Michael McKee, a psychiatric surgeon, had previously threatened his ex-wife, saying he could kill her “at any time” before he fatally shot her and her new husband in their Ohio residence, according to court documents.
McKee, who is a vascular surgeon from Illinois, was arrested on January 10 on suspicion of murdering his ex-wife, Monique Tepe, and her husband, Spencer Tepe, in late December. Fortunately, their two children and family dog were unharmed in the incident.
Married to Monique for two years before filing for divorce in 2017, McKee reportedly made disturbing threats as part of an abusive pattern throughout their relationship, as noted in records obtained by the Columbus Dispatch.
After the couple’s deaths, at least one witness informed investigators that Monique had experienced incidents of coercive sexual acts by McKee, who also allegedly threatened her life and stated he would “find her and buy the house next door,” implying she would forever be tied to him.
Additionally, video evidence showed McKee near Monique and Spencer’s home in Columbus on December 6, where he appeared to scout the area, even while the couple attended a football game.
Monique left the game upset during the halftime break, revealing to friends that she was concerned about McKee’s involvement. A few weeks later, McKee traveled to the couple’s Rockford, Illinois home, approximately 325 miles away, and shot both of them inside.
Surveillance footage captured his vehicle frequenting the area leading up to the shooting, which occurred at around 3:50 a.m.
Records also indicate that McKee left his cell phone at a local clinic, with no recorded activity from December 29 until the afternoon of December 30.
Authorities traced a silver SUV belonging to McKee’s previous address to the hospital where he worked, leading to his arrest nearly two weeks later at a Chick-fil-A.
McKee is charged with four counts of aggravated murder and one count of aggravated robbery. He has since pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Should he be convicted of double murder, McKee faces a possible life sentence without the chance of parole.
If you or someone you know is affected by any of the issues raised in this article, please call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1.800.799.SAFE (7233) or text START to 88788.
