Ballistics Tie Surgeon’s Gun to Ohio Couple’s Murders; Defense Lawyer Calls It a ‘Big Problem’

A preliminary ballistic analysis has linked a firearm recovered from vascular surgeon Michael McKee’s Illinois property to shell casings found at the Columbus, Ohio, scene where a married couple was fatally shot on Dec. 30, officials said. The match, made through the National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN), has prompted criminal defense experts to say the evidence could present significant challenges for McKee’s defense.

McKee, 39, who practices near Chicago, faces two counts of premeditated aggravated murder in the deaths of his ex-wife, Monique Tepe, 39, and her husband, Spencer Tepe, 37. Columbus Division of Police Chief Elaine Bryant confirmed investigators seized multiple firearms from McKee’s Rockford, Illinois, property and that one weapon was preliminarily matched to three 9mm shell casings recovered inside the Tepe residence.

“Once you have casings at the scene that match a gun in the suspect’s possession, that’s going to present some significant issues to the defense,” said R.J. Dreiling, a defense attorney and former Los Angeles County prosecutor.

Police say they have also built a timeline of McKee’s movements. Surveillance footage reportedly captured a person believed to be McKee walking in an alley near the victims’ home between roughly 2 a.m. and 5 a.m. on the morning of the shootings. License-plate reader data and other surveillance tools tracked McKee’s vehicle on a roughly 325-mile trip from Illinois to Columbus, arriving shortly before the killings and departing soon after, authorities said.

Ohio dentist Dr. Spencer Tepe and his wife, Monique Tepe, were found shot to death inside their home in Columbus, Ohio on Tuesday, Dec. 30, 2025. While their two children were discovered unharmed, authorities reportedly believe their deaths were not the result of a murder-suicide.

Evidence and Investigation Details

• Ballistics: A preliminary NIBIN match linked a gun seized at McKee’s Rockford property to three 9mm casings found inside the Tepe residence.
• Surveillance: Video allegedly shows a person believed to be McKee near the home in the hours before the killings.
• Travel Data: License-plate readers tracked a vehicle on a roughly 325-mile trip from Illinois to Columbus and back.
• No Forced Entry: Officers reported no signs of forced entry at the North Fourth Street home; police described the incident as targeted and related to domestic violence because of McKee’s prior marriage to Monique Tepe.

Legal experts say the combination of the ballistic match, cross-state travel and lack of forced entry will strengthen prosecutors’ ability to argue the killings were planned. Dreiling added investigators and prosecutors will likely try to establish a motive that fits the available evidence and timeline.

McKee was arrested in Rockford on Jan. 10 and waived extradition. He is expected to be transported to Franklin County to face formal charges; his next court hearing is scheduled for Jan. 23. If convicted of aggravated murder in Ohio, he could face the death penalty or life in prison without the possibility of parole.

The victims’ two young children, ages 1 and 4, were found unharmed in the home after the killings. Investigators continue to gather evidence and have not released a final forensic report; the ballistic match is described as preliminary pending further analysis.