A man accused of killing his ex-wife and her husband in Ohio faces upgraded murder charges as he's expected to be moved from Illinois to face prosecution across the state line.
Michael David McKee, 39, now faces two charges of premeditated aggravated murder, according to Franklin County court records. McKee was arrested in Illinois on Saturday in connection to the deaths of his ex-wife, Monique Tepe, 39, and her husband, Spencer Tepe, 37, in Columbus, Ohio.
Spencer Tepe’s brother-in-law, Rob Misleh, told NBC News on Monday that the couple's deaths were shocking but that their family "quickly believed" McKee had something to do with it.
"He was an emotionally abusive person when they were together, that is all I know," Misleh said.
He previously told NBC News that McKee's arrest represents “an important step toward justice” for the slain couple, though nothing can undo the loss.
McKee stood up straight as he appeared in court Monday in a yellow Winnebago County jail suit, wearing glasses with his hands and feet chained. He was represented by Winnebago County Public Defender Carie Poirier.
He plans to plead not guilty and hopes for a speedy transfer to Ohio by waiving extradition, Poirier said.
McKee stayed silent during the quick hearing, addressing the court only when giving the judge his name.
Monique and Spencer Tepe were married in January 2021 in Columbus, according to their wedding video. During her vows, Monique Tepe said that she knew from the first day that she had found someone special.
"I had quite a journey to get to you, countless bad Bumble dates, wrong relationships and waterfalls of tears, but it was worth every cringing second because it led me to you," she said.
The couple were found dead in their home Dec. 30 from apparent gunshot wounds, according to a police report. The county coroner's report said the cause of death appears to be homicide but cautioned that the case was not yet finalized.
Their two young children were found in the home unharmed.
McKee and Monique Tepe divorced in 2017 after two years of marriage. Investigators have not yet identified a motive in the attack.
“It wasn’t like she had just completely forgotten about him," Misleh said. "She would talk quite often about how terrified she was of him and how much he messed with her mental health. And it was lasting."
Monique Tepe and her husband are believed to have been killed between 2 a.m. and 5 a.m. on the morning of Dec. 30. They were found later that day, after friends and co-workers were concerned that Spencer Tepe, a dentist, had not shown up to work. Around 10 a.m., a man called 911 and said he could see a body and blood in the home.
Columbus police previously released a video of a person of interest wearing a hooded jacket walking in an alley near the Tepes' home on the night of the killings. Officials declined to answer whether they believed McKee was the man in the video, saying they did not want to make remarks that could compromise the case.
McKee is a medical doctor specializing in vascular surgery with licensing in both California and Illinois, according to online records. He graduated from the Ohio State University College of Medicine in 2014, the records show.
He was also previously licensed in Nevada, but that license expired in June. There are no reports of medical malpractice or disciplinary history marked in his licensing records.
OSF Saint Anthony Medical Center, where McKee is listed as a vascular surgeon, said it was working with authorities. The hospital is located in Rockford, Illinois, a city more than 400 miles northwest of Columbus, Ohio.
McKee is being held in Winnebago County Jail in Illinois. It's unclear when he will be transferred to Ohio.
