Chicago surgeon indicted in killings of ex-wife, new husband
A grand jury indicted Michael David McKee, 39, on four counts of aggravated murder and one aggravated burglary charge for the Dec. 30 killings of his ex-wife Monique Tepe and her husband Spencer Tepe in Columbus, Ohio.
Overview
Michael McKee, 39, a vascular surgeon living in Chicago, was indicted by a Franklin County grand jury on Jan. 16 on four aggravated murder counts and one aggravated burglary charge.
The indictment alleges McKee used a firearm muffler or suppressor in the Dec. 30 shootings that killed his ex-wife, Monique Tepe, 39, and her husband, dentist Spencer Tepe, 37, in their Columbus home.
The couple's children, ages 1 and 4, were in the home during the attack but were physically unharmed; no signs of forced entry were found.
Police say surveillance footage shows McKee's vehicle near the Tepes' home, and a gun seized from his Chicago-area residence was preliminarily matched to the crime scene.
McKee was arrested in Rockford, Illinois, on Jan. 10, waived an extradition hearing, remains jailed in Illinois, and faces life with parole eligibility after 32 years if convicted.
Analysis
Center-leaning sources frame the story as a domestic-violence, targeted killing that centers the victims’ humanity and law-enforcement evidence. Through repeated references to police characterizations, detailed weapon and surveillance reporting, and prominent family testimonials about emotional abuse and grief, coverage emphasizes culpability while offering limited defense perspective.
Sources (6)
FAQ
Michael David McKee was married to Monique Tepe from 2015 until their amicable divorce in 2017, after which she married Spencer Tepe, a dentist; the couple was approaching their fifth anniversary at the time of the killings.
Surveillance footage showed McKee's vehicle near the victims' home, he was seen walking in a nearby alley, and a gun seized from his residence was preliminarily matched to the crime scene via ballistics.
McKee, 39, is a vascular surgeon with active medical licenses in Illinois and California; he graduated from Ohio State University medical school and worked at OSF Saint Anthony Medical Center in Rockford, Illinois.
The victims' children, ages 1 and 4, were in the home during the Dec. 30 shootings but were physically unharmed; no signs of forced entry were found.
History
3 sources