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The Murder of Monique & Spencer Tepe

● Charged Double Homicide Domestic Violence
Victims
Monique Tepe & Spencer Tepe
Ages
Monique, 39 -- Spencer, 37
Date of Death
December 30, 2025
Location
Columbus, Ohio
Cause of Death
Gunshot Wounds
Perpetrators
1
Charges
4 Counts Aggravated Murder, Aggravated Burglary
Case Status
Awaiting Trial -- 2026
Monique & Spencer Tepe | 2025
Monique TepeAge 39
Spencer TepeAge 37
LocationColumbus, Ohio
Children2 (Ages 1 and 4)
Case TypeIntimate Partner / Double Homicide
The Victims

Monique & Spencer Tepe

Spencer Tepe, 37, was a dentist. Monique Tepe, 39, had a background in childhood education. They lived together in the Weinland Park neighborhood of Columbus, Ohio with their two young children, ages 1 and 4. Both were described by friends and family as devoted parents who were deeply involved in their community.

Monique had previously been married to Michael David McKee. The marriage ended in divorce in 2017. Friends and family later described a history of abuse during that relationship including strangulation and sexual violence. McKee had reportedly made prior threats toward Monique and claimed she would always be his wife.

On the night of December 29 into the early morning hours of December 30, 2025, while their two children slept, Monique and Spencer were shot to death inside their home. Their children were found physically unharmed.

01
Background

What We Know

Spencer Tepe, 37, was a dentist. Monique Tepe, 39, had a background in childhood education. They lived together in the Weinland Park neighborhood of Columbus, Ohio with their two young children, ages 1 and 4. Both were described by friends and family as devoted parents deeply involved in their community.

Monique had previously been married to Michael David McKee, a vascular surgeon who worked at OSF Saint Anthony Medical Center in Rockford, Illinois. The marriage lasted from 2015 to 2017. Friends and family described a history of abuse during that relationship including strangulation and sexual violence. After the divorce McKee continued to make threats toward Monique and claimed she would always be his wife.

On December 6, 2025, surveillance footage later reviewed by investigators showed McKee on or near the Tepe property while Monique and Spencer were out of town attending a football game. Prosecutors allege this demonstrated pre-offense surveillance and planning.

In the early morning hours of December 30, 2025, between approximately 2:00 a.m. and 5:00 a.m., both Monique and Spencer were shot inside their home using a firearm equipped with a suppressor. Spencer was shot 7 times. Monique was shot 9 times. There were no obvious signs of forced entry and no firearm was located at the scene. Their two young children were inside the residence and were found physically unharmed.

Case Timeline

How It Unfolded

2015 to 2017
Monique Married and Divorced McKee
Monique was married to Michael David McKee from 2015 to 2017. Friends and family later described a history of abuse during the marriage including strangulation and sexual violence. After the divorce McKee continued to make threats and claimed Monique would always be his wife.
December 6, 2025
McKee Surveils the Tepe Home
Surveillance footage showed McKee on or near the Tepe property while Monique and Spencer were out of town attending a football game. Prosecutors allege this demonstrated deliberate pre-offense surveillance and planning.
December 30, 2025 -- 2:00 to 5:00 a.m.
Monique and Spencer Are Killed
Investigators determined the shootings occurred between 2:00 a.m. and 5:00 a.m. Spencer was shot 7 times. Monique was shot 9 times. A firearm equipped with a suppressor was used. Their two young children were inside the home and found unharmed. There were no signs of forced entry and no firearm was recovered at the scene.
December 30, 2025 -- 9:03 a.m.
Welfare Check Requested
Spencer's colleagues contacted police after he failed to show up for work and could not be reached. An officer arrived at 9:22 a.m. but received no response at the door and left the scene.
December 30, 2025 -- 9:57 a.m.
Children Heard Crying -- Police Return
A second call was received reporting children crying inside the home. Officers returned and entered the residence shortly after 10:00 a.m., finding both Spencer and Monique deceased.
January 10, 2026
McKee Arrested in Rockford, Illinois
Michael David McKee was arrested in Rockford, Illinois where he worked as a vascular surgeon. A gun found in his Chicago apartment was a ballistic match to evidence recovered at the scene. His vehicle was tracked from Columbus back to Illinois. He was extradited to Franklin County, Ohio.
2026 -- Ongoing
Awaiting Trial -- No Court Date Set
McKee pleaded not guilty and remains held in Franklin County Jail. No trial date has been set. If convicted he faces a minimum of life with possibility of parole after 32 years up to life without parole.
02
Investigation

The Investigation

When officers entered the home on December 30, 2025, they found no signs of forced entry and no firearm at the scene. The use of a suppressor indicated a level of premeditation. Investigators began canvassing the neighborhood and collecting surveillance footage from the surrounding area.

Surveillance footage from December 6, 2025 placed McKee near the Tepe property while the couple was out of town -- weeks before the murders. Investigators also established that McKee deliberately left his phone at the hospital on the night of the killings, an apparent attempt to establish an alibi or avoid tracking.

McKee's vehicle was tracked from Columbus back to Illinois following the murders. A gun recovered from his Chicago apartment was confirmed as a ballistic match to evidence recovered at the Tepe home. The combination of surveillance footage, ballistic evidence, vehicle tracking, and the documented history of threats toward Monique formed the basis of the criminal case.

McKee was arrested in Rockford, Illinois on January 10, 2026, where he had been working as a vascular surgeon at OSF Saint Anthony Medical Center. A grand jury in Franklin County, Ohio indicted him on four counts of aggravated murder, aggravated burglary, and firearm specifications including allegations involving a suppressor.

03
Arrest & Charges

The Accused

Michael David McKee
Michael David McKee
Monique's Ex-Husband -- Vascular Surgeon
Charges: 4 Counts Aggravated Murder, Aggravated Burglary, Firearm Specifications including Suppressor
Plea: Not Guilty
Status: Held in Franklin County Jail -- No Trial Date Set
If Convicted: Minimum life with parole after 32 years up to life without parole
In Memoriam

They Are Not Forgotten

Monique and Spencer Tepe were a family. They had two children ages 1 and 4 who were asleep in their home when they were killed. Those children woke up to a world without their parents. They heard something that night. They cried until someone came.

Monique had already survived one abusive relationship. She had rebuilt her life, found love, started a family, and was building something beautiful. Spencer was a dentist who showed up for work every day and loved his family. Neither of them deserved what happened to them.

Prosecutors allege that her ex-husband could not accept that she had moved on. He allegedly planned this for weeks, surveilled their home, and carried it out with a silenced weapon in the middle of the night. Their children were right there. We will not forget Monique and Spencer.

"Monique had survived abuse, rebuilt her life, and found happiness. She deserved to keep it. So did Spencer. So did their children."
Coalition for the Murdered & Missing
Sources
Columbus Division of Police · Franklin County Grand Jury Indictment · OSF Saint Anthony Medical Center · Court documents Case No. 26-CR-253 · Local and national investigative reporting
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