Accused killer Michael McKee allegedly tormented his former wife, Monique Tepe, on multiple occasions before murdering her and her new husband, Ohio dentist Spencer Tepe.
McKee is accused of killing the Tepe couple on December 30, nearly ten years after his split from Monique. The Tepes were a few weeks shy of their fifth anniversary when McKee fatally shot them at around 3:52 a.m., according to police.
After killing the couple in the upstairs area of the Columbus, Ohio, home, McKee fled in a vehicle that helped police match him to the scene, according to law enforcement.
McKee, a Chicago-area vascular surgeon, had been married to Monique Tepe for less than a year before divorce proceedings began in 2016. He then allegedly demanded that she pay for the engagement ring, along with 23% interest on a purported $1,200 debt.
As CrimeOnline previously reported, loved ones said they believed McKee abused and tormented Monique during their brief marriage, leaving a negative impact on her life.
Monique Tepe reportedly paid additional fees to obtain a private judge, to expedite the divorce proceedings.
“It suggests a disorder like stalking,” Los Angeles psychoanalyst, Dr. Bethany Marshall told ‘Crime Stories’ host, Nancy Grace.
“Again, I haven’t examined this guy, but stalkers, they imagine that they have a very special, unique, intimate, close relationship with the victim, even when there is no relationship at all.”
After shooting the couple, McKee allegedly left the couple’s two children, ages 1 and 4, “in the next room…screaming their heads off, wailing,” Grace said.
During a brief court hearing Monday in Winnebago County, Illinois, a public defender pleaded not guilty on his behalf.
McKee, who appeared stone-faced and remained emotionless during the hearing, waived his extradition back to Ohio.
He remains behind bars without bail, facing two counts of aggravated murder with premeditation.
Under Ohio law, aggravated murder is considered a more serious charge than murder, with an extended punishment of life in sentence without parole or a possible death penalty.
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[Feature Photo: Monique and Spencer Tepe/Handout]
