A Chicago man was arrested Saturday in connection with the killing of a couple in their Columbus, Ohio, home on Dec. 30, according to authorities.
Michael D. McKee, 39, was taken into custody “without incident” in Rockford, Columbus police said Saturday. He has been charged with the murder of his ex-wife, 39-year-old Monique Tepe, and her husband, 37-year-old dentist Spencer Tepe.
A criminal complaint lists McKee’s home address as 2100 N. Lincoln Park West in Chicago. McKee was booked Saturday into the Winnebago County Jail and has an extradition hearing Monday afternoon, according to the Winnebago County sheriff’s office. A search of public records shows he is a surgeon and has worked at OSF St. Anthony Medical Center in Rockford.
The couple’s killing made national headlines. Earlier this week, Columbus police released security footage of a person of interest in the case. In a criminal complaint filed in Ohio, police detailed using the footage to track the suspect to a vehicle near the scene of the crime — a car that was then connected to McKee and found in Rockford on Saturday.
The morning of Dec. 30, Columbus police patrol officers were dispatched to the city’s Weinland Park neighborhood for a well-being check. There, police found the couple, who had suffered from gunshot wounds. They were pronounced dead at the scene. Their two children were also found in their home but were unharmed.
According to The Associated Press, dispatchers first received calls of concern, including from Spencer Tepe’s boss, when he didn’t show up for work, which the boss said was “out of character.”
The AP reported that McKee and Monique Tepe had married in 2015 and filed for divorce two years later, per records from the Franklin County clerk of courts in Ohio.
According to their obituary, Monique and Spencer Tepe married in December 2020, after meeting online. They “quickly grew their relationship into a solid foundation of love and respect with a side of goofiness.”
Spencer Tepe was passionate about dentistry, friends and family say, had a competitive spirit in soccer and golf, and enjoyed learning Spanish. Monique Tepe loved soccer, running, horses and books. She was a stay-at-home mother “known for her bright smile, infectious laugh, caring heart, and bubbly personality.”
Monique Tepe was born in Chicago but moved with her parents to Worthington, Ohio, when she was 1 year old, according to the obituary.
“They had two precious children together who were loved dearly,” the obituary reads. “Spencer and Monique were the life of the party, holding many family and friend gatherings. They were generous with kind hearts.”
