Renowned Attorney Takes on Case of Surgeon Accused in Ohio Dentist Murders

The Ohio surgeon accused of fatally shooting his ex-wife and her dentist husband in their home has now secured legal representation from a well-known local defense attorney. Michael McKee faces serious charges, including four counts of aggravated murder, each involving firearm specifications, as revealed in court documents accessed by Fox News Digital. On January 22, attorney Diane Menashe officially took on his case.

Diane Menashe, a seasoned attorney with 27 years of experience, currently heads her own practice, Menashe Law Group, as detailed on the firm’s website. She is no stranger to high-profile cases, having previously defended Dr. William Husel. Dr. Husel, an Ohio physician, was cleared of all 14 murder charges in 2022, charges which alleged he had inappropriately prescribed lethal doses of pain medications to patients at Mount Carmel Health System in Columbus.

In the Husel trial, Menashe’s defense strategy included calling a single witness, a Georgia-based anesthesiologist, who testified that the patients succumbed to their underlying medical conditions rather than Husel’s medical interventions.

As for McKee, he has been extradited and is currently detained in Columbus, Ohio, according to a spokesperson from the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office.

A spokesman for the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office said McKee has been extradited and is in jail in Columbus, Ohio. (Franklin County Ohio Sheriff)

During Husel’s trial, his defense team called one witness to the stand – a Georgia anesthesiologist who testified that Husel’s patients died from their medical conditions and not Husel’s actions.

He was acquitted on all charges in April 2022 after a jury deliberated for more than a week. 

McKee is accused of shooting and killing Spencer Tepe, 37, and Monique Tepe, 39, inside their Weinland Park home in Columbus between 2 a.m. and 5 a.m. on Dec. 30. McKee is Monique’s ex-husband.

Defense attorney Diane Menashe smiles during the William Husel murder trial in Columbus, Ohio on March 7, 2022.   (Doral Chenoweth/The Columbus Dispatch via USA Today)

Following a weekslong manhunt, McKee was arrested in Illinois on Jan. 10 and subsequently extradited to Ohio after awaiting his hearing two days later, where he remains in custody at the Franklin County Jail. 

A sheriff’s spokesperson previously said that McKee faces upgraded premeditated aggravated murder charges, with three of the counts including specifications alleging the use or display of an automatic firearm or silencer. The fourth charge alleges a firearm was displayed or brandished. 

Additionally, McKee is charged with one count of aggravated burglary.

Defense attorney Diane Menashe walks out of the courtroom after closing statements in the murder trial of former Mt. Carmel physician William Husel in Columbus, Ohio on April 11, 2022.   (Doral Chenoweth/The Columbus Dispatch via USA Today)

Authorities have previously revealed that investigators recovered firearms from McKee’s home, including one that is believed to have been used in the murders. 

“At this time, again, unfortunately, I’m unable to answer that question,” Columbus Police Chief Elaine Bryant told Fox News Digital when asked whether the gun was legally obtained. She said investigators were “still doing some investigation as it relates to this case.”

Spencer and Monique Tepe were preparing to celebrate their five-year wedding anniversary. (Rob Misleh)

Charging documents reveal police linked McKee to a vehicle that was seen arriving in the Tepes’ neighborhood shortly before the murders and spotted departing after the alleged homicides. The car was then tracked to Rockford, Illinois, where police learned it belonged to McKee.

McKee is set to appear for an arraignment hearing in the Franklin County Common Pleas Court on Friday, Jan. 23. 

Court records show McKee and Monique were married for seven months after their wedding on Aug. 22, 2015, before they split up, with divorce documents revealing Monique claimed the two were “incompatible.”

McKee was in the process of completing his residency at Virginia Tech Carilion Clinic when the pair split. 

Rob Misleh, Spencer’s brother-in-law, told WSYX that the couple was preparing to celebrate their five-year wedding anniversary one month before they were killed.

Menashe did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.