting a welfare check that ended in the grisly discovery. Surveillance footage released earlier showed a hooded figure walking in an alley near the home the night of the murders; authorities declined to confirm whether McKee is the person in the video.
Family Reaction
Rob Misleh, Spencer Tepe’s brother-in-law, told Emily Carter Reynolds on Monday that relatives “quickly believed” McKee was responsible once they learned of the couple’s death.
> “He was an emotionally abusive person when they were together, that is all I know,” Misleh said, adding that the arrest is “an important step toward justice,” though nothing can undo the loss.
Monique and Spencer married in January 2021. In their wedding video, Monique described a long search for love:
> “I had quite a journey to get to you, countless bad Bumble dates, wrong relationships and waterfalls of tears, but it was worth every cringing second because it led me to you.”
Background and Career
McKee and Monique divorced in 2017 after two years of marriage. Since then, he built a medical career specializing in vascular surgery. Licensing records show:
- Graduated from Ohio State University College of Medicine in 2014
- Holds active licenses in California and Illinois
- Previously licensed in Nevada; that credential expired in June
- No history of malpractice or disciplinary action listed
OSF Saint Anthony Medical Center in Rockford, Illinois-more than 400 miles northwest of Columbus-lists McKee as a vascular surgeon. A hospital spokesperson said the facility is “working with authorities” but provided no further details.
Legal Next Steps
McKee remains in Winnebago County Jail while Ohio prosecutors prepare for his transfer. Franklin County prosecutors have not disclosed a motive or whether additional charges will follow. Once extradited, McKee will face arraignment on the two aggravated-murder counts, each carrying the possibility of life imprisonment or the death penalty under Ohio law.
Key Takeaways
- A surgeon with clean professional records is accused of a meticulously planned double murder
- The victims’ children, though present, were physically unharmed
- Police have not revealed how McKee was tracked to Illinois or what evidence links him to the scene
