At a Glance
- Monique and Spencer Tepe were fatally shot in their Columbus, Ohio, home on Dec. 30 while their children, ages 4 and 1, slept nearby
- Police arrested Michael McKee, 39, Monique’s ex-husband from a brief 2017 marriage, and charged him with aggravated murder and burglary
- Surveillance footage and vehicle tracking led investigators to the Illinois-based vascular surgeon, who was arrested Jan. 10 near his Rockford workplace
- Why it matters: The case highlights how past domestic relationships can turn deadly, leaving two young children orphaned and raising questions about protecting abuse survivors
Monique and Spencer Tepe spent Christmas 2024 creating magical memories. Three-year-old Emilia twirled in a custom princess gown while her 17-month-old brother Beckham played with new toys. Less than a week later, both parents were dead, their children left orphaned in a crime that has shocked their Ohio community.
A Family’s Final Christmas
The Tepe family celebrated at Monique’s parents’ home in Mason, Ohio, on Dec. 25. Madeleine Misleh, Spencer’s sister and a fashion designer, had created a special pink gown with ivory trim for her niece.
“My brother has always been the biggest fan of my art,” Madeleine said. “He was always proud.”
After gifts and holiday treats, Madeleine’s husband Rob stayed up late playing pool with Spencer in the basement.
“Neither of us wanted to go to sleep,” Rob recalled. “I hate to say that was the last real ‘bro time’ I had with him.”
The family returned to their Columbus home on Dec. 27. Three days later, they were dead.
The Discovery
On the morning of Dec. 30, Spencer failed to show up for work at his dental practice. Concerned coworkers and a friend went to check on the couple at their Weinland Park home.
“There’s a body,” the friend told a 911 dispatcher. “There’s blood, he’s laying next to his bed.”
Police arrived within minutes to find a brutal scene. Monique, 39, had been shot at least once in the chest. Spencer, 37, had multiple gunshot wounds. There were no signs of forced entry or robbery, and no weapons were found at the scene.
The couple’s children, sleeping in their own bedrooms just feet away, were heard crying. Investigators believe Beckham remained in his crib for hours after the shootings.
“We believe Beckham was unable to get out of his crib on his own” for hours, Rob said.
The Investigation
The lack of forced entry puzzled investigators. Surveillance video from the neighborhood soon provided the first clues.
On Jan. 5, police released footage of a hooded man walking in an alley near the Tepe home before dawn on Dec. 30. They named him a person of interest.
Detectives tracked a vehicle seen in additional video footage, which led them to an out-of-state address. The investigation pointed to a surprising suspect: Michael McKee, 39, a vascular surgeon based in Illinois.
McKee had been briefly married to Monique nearly a decade earlier. The couple divorced in 2017 after just seven months of marriage.
The Arrest
Police arrested McKee on Jan. 10 near his workplace in Rockford, Illinois. He has been indicted on charges of:
- Aggravated murder
- Burglary
McKee is awaiting extradition to Ohio. Through his attorney, he says he will plead not guilty to the murder charges.
A Troubled Past Marriage
Monique’s friends say she had been vocal about McKee’s behavior during their brief marriage.
“She left that marriage with a broken heart and never looked back,” said a friend who has known Monique since college.
The friend described McKee as controlling and emotionally abusive during their relationship. While Monique never characterized him as a stalker, they maintained some mutual friends after the divorce.
“He certainly kept himself abreast of her life,” the friend said. “And for her to thrive [with another man], I think it shattered his fragile ego.”
Professional Troubles
McKee’s life had recently taken several negative turns. While working as a vascular surgeon in Las Vegas, he faced a medical malpractice lawsuit filed by a patient in 2024.
Without informing his coworkers, McKee left Las Vegas and allowed his Nevada medical license to lapse, according to records. He eventually relocated to Illinois, where he found work in Rockford.
A Love Story Cut Short
Spencer and Monique’s relationship stood in stark contrast to her first marriage. The couple met online in 2018 and fell in love immediately.
“I remember Monique telling me that on one of their first dates they just talked all night and couldn’t take their eyes off of each other,” said Spencer’s cousin Audrey Mackie.
Spencer, a dentist, was an avid Liverpool soccer fan who served as a youth mentor. Monique, who held a degree in early childhood education from Ohio State, preferred quieter activities like baking and board games.
They married in 2020 and settled into their Weinland Park home. Emilia arrived in 2022, followed by Beckham in 2024. Monique became a stay-at-home mom while Spencer continued his dental practice.
Aftermath
The Tepe children are now living with family members. A GoFundMe campaign has raised more than $200,000 to “provide stability and care” for Emilia and Beckham.
“I’m sure Emilia is wondering when she’s gonna see her mommy and daddy,” Rob said.
Friends and family struggle to process the loss. Days after the killings, as Spencer’s friends gathered to reminisce, someone noticed the silence.
“Somebody realized there’s no music playing,” Rob recalled. “Yeah,” he replied, “because Spencer isn’t here.”
The case remains under investigation as McKee awaits extradition to Ohio to face trial.
