Why Did Michael McKee 'Murder' Monique and Spencer Tepe? Ex-FBI Agent Suggests Possible Motive

A prominent Ohio couple was ambushed in their own home in a killing that has stunned legal experts and left families searching for answers. On 30 December 2025, Dr Spencer Tepe, 37, a respected dentist, and his wife, Monique Tepe, 39, were found shot dead inside their Columbus, Ohio, residence following a welfare check by police. Their two young children, ages one and four, were discovered inside the home unharmed.

Local law enforcement identified Monique's ex-husband, 39-year-old vascular surgeon Michael David McKee, as the prime suspect and secured a warrant for his arrest. He was apprehended on 10 January 2026 in Rockford, Illinois, and charged with two counts of murder, pending extradition back to Ohio.

Deep-Rooted Resentment Offered As Possible Motive

Police have not publicly confirmed an official motive for the killings, leaving room for experts and the wider public to speculate about what may have driven the attack. Former Federal Bureau of Investigation agent Jennifer Coffindaffer told NewsNation that the crime may have been fuelled by 'deep-seated resentment and hate' that McKee allegedly harboured toward the couple. She suggested those feelings could have built up over many years after his divorce from Monique, and may have intensified as he watched her build a new life with Spencer.

The Tepes married in December 2020 and were approaching their fifth wedding anniversary at the time of their deaths. By contrast, McKee and Monique's marriage was brief: they wed in August 2015 and divorced in 2017, with Franklin County Clerk of Courts records confirming the dissolution nearly eight years before the killings. Coffindaffer noted that, although the short marriage might seem an unlikely trigger for such entrenched hostility, old grievances can simmer beneath the surface and erupt in violence after a psychological break rather than during a spur-of-the-moment dispute.

Surveillance and Evidence That Led to McKee's Arrest

Detectives assembled a trail of evidence that tied McKee to the crime scene. In the hours before the killings, surveillance footage from the Tepes' neighbourhood captured a hooded figure walking nearby between roughly 02:00 and 05:00 on 30 December. The same footage showed a vehicle arriving shortly before the suspected time of the murders and leaving shortly afterwards.

Investigators traced that vehicle to McKee by matching its registration details to him, then later located the car at his workplace in Rockford, Illinois. Officers concluded he had owned and operated the vehicle on the night of the attack, which became a cornerstone of the probable-cause narrative set out in court documents. An arrest warrant was issued after the surveillance link was established, and court records show McKee was booked into the Winnebago County Sheriff's Office shortly before 12:00 on 10 January, where he remains in custody pending extradition to Franklin County.

Distinguished Surgeon, No Clear Warning Signs

On paper, McKee's professional record offers little hint of the violence he is accused of. Public professional databases describe him as an accomplished vascular surgeon with no recorded malpractice suits or disciplinary actions during his career. He graduated from The Ohio State University College of Medicine in 2014 and went on to practise in the Rockford area before his arrest.

OSF Healthcare, where he had been listed in staff directories, has said it is cooperating with investigators as the criminal case proceeds. Colleagues and acquaintances have not publicly reported any clear signs of dangerous behaviour, and McKee's limited criminal history, reportedly restricted to minor traffic violations, suggests there were no obvious warning flags on the public record before the alleged murders.

Community Grief and Unanswered Questions

Friends, relatives, and neighbours describe the Tepes as devoted parents who were active and well-liked in their community. Family members called the deaths 'tragic and senseless' and spoke of a profound loss that stretches from the couple's children to patients and friends.

The lack of clear forensic closure has deepened that sense of unease. The murders took place without obvious evidence of forced entry, and investigators have not publicly confirmed recovering a murder weapon. Police have also stopped short of stating that the hooded individual in the surveillance footage was McKee, despite evidence that points to him.

Online, some community discussions have floated unverified theories about McKee harbouring long-standing resentment or unresolved feelings towards Monique. Those claims, which tend to spread quickly on social platforms, remain unverified by documented evidence.

The couple's children are now in the care of extended family as authorities continue to build the case. Detectives are urging anyone with relevant information to contact the Columbus police.

As the homicide case moves through Franklin County Municipal Court and towards a potential trial, prosecutors will come under pressure to present a compelling narrative of motive that goes beyond the existing paper trail. Their success or failure will decide not only McKee's fate, but also whether the Tepes' families feel they have received any measure of justice for a crime that has already reshaped their lives.