Michael McKee faces four aggravated murder counts with firearm specifications in December shooting deaths
By Sarah Rumpf-Whitten Fox News
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Chief hints at gun tie in dentist murders as records show 9mm shell casings
A Franklin County grand jury has indicted Michael McKee on multiple counts of aggravated murder and other felony charges in connection with the fatal shootings of an Ohio dentist and his wife, court records show.
McKee was indicted Friday on four counts of aggravated murder, each with firearm specifications, according to an indictment filed in Franklin County Common Pleas Court.
Three of the aggravated murder counts include specifications alleging the use or display of a firearm or silencer, while the fourth alleges a firearm was displayed or brandished. McKee is also charged with one count of aggravated burglary, a first-degree felony.
Authorities allege McKee shot and killed his ex-wife Monique Tepe, 39, and her husband Spencer Tepe at their home in Columbus’ Weinland Park neighborhood between 2 and 5 a.m. Dec. 30. McKee was arrested Jan. 10 and later transferred to the Franklin County Jail.
Michael McKee appears in court at Winnebago County Justice Center, Monday, Jan.12, 2026, in Rockford, Illinois. McKee is facing extradition to Ohio for the murder of his ex-wife Monique Tepe and her husband, Spencer Tepe. (WIFR via Pool)
In the indictment, prosecutors allege McKee “did purposely, and with prior calculation and design, cause the death” of Monique Tepe and Spencer Tepe on or about Dec. 30.
The charges further allege the killings occurred during, or immediately after, an aggravated burglary, in which McKee is accused of trespassing in an occupied structure “by force, stealth, or deception” while armed with a firearm.
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Police described the killings as a targeted, domestic violence-related attack but said they are not discussing motive or whether there was communication between the suspect and the victims before the shootings.
“We know that this is her ex-husband, so it’s domestic violence-related. And, as the trial moves on, as charges come about, we will be able to probably get more answers. But, right now, we don’t have the answer as to a motive,” Police Chief Elaine Bryant told Fox News Digital.
Booking photo of Michael David McKee, a 39-year-old from Chicago, is charged with two counts of murder in the deaths of Dr. Spencer Tepe and his wife, Monique Tepe. (Winnebago County Sheriff’s Office)
McKee waived extradition during an Illinois court hearing Jan. 12, when he was being held at the Winnebago County Jail in Rockford, Illinois, where authorities located him following the killings.
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Charging documents say investigators identified McKee by linking him to a vehicle that arrived in the Tepes’ neighborhood shortly before the shootings and left shortly afterward. Police later located the vehicle in Rockford and determined it belonged to McKee, court records show.
Bryant said investigators recovered multiple firearms from McKee’s home, including one believed to have been used in the killings. She said there is a preliminary link through the National Integrated Ballistic Information Network tying one of the recovered guns to the shootings.
A preliminary investigation report also revealed that three spent 9 mm shell casings from the scene were found and logged into evidence. When asked whether the firearm was legally obtained, Bryant said investigators were still working to determine that information.
Fox News Digital spoke with Columbus Police Chief Elaine Bryant, who said investigators have preliminarily linked a firearm to the Ohio dentist murders but declined to share details about the weapon or ballistic evidence. (Fox News Digital)
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The Tepes were found dead by a friend who went to their home for a welfare check, according to a 911 call placed that day.
Court records show McKee and Monique Tepe were married for seven months after marrying in August 2015. Monique Tepe later filed for divorce, citing incompatibility in court documents.
Spencer and Monique Tepe are pictured on their wedding day. (Rob Misleh)
Rob Misleh, Spencer Tepe’s brother-in-law, told WSYX that the couple had been preparing to celebrate their fifth wedding anniversary shortly before their deaths.
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McKee had not entered a plea as of Friday. No bond has been issued.
Fox News Digital’s Adam Sabes contributed to this report.
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