For nearly a decade following his divorce, Michael McKee, a skilled medical professional, carved out a successful career across four states. Meanwhile, his former spouse, whom he now stands accused of murdering, was busy establishing a new life and family in Ohio.
McKee, aged 39 and a vascular surgeon by profession, faced a formal indictment on Friday. The charges include four counts of aggravated murder, each accompanied by firearm specifications, as detailed in the Franklin County Common Pleas Court documents.
Among the charges, three aggravated murder counts are linked to the alleged use or display of an automatic firearm or silencer. The fourth count suggests that a firearm was displayed or brandished. Additionally, McKee is accused of one count of aggravated burglary, classified as a first-degree felony.
Authorities claim that McKee fatally shot his ex-wife, Monique Tepe, aged 39, along with her husband, Spencer Tepe, aged 37. The tragic incident occurred in their residence in the Weinland Park neighborhood of Columbus between the early hours of 2 a.m. and 5 a.m. on December 30. McKee’s arrest took place in Illinois on January 10, and he is currently detained at the Winnebago County Jail in Rockford, pending extradition to Ohio.
Dr. Spencer Tepe, a dentist in Ohio, and his wife Monique were discovered shot to death in their Columbus home on December 30, 2025.
As reported by USA Today, an unexpected twist occurred when the divorce case between McKee and Monique was inadvertently reopened just a few months prior to the couple’s alleged murder.
Divorce records obtained by Fox News Digital show that McKee and Monique got married on Aug. 22, 2015, and separated by March 2016, with the marriage lasting seven months.
According to the initial divorce complaint filed by Monique, she and McKee were “incompatible.” By March 2016, Monique and McKee were living separately.
“Differences have arisen between [the couple] and they are now living separate and apart from each other,” according to the complaint. Monique and McKee kept most of their personal assets, including bank accounts, and split personal property to their “mutual satisfaction,” the records show.
The pair had no children together and their divorce was finalized in Franklin County Domestic Relations Court on June 15, 2017.
Monique Tepe married her new husband, dentist Spencer Tepe, in December 2020.
Spencer and Monique Tepe were preparing to celebrate their five-year wedding anniversary. (Rob Misleh)
Court records and medical licensing boards provide a roadmap of his whereabouts in the years following the separation.
Here’s a timeline of McKee’s work history, according to records and sources:
2005 to 2009: Undergraduate student at Ohio State University.
2009 to 2014: Studied to earn his medical degree at Ohio State University.
2014 to 2015: General surgery internship at Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center in Columbus, Ohio.
2015 to 2020: General Surgery residency at Virginia Tech Carilion Clinic, Roanoke, Virginia.
2020 to 2022: Vascular Surgery fellowship at University of Maryland Medical Center, Baltimore, Maryland.
Michael McKee appears in court at Winnebago County Justice Center, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in Rockford, Illinois. (WIFR via Pool)
2022 to 2025: Was licensed in several states, including California, Nevada and Illinois. From 2023 to 2024, he worked as a vascular surgeon at Las Vegas Surgical Associates.
2025 to 2026: Vascular surgeon at OSF Saint Anthony Medical Center in Rockford, Illinois.
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)
Following McKee’s arrest, family members have said that Monique’s ex-husband was a “monster,” and was abusive.
Rob Misleh, Spencer’s brother-in-law, told NBC News that their family “quickly believed” that McKee was involved in their deaths.
“He was an emotionally abusive person when they were together, that is all I know,” Misleh said.
Spencer and Monique Tepe pictured in wedding photos. (Rob Misleh)
Court filings reviewed by Fox News Digital show that McKee was facing several allegations of medical malpractice and negligence in the months prior to being charged in the deaths of the Ohio couple.
Federal court records reveal that McKee was named as a defendant in a civil rights and medical negligence lawsuit filed June 7, 2024, in U.S. District Court for the District of Nevada. In a separate matter, state court records in Clark County show that McKee is also the primary defendant in an active medical malpractice lawsuit slated for a jury trial.
According to Las Vegas-based lawyer Dan Laird, McKee managed to evade legal justice before he allegedly killed the Tepes.
“They tend to be highly responsible people,” he told WSYX. “They’re not the kind of people who just disappeared suddenly, and this was very surprising to us.”
