COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — The arrest of a Chicago dentist in the killings of his ex-wife and her husband in Ohio caps off nearly two weeks of unanswered questions surrounding the mysterious deaths.
Police said officers found Dr. Spencer Tepe, 37, and Monique Tepe, 39, with gunshot wounds at about 10 a.m. on Dec. 30 on the second floor of their home in Columbus after officers were asked to conduct a wellness check. Medical personnel later pronounced them dead. Police said the couple’s two young children were also in the home but were unharmed.
Michael David McKee, 39, the former husband of Monique Tepe, has been charged with two counts of aggravated murder. Prosecutors said they charged McKee with premeditated murder, upgrading the case from initial charges, nearly two weeks after the Tepes’ killings drew national attention.
Police earlier asked the public for help identifying a person of interest caught on surveillance camera footage in an alley near the Tepes’ home around the time investigators believe the couple was attacked. Authorities said investigators believe the couple was shot between 2 a.m. and 5 a.m. on Dec. 30, and that the person of interest—later identified as McKee—was wearing light-colored pants and a dark hooded jacket.
McKee appeared in court in Winnebago County, Illinois, on Monday, about 90 miles (145 km) northwest of Chicago, according to the report. The AP said he waived his right to an extradition hearing and was expressionless while he walked into the courtroom wearing a yellow jumpsuit with shackles around his wrists, and a judge scheduled a hearing next week to confirm his transfer to Ohio for prosecution.
In a written statement, the Tepes’ family said the arrest was “an important step toward justice” and that they trusted the justice system to hold the person accountable.
The report said dispatchers received calls of concern when Spencer Tepe didn’t show up on Dec. 30 at the dental practice where he worked in Athens, a college town about 75 miles (120.70 kilometers) southeast of Columbus. A dispatcher told investigators, “Sometimes people don’t show up to work,” according to 911 calls. Spencer Tepe’s manager told police his tardiness was “out of character.”
The AP said someone else called to request a wellness check before a man who described himself as a friend of Spencer Tepe called police at 10:03 a.m. and said, “Oh, there’s a body. There’s a body. Oh my God.” The man told police he could see Spencer Tepe’s body was off the side of a bed in a pool of blood.
The Franklin County Coroner’s Office deemed the killings an “apparent homicide by gunshot wounds,” according to the report. Police said they found no obvious signs of forced entry at the Tepes’ home, that no weapon was found there, and that murder-suicide was not suspected. Police said nothing was stolen and that the couple’s two young children and their dog were left unharmed.
The AP report said Monique Tepe married Spencer Tepe in 2020, according to the couple’s obituaries. Family members described them as “extraordinary people whose lives were filled with love, joy and deep connection to others.” The report said Spencer Tepe was a graduate of the Ohio State University and was a member of the American Dental Association and involved with Big Brothers Big Sisters. It also said Monique Tepe was described as a “loving, patient, and joyful mother,” an avid baker, and a “thoughtful planner.”
A cousin, Audrey Mackie, wrote that they were “the proud parents of two beautiful children,” and that “every day they showed up with unwavering love and devotion to their family,” the report said. The couple’s family said in a statement that “Monique and Spencer remain at the center of our hearts,” and that they “will continue to honor their lives and the light they brought into this world.”