The unsealed affidavit alleges surgeon Michael McKee was recorded on Dec. 6 entering the curtilage of his ex-wife Monique Tepe and her husband Spencer's Columbus home while the couple attended the Big Ten Championship. Investigators say McKee returned on Dec. 30 and allegedly shot the couple as their children slept nearby, then drove back to Rockford, Illinois, retrieving his phone about 17 hours after leaving it at work. He was arrested Jan. 10 after surveillance linked a vehicle to the scene; multiple firearms were reportedly recovered and a grand jury has indicted him. McKee has pleaded not guilty and remains in custody while the case proceeds.
Affidavit: Surgeon Allegedly Scouted Ex’s Home Weeks Before Fatal Double Shooting, Drove 900-Mile Round Trip
Michael McKeeAdam Cairns/The Columbus Dispatch via AP
A probable cause affidavit unsealed in Franklin County Municipal Court alleges that 39-year-old surgeon Michael McKee was recorded on video entering the property surrounding his ex-wife Monique Tepe and her husband Spencer Tepe's Columbus home weeks before the couple were fatally shot.
Timeline and Video Evidence
The affidavit says McKee was seen on Dec. 6 in the home's curtilage — the area immediately surrounding the house but not inside it — while Monique and Spencer attended the Big Ten Championship football game in Indiana. Police released a person-of-interest video that appears to show someone walking down the back alley that provides access to the Tepe property.
Investigators also say McKee was not on the schedule at the Rockford, Illinois, hospital where he worked that day, which they say is consistent with the footage placing him near the house.
Alleged Murder and Travel Timeline
The affidavit alleges McKee returned to the Tepe home on Dec. 30 and shot Monique, 39, and Spencer, 37, while their children slept nearby. Authorities say McKee left his phone at work on Dec. 29 before traveling to Columbus and retrieved the device about 17 hours later. Investigators estimate the drive from Rockford to Columbus takes about seven hours one way; the total round trip is roughly 900 miles, suggesting at least 14 hours on the road in the alleged timeline.
Spencer Tepe, Monique Tepegofundme; WIFR News/Pool Photo via AP
Arrest, Search and Charges
McKee was arrested on Jan. 10 after police connected him to a vehicle captured on neighborhood surveillance cameras near the Tepe home just before the killings and leaving afterward. A subsequent search of his property reportedly uncovered multiple firearms, including one Columbus Police Chief Elaine Bryant said resembled the weapon believed to have been used in the killings.
A grand jury later indicted McKee. He appeared remotely from the Franklin County Jail for his first Ohio court appearance, where his attorney entered a not-guilty plea on his behalf to four counts of aggravated murder and one count of aggravated burglary. McKee waived an extradition hearing in Winnebago County on Jan. 12, was returned to Ohio on Jan. 20, and remains in custody.
Background
According to the court records, McKee and Monique met at Ohio State University and married in 2015. They moved to Virginia for McKee's medical residency but separated seven months into the marriage; Monique returned to Ohio and filed for divorce in May 2017, citing incompatibility. The divorce was finalized the following month.
Police told reporters McKee invoked his Fifth Amendment right and declined to speak with detectives after his arrest in Illinois. The investigation is ongoing and court proceedings will determine whether the allegations in the affidavit lead to a criminal conviction.
Support and Resources: If you are experiencing domestic violence, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 or visit thehotline.org. All calls are confidential and available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.
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