The divorce between Michael McKee, who stands accused of murder, and his ex-wife Monique Tepe was finalized some years back, but, strangely, it was reopened just months before he allegedly shot Tepe and her new husband in their Ohio residence.
McKee and Tepe tied the knot in August 2015, officially filing for divorce in May 2017. However, the case was unexpectedly picked up again in June 2025, as reported by USA Today.
A trial date was set for September, but later, court officials revealed that this revival was due to a clerical mistake in the docket number, leading to the cancellation of the scheduled date.
Initially, their divorce seemed a typical civil matter, according to court documents. Yet, after the tragic events, family members indicated that McKee had a history of “tormenting” Tepe during their brief marriage.
The divorce papers, submitted on April 28, 2017, noted that the couple had separated due to “differences of opinion” and were living apart.
At that time, Monique was residing in their $230,000 home in Roanoke, Virginia, where she worked as a resident, despite the home and mortgage being solely in McKee’s name, according to USA Today.
No spousal support was mandated for either party, and they each retained their vehicles and debts.
They did not have any children, and Monique, aged 39, married her new husband, dentist Spencer Tepe, 37, in December 2020.
McKee, also 39, faces charges connected to the murders of the Tepes after he allegedly entered their Columbus home on December 30, shooting them in their bedroom while leaving their two young children, aged 4 and 1, unharmed in another room, authorities reported.
He was apprehended over a week later in Rockford, Illinois, roughly 525 miles from the crime scene, following a trace of his vehicle linked to the night of the murder.
Columbus Police Chief Elaine Bryant declared on Wednesday that the act was a “targeted” domestic violence crime, adding that a gun thought to be the murder weapon was found at McKee’s residence.
As of now, investigators have yet to establish a motive for the killings.
McKee is awaiting extradition to Ohio to stand trial.
