A newly unsealed probable cause affidavit paints a detailed picture of alleged abuse and stalking by Michael McKee, the man charged in the deaths of his ex-wife, Monique Tepe, and her husband, Spencer Tepe, in their Columbus, Ohio, home on December 30, 2025. Their two young children, ages 1 and 4, were in the house and were unharmed.
Affidavit Describes Alleged Threats And Abuse
The affidavit, prepared by a Columbus detective, summarizes accounts from friends and witnesses who said Monique reported a history of abuse by McKee during and after their brief marriage. Court records show the couple married in August 2015 and divorced in June 2017. According to witnesses cited in the affidavit, Monique said McKee "forced unwanted sex" on her and had strangled her; another witness said McKee told Monique he "could kill her at any time," would buy the house next door, and insisted she would "always be his wife."
Surveillance, Vehicle Tracking And Timeline
Investigators reviewed surveillance footage that allegedly shows McKee near the Tepes' property on December 6, 2025, while the couple were at the Big Ten Championship football game. The affidavit uses the legal term curtilage to describe the area around the home where McKee was seen. Detectives later tied a silver SUV to surveillance near the home shortly before and after the killings; that vehicle was linked to McKee's former address and his workplace and at times displayed stolen Ohio and Arizona license plates.
Columbus police say Monique and Spencer Tepe were killed sometime between 2:00 a.m. and 5:00 a.m. on December 30. Investigators located the silver SUV on January 9, 2026, parked in the hospital lot where McKee worked; scrape marks on a window suggested a sticker had been removed. McKee was arrested at the hospital on January 10.
Weapons, Phone Evidence And Charges
Police recovered "multiple weapons" from McKee's property, and a preliminary ballistics check reportedly linked one recovered firearm to the homicides, according to Columbus Police Chief Elaine Bryant. The affidavit also alleges McKee left a phone at the hospital and that the device sat unused in Illinois for roughly 17 hours spanning December 29 through about noon on December 30.
A Franklin County grand jury indicted McKee on charges of aggravated murder and aggravated burglary while using a firearm suppressor. He has pleaded not guilty and, at his January 23 arraignment, his attorney waived a bond request. McKee's defense lawyer declined to comment on the affidavit's allegations when contacted.
Investigation Status And Legal Standard
Columbus police have previously described the case as "domestic violence-related". Under Ohio law, aggravated murder charges require prosecutors to show the killing was done with "prior calculation and design." Authorities have said they had no prior incident reports involving McKee and Monique Tepe before the December killings.
Note: The affidavit contains allegations and witness statements that have not been proven in court. McKee has pleaded not guilty and is entitled to a presumption of innocence until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
