A chilling double homicide rocked Columbus after police say an ex-husband tracked his former wife and her dentist husband before both were found shot dead just before the new year.
Authorities say Michael McKee, 39, is facing aggravated murder charges in Ohio following the Dec. 30 killings of Monique Tepe and her husband, Spencer Tepe, inside their Columbus home.
The case took a major turn Monday when McKee appeared briefly in an Illinois courtroom and waived his right to an extradition hearing, clearing the way for his transfer back to Ohio.
Court records show McKee is accused of gunning down the married couple inside their residence while their two young children were inside the home and later found safe.
Police were alerted to the crime after Spencer Tepe failed to show up for work, prompting concern from a colleague who attempted to reach him for hours before calling for a wellness check.
Another friend who went to the home reported hearing the couple’s children, ages 1 and 4, crying inside, triggering a 911 call that brought officers to the scene.
Responding officers discovered both Monique and Spencer Tepe dead from gunshot wounds, with investigators noting there were no signs of forced entry into the home.
The lack of forced entry quickly shifted attention toward someone familiar with the victims as detectives worked to reconstruct the couple’s final hours.
Nearly a week after the killings, Columbus police released surveillance footage showing a hooded figure walking through an alley near the home around the time of the murders.
Investigators later revealed that neighborhood cameras helped trace the suspect’s movements before and after the killings.
Court documents state, “This suspect was tracked to a vehicle which arrived just prior to the homicides and left shortly after the homicides.”
Detectives determined the vehicle seen near the home traveled roughly 325 miles from McKee’s residence and was later located near his workplace in Rockford, Illinois.
Records indicate investigators confirmed McKee owned the vehicle, linking him directly to the timeline surrounding the killings.
Authorities tracked McKee down in Rockford, where he was arrested Saturday just hours after an Ohio arrest warrant was issued.
Winnebago County Sheriff’s Office records show McKee was booked shortly before noon on two counts of murder.
The Franklin County court in Columbus also issued an arrest warrant the same day as investigators coordinated across state lines.
During Monday’s hearing, McKee’s attorney told the judge her client intended to remain silent and fight the charges in Ohio.
“Mr. McKee believes that the most expeditious manner in which he may defend himself against the charges pending in Ohio and to plead not guilty would be to waive his right to an extradition hearing,” public defender Carie Poirier told the court.
Court officials noted McKee’s next scheduled court date in Illinois could be canceled if he is transferred back to Ohio before then.
Investigators say McKee and Monique Tepe divorced in 2017, with court records describing the split as amicable.
At the time of the divorce, McKee was living in Virginia and the couple did not share children together.
Monique later married Spencer Tepe in 2020, and the couple welcomed their first child soon after.
Authorities have not publicly identified a motive for the killings as the investigation remains active.
Police were spotted at McKee’s Chicago condo over the weekend, as detectives continued piecing together his movements.
The Ohio murders came as authorities in California announced progress in a separate long-running homicide case involving a jealous ex-partner.
Prosecutors say Humberto Rodriguez Martinez, 39, was extradited back to Orange County on Dec. 4 after spending nearly eight years on the run in Mexico.
Martinez is accused of murdering Daniel Reyes, the 32-year-old boyfriend of his ex-girlfriend, in Anaheim on Oct. 17, 2017.
According to investigators, Martinez and a friend went to his ex-girlfriend’s apartment earlier that evening under the pretense of watching his two children while she worked.
After leaving the apartment, Reyes later arrived at the residence, setting off a deadly chain of events.
The following morning, police responded to reports of two men chasing Reyes near an intersection before one of them stabbed him repeatedly.
Reyes suffered 10 stab wounds and was pronounced dead at the scene, authorities said.
Martinez’s alleged accomplice later pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and received a sentence of 15 years to life.
As part of that plea, the accomplice admitted the pair had waited for hours knowing Reyes would be at the apartment.
Martinez fled the country before police could arrest him, leaving his car behind in San Diego and prompting a $2 million warrant.
After years of evading capture, authorities located Martinez last month and coordinated his return to the United States.
Once he landed at Los Angeles International Airport, Anaheim homicide detectives took him into custody.
Martinez has pleaded not guilty and is being held without bail as he awaits further court proceedings.
