The murder of a dentist and his wife on December 30th immediately made headlines in the USA. The couple, Monique and Spencer Tepe, had been married in January 2021 in Columbus, Ohio, and had two young children.
On December 30th the couple were found dead in their home, according to the police report as a result of gunshot wounds. They were discovered after friends and co-workers became concerned that Spencer Tepe, a dentist, had not shown up to work. At about 10 a.m., a man had called 911 and said they could see a body and blood in their home.
Their two young children were found in the house, unharmed. At the time, the county coroner's report said that the cause of death appeared to be homicide while cautioning that the case was not yet finalized.
Not long after, Columbus police released a video showing a person of interest who was wearing a hooded jacket, walking in an alley near the Tepes' home on the night of their death. Suspicions turned to Michael McKee, Monique's former husband. Officials initially declined to answer whether they believed McKee was the man in the video, saying they did not want to make remarks that could compromise the case.
On Saturday 10th January, McKee was arrested in Illinois, and charged with two counts of murder. McKee and Monique Tepe were married for about two years before their divorce in 2017.
Court documents show that police identified McKee by linking him to a car that was seen in the Tepes' neighbourhood shortly before the murders, and then left just after the time it is believed that they occured. The car was then located in Rockford, Illinois, and authorities found evidence linking it to McKee.
Two days later McKee's charges were altered to two more serious counts of premeditated aggravated murder. It is expected that he will be moved from Illinois where he was arrested, to face prosecution in Ohio.
McKee appeared in Court in Illinois on January 12th wearing a yellow Winnebago County jail suit, with his hands and feet chained. He remained silent during the brief hearing, only addressing the court when giving the judge his name.
He was represented by Winnebago County Public Defender Carie Poirier. Poirier said that McKee plans to plead not guilty and hopes for a speedy transfer to Ohio by waiving extradition.
McKee is a doctor specializing in vascular surgery with licensing in both California and Illinois, having graduated from the Ohio State University College of Medicine in 2014. There are no reports of medical malpractice or disciplinary history marked in his licensing records.