The charges against McKee, who was caught on surveillance video in an alley near the Tepes’ home around the time of the killings, close a period of public uncertainty that lasted from the moment officers discovered the bodies on a morning wellness check. He waived his right to an extradition hearing Monday in an Illinois court and is expected to be transferred to Ohio, where the case will be prosecuted.
Michael David McKee, 39, the former husband of one of the two victims, was charged Saturday with two counts of aggravated murder in the shooting deaths of Dr. Spencer Tepe, 37, a Columbus dentist, and his wife Monique Tepe, 39, Ohio prosecutors said. The arrest came nearly two weeks after the Dec. 30 killings drew national attention and police asked the public to help identify a surveillance-camera suspect. The couple’s two young children were found unharmed in the home alongside their parents’ bodies.
The charges against McKee, who was captured on a surveillance camera in an alley near the Tepes’ home around the time of the killings, close a period of public uncertainty that began the morning officers discovered the bodies during a wellness check. Prosecutors charged McKee with premeditated murder, upgrading the case from initial charges.
Court appearance
McKee appeared Monday in Winnebago County, Illinois — approximately 90 miles northwest of Chicago — wearing a yellow jumpsuit with shackles around his wrists. He was expressionless as he waived his right to an extradition hearing. A judge scheduled a hearing for the following week to confirm his transfer to Ohio, where the case will be prosecuted.
In a written statement, the Tepes’ family called the arrest “an important step toward justice” and said they trusted the justice system to hold the person accountable.
How the bodies were found
Columbus police found Spencer and Monique Tepe with gunshot wounds on the second floor of their home at approximately 10 a.m. on Dec. 30, 2025, after officers responded to a wellness check, authorities said. Medical personnel pronounced them dead at the scene.
Dispatchers first received calls of concern when Spencer Tepe did not show up at the dental practice where he worked in Athens, a college town about 75 miles southeast of Columbus. His manager told police his absence was “out of character.”
A distraught man who described himself as a friend of Spencer Tepe’s called police at 10:03 a.m. and said, “Oh, there’s a body. There’s a body. Oh my God.” He told dispatchers he could see Spencer Tepe’s body off the side of a bed in a pool of blood.
The Franklin County Coroner’s Office ruled the deaths an apparent homicide by gunshot wounds. Investigators believe the couple was shot between 2 a.m. and 5 a.m. on Dec. 30. Police found no obvious signs of forced entry at the home, no weapon, and nothing stolen. Murder-suicide was not suspected. The couple’s two young children and their dog were left unharmed.
The investigation
Police asked for the public’s help last week in identifying a person of interest caught on a surveillance camera in an alley near the Tepes’ home around the time investigators believe the couple was attacked. That individual — later identified as McKee — was wearing light-colored pants and a dark hooded jacket, police said.
The victims
According to the Tepes’ obituaries, Monique married Spencer Tepe in 2020. McKee and Monique Tepe, then known as Monique Sabaturski, had married in 2015, according to Franklin County court records. They filed for divorce two years later.
Spencer Tepe was a graduate of Ohio State University, a member of the American Dental Association, and had been involved with the Big Brothers Big Sisters organization. Monique Tepe was described in her obituary as a “loving, patient, and joyful mother,” an avid baker, and a “thoughtful planner.” Family members described the couple as “extraordinary people whose lives were filled with love, joy and deep connection to others.”
The Tepes’ family said in a statement: “Monique and Spencer remain at the center of our hearts, and we carry forward their love as we surround and protect the two children they leave behind. We will continue to honor their lives and the light they brought into this world.”