Illinois Surgeon Michael McKee Pleads Not Guilty in Columbus Double Homicide
McKee faces four aggravated murder counts and an aggravated burglary charge over the Dec. 30, 2024, deaths of Monique and Dr. Spencer Tepe.
Overview
Michael David McKee, 39, pleaded not guilty during a remote arraignment in Franklin County on Jan. 10, 2025, to four counts of premeditated aggravated murder and one count of aggravated burglary while using a firearm suppressor, court records show.
Investigators allege McKee entered the Tepes' Weinland Park home between 2 a.m. and 5 a.m. on Dec. 30, 2024, and shot 39-year-old Monique Tepe and Dr. Spencer Tepe, 37, whose bodies were found in a second-floor bedroom, the Franklin County Coroner's Office said.
Columbus Police Chief Elaine Bryant said officers tracked a vehicle from Columbus to Rockford, Illinois, arrested McKee on Jan. 10, 2025, and recovered a firearm from his Chicago apartment that matched ballistics evidence from the scene, officials said.
The double homicide left the Tepes' two young children at home unharmed and has drawn national attention because investigators reported no forced entry, no obvious sign of theft and no established motive, court records show.
If convicted, McKee faces a minimum of life in prison with parole eligibility after 32 years and a maximum of life without parole, and prosecutors said the investigation remains ongoing with further court dates to be scheduled.
Analysis
Center-leaning sources present this as straightforward, factual reporting, emphasizing official evidence and victim background while avoiding loaded rhetoric. They rely on police statements, public records, court filings and family obituaries, and note the lack of an established motive and sparse defense commentary — choices that favor verified facts over editorializing.
Sources (3)
FAQ
Michael David McKee is a 39-year-old vascular surgeon with active medical licenses in Illinois and California. He works at OSF Saint Anthony Medical Center in Rockford, Illinois, and graduated from medical school at Ohio State University.
Michael McKee is the ex-husband of Monique Tepe, from whom he was divorced in 2017 after about two years of marriage. The victims are Monique Tepe and her current husband, Dr. Spencer Tepe.
Police identified McKee using neighborhood video surveillance that captured his vehicle arriving before and leaving after the murders on Dec. 30, 2024. They tracked the vehicle to Rockford, Illinois, arrested him on Jan. 10, 2025, and recovered a matching firearm from his Chicago apartment.
The murders occurred between 2 a.m. and 5 a.m. on Dec. 30, 2024, in the Tepes' Weinland Park home in Columbus. Bodies were found in a second-floor bedroom with no forced entry or signs of theft; the couple's two young children were unharmed.
McKee evaded service of a malpractice lawsuit filed in Nevada over a 2023 incident where he allegedly failed to train a physician's assistant, using fake addresses and disappearing from contact months before the murders.
History
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