Three weeks before Monique and Spencer Tepe were found dead in their Columbus home, Monique abruptly left a night out over an issue involving her ex-husband, Michael McKee, according to an affidavit. Police say surveillance allegedly showed McKee on the Tepes' property on Dec. 6, and the same silver SUV was recorded returning to the neighborhood on Dec. 30, hours before the couple were killed. McKee was arrested near his Rockford workplace on Jan. 10 and later indicted on multiple aggravated murder counts.
Affidavit Links Ex-Husband to Troubling Incident Weeks Before Columbus Double Murder
Michael McKee, Monique TepeWinnabago County Sheriff's Office; Courtesy of Rob Misleh
A probable cause affidavit obtained by PEOPLE says Monique Tepe abruptly left a night out with friends on Dec. 6 because she was "upset about something involving her ex-husband," Michael McKee. The episode occurred three weeks before Monique and her husband, dentist Spencer Tepe, were found dead in their Columbus, Ohio, home on Dec. 30.
What the Affidavit Alleges
The affidavit states that during a weekend trip to Indiana for the Big Ten Championship game, Monique left the group and returned to the hotel without offering an explanation. Friends later told investigators that Spencer said Monique was distressed about an issue involving McKee.
That same day, police say neighborhood surveillance footage in Columbus allegedly captured McKee entering the Tepes' property and spending several hours there before leaving. Investigators have not said whether Monique and Spencer were aware of the alleged intrusion at the time.
Links To The Dec. 30 Killings
Authorities say the silver SUV allegedly used by McKee on Dec. 6 was also recorded arriving in the Tepes' neighborhood in the early morning hours of Dec. 30, shortly before the couple was killed while their two young children slept nearby. Police report the vehicle leaving the neighborhood soon after the deaths.
Investigators tracked the SUV to a medical facility in Rockford, Illinois, where McKee worked. Federal agents arrested McKee near that workplace on Jan. 10. A grand jury later indicted him on four counts of aggravated murder and one count of aggravated burglary. Police say a search of McKee's property recovered the weapon they believe was used in the killings.
Background And Allegations Of Threats
The affidavit also describes a history of alleged threats from McKee toward Monique. A friend told police McKee once said Monique would "always be his wife" and threatened to buy the house next door if she left him. Another friend told PEOPLE that, while Monique had moved on after the divorce, McKee remained fixated on her.
"He thought she could not live without him. That she needed him. So for her to thrive [in her new marriage], that just destroyed his fragile little ego," a friend said.
All allegations in the affidavit are unproven. McKee has pleaded not guilty to the charges. The investigation is ongoing and authorities continue to review evidence and witness statements.
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